Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director for Place and Economic Growth which sought formal acceptance of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and Integrated Transport Block allocations for 2022/23 and the programmes recommended for delivery.

Funding previously received for Core Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport Block (ITB) had been ‘consolidated’ into the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding settlement with effect from 2022/23, for the next 5 financial years.

On 1st April 2022, GM was notified of its final CRSTS allocation of £1.07bn based upon the CRSTS Prospectus, which had been submitted to Government in September 2021 and the draft Programme Case submitted on 31st January 2022.

This allocation included an amount of £175m for core highways maintenance and £82m for ITB funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27.

In a report presented to the GM Wider Leadership Team on 13th April 2022 by TfGM/GMCA agreement was gained of the 2022/23 interim allocation of CRSTS funding for the following elements (in advance of final agreement of the full allocations across the CRSTS programme):

·         2022/23 Core Highways Maintenance funding (consolidated highways maintenance block, incentive fund, pothole and challenge funding);

·         2022/23 Integrated Transport Block (ITB) funding.

Core Highways Maintenance Funding

A core highway maintenance allocation of £35m (covering the first year of the £175m) will be made to local authorities based on an allocation process agreed with the GM Delivery Group, the GM Highways Group and the GM Treasurers.

Integrated Transport Block (ITB) Funding

ITB is capital funding granted to local authorities for expenditure on their local transport plans. Following the confirmation of the final CRSTS award by DfT the proposal for allocating ITB in 2022/23, that had been discussed and agreed in principle by the GM Delivery Group and GM Highways Group, was as follows:

·         There is no requirement for ITB to be used as part of the funding strategy for Bus Franchising in 2022/23, and therefore it can be released, in full, for funding local transport. However, the potential requirements for ITB to be applied as a funding mitigation for Bus Franchising will need to be reviewed on an annual basis.

·         For 2022/23, it is proposed that the allocation basis for ITB returns to the ‘historic’ 50:50 between the GM local authorities and public transport investment via GMCA. Therefore, the proposal is that £16.3m of ITB is released on a 50:50 basis between the GM local authorities and GMCA.

Following discussions with local authorities via the GM Delivery Group and the GM Treasurers, it was proposed that the allocations of ITB funding per local authority would follow the same as that used when ITB was last allocated to the GM local authorities in 2010/11.

Oldham’s total settlement for 2022/23 will be £3,774,000 (£707k ITB funding and £3.067m core maintenance funding).

This will be passported, via the Council’s Capital Strategy and Capital Programme 2022/23 - 2026/27 approved by full Council on the 2nd March 2022, for investment in and maintenance of Oldham’s transport network. This is in accordance with current Local Transport Plan expectations.

Core Highways Maintenance Funding

In an effort to maintain the progress made as part of our recently completed Highway Investment Programme (HIP) we plan on prioritising funds going forward in the same manner. Ensuring scheme selection is carried out in the same manner will allow us to continue to prioritise the correct intervention on the highway at the correct time.

Prioritising the programme using the most recent condition data from the range of condition surveys we carry out annually, and cross referencing those against out claims and enquiry data, has allowed us to not only target the worst roads across the borough, but also continue in our efforts to reduce highway claims and revenue repairs throughout Oldham.

With savings achieved in 2021/22 we already have a preventative maintenance programme of £750,000 approved. This has been tendered and is awaiting delivery in the summer of 2022 (shown at the bottom of Appendix 1 as previously approved). Appendix 1 details the highway schemes to be funded from CRSTS which will enable us to carry out a resurfacing programme alongside the preventative programme.

Integrated Transport Block (ITB) Funding

The ITB allocation for Oldham in 2022/23 is £707,000. A programme of works has been compiled by highways officers.

Appendix 2 set out a proposed programme of schemes which would fully utilise the expected ITB allocation and is recommended for delivery in 2022/23.

Options/Alternatives considered

Option 1 - Members agree - The proposed programme of schemes which would fully utilise the expected City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement highway maintenance and Integrated Transport Block (ITB) allocations available for 2022/23 as per the formal grant notification from GMCA.

Option 2 – Members don’t agree the proposed programme of schemes which would fully utilise the expected City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement highway maintenance and Integrated Transport Block (ITB) allocations available for 2022/23 as per the formal grant notification from GMCA.

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RESOLVED – That Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 15 of the agenda.