Highway asset management
The highway asset management sets out how the Council will best manage its highway network. This considers customer needs, local priorities, asset condition and the best use of available resources.
This is to enable local highway authorities in England to bid for major maintenance projects that are otherwise difficult to fund through the usual Government allocations.
This tranche is available for 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021. A total of £198 million is on offer. Local authorities can bid for projects that benefit the local economy and make driving safer by improving the quality of roads and surrounding infrastructure, including bridges and viaducts.
Highway assets have an optimal operational lifespan, after which they deteriorate. It is clear that some of this country's existing highway assets may now be moving to more costly stages of their natural life-cycle with some components already reaching the end of their serviceable life. In addition to the natural ageing process of highway infrastructure, the life-cycle of the asset has in places deteriorated at a faster rate than perhaps originally envisaged, sometimes as a result of past under-investment, as well as severe weather events which have compounded the problems.
The roads network is a vital lifeline which needs to be enhanced and maintained. The government is committed to upgrading and renewing local road infrastructure so, through the challenge fund, it is encouraging local authorities to invest in these roads and make journeys safer.
Kirklees Council have put forward two bids:
- A joint bid with Calderdale for the resurfacing and drainage improvements on the A62 Leeds Road between Bradley lights and Cooper Bridge Roundabout and the Stabilization of A6024 Woodhead Road at Holme Moss
- The worst top 10 unclassified roads within the Kirklees district.
- Highways maintenance funding: incentive element
- Incentive fund summary submission: January 2019
- Incentive fund summary submission: January 2018
- Incentive fund summary submission: January 2017
- Incentive fund summary submission: January 2016
In December 2014, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that £6 billion would be made available between 2015/16 and 2020/21 for local highways maintenance capital funding. In November 2015 a further £250 million was announced for a dedicated Pothole Action Fund.
From this funding, £578 million has been set aside for an Incentive Fund scheme, to reward councils who demonstrate they're delivering value for money in carrying out cost effective improvements.
Each local highway authority in England (excluding London) is invited to complete an annual self-assessment questionnaire. This established how much of the incentive fund they were eligible for between 2015/16 and 2020/21.
The Department for Transport has made it clear that local authorities aren't competing with each other for funding, but are demonstrating that efficiency measures are being pursued in order to receive their full share of the funding.
The incentive funding awarded to each local highway authority will be based on their score in this questionnaire, and will be relative to the amount currently received through the needs-based funding formula.
| Year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2019/20 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | 100% | 90% | 60% | 30% | 10% | 0% |
| Band 2 | 100% | 100% | 90% | 70% | 50% | 30% |
| Band 3 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Each authority scores themselves against 22 questions, and place themselves into one of 3 bands on the basis of the available evidence. From 2017/18 authorities in Band 3 will receive their full 100% share of the £578 million, whilst authorities in Band 1 and 2 will receive a reduced percentage of their share. These percentages for Bands 1 and 2 decrease in each subsequent year, with only authorities in Band 3 being awarded their full share of the funding.
The questions enable authorities to assess their progress on the journey to the implementation of good practice. This is to create an environment for effective and efficient delivery so that capital funding can maximise its return. Underpinning this is the needs of stakeholders and communicating the importance of the highway service and the needs for well-maintained highways.
Each authority needs to complete each of the 22 questions.
The Government's Autumn Statement 2016 announced a new National Productivity Investment Fund to provide £23 billion of additional spending, ensuring the UK's economy is fit for the future. The fund will provide major additional spending in areas that are key to boosting productivity: transport, digital communications, research and development, and housing.
The Department for Transport has allocated a grant from the National Productivity Investment Fund for local highway and other local transport improvements which aim to:
- reduce congestion at key locations
- upgrade or improve the maintenance of local highway assets
- improve access to employment and housing
- develop economic and job creation opportunities
The funding allocated to each local highway authority in England outside London in 2017/18 is based on a formula using data provided by each authority regarding the assets for which they are responsible.
We have worked with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to determine distribution of the grant which is in two broad areas and totals £0.97m for schemes to be implemented through Kirklees highways.
£0.134m to supplement the Integrated Transport grant programme. Within Kirklees this benefits:
- Cycling, walking and safer roads scheme programmes
£0.836m for additional schemes that satisfy the funding guidelines. Within Kirklees this benefits:
- Flood Management - drainage improvements to reduce delay and disruption
- Traffic signal works to improve network efficiency
- Road surfacing on roads that give access to employment, housing and town centre shopping, particularly at:
- Parkside / Bradford Road, Cleckheaton
- Commercial Road, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield
- Morley Lane, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield
- Fartown Green Road, Fartown, Huddersfield
The 2004 County Surveyors' Society Framework for Highway Asset Management definition is:
- "Asset Management is a strategic approach that identifies the optimal allocation of resources for the management, operation, preservation and enhancement of the highway infrastructure to meet the needs of current and future customers."
More simply, it is knowing all about our assets and using that information to plan and prioritise how we look after them. To do this efficiently and effectively and to provide best value for money we need to know:
- What type of asset is it, for example, road, bridge, street light?
- Where is the asset located?
- Why is it there, how does it assist the network management and operation?
- When will it need to be inspected, maintained or replaced?
- How long will it last? How much will it cost to replace or repair, now and over its life?
- Who is responsible for it and who will be carrying out any necessary work?
Highway assets managed by Kirklees Council
| Asset element | Asset quantity, Kilometres |
|---|---|
| A roads | 210 |
| B and C classified roads | 240 |
| Unclassified roads | 1450 |
| Total | 1900 |
| Asset element | Asset quantity, kilometres |
|---|---|
| Primary walking route | 29 |
| Secondary walking route | 65 |
| Link footways | 76 |
| Local access footways | 2129 |
| Cycleways | 34 |
| Total | 2333 |
| Asset element | Asset quantity |
|---|---|
| Traffic signal junctions | 132 |
| Puffin crossing | 90 |
| Toucan crossing | 3 |
| Wig Wag | 2 |
| Total | 227 |
| Asset element | Asset quantity |
|---|---|
| Bridges, with a span greater than 1.5 metres | 212 |
| Tunnel | 1 |
| Retaining wall, estimate | 400 |
| Footbridge | 215 |
| Culverts, with a span greater than 1.5 metres | 94 |
| Subway | 8 |
| Other structures, mast arm, sign gantries etc. | 11 |
| Other structures, with a span greater than 1.5 metres, with partial liability i.e. 3rd party bridges or culverts carrying adopted highways | 143 |
| Total | 1084 |
| Asset element | Asset quantity |
|---|---|
| Lighting columns | 50213 |
| Illuminated bollards | 2075 |
| Illuminated signs | 5466 |
| Zebra crossings | 432 |
| Feeder pillars | 251 |
| Refuge island beacons | 285 |
| Variable message signs | 12 |
| Subway units | 85 |
| Total | 58805 |
| Asset element | Asset quantity |
|---|---|
| Highway drains, estimate | 250 kilometres |
| Highway gullies and connections | 75653 |
| Surface water pumping station | 1 |
| Highway trash grilles | 60 |
| Non-illuminated road signs | Not measured |
| Road restraining systems, crash barriers | Not measured |
| Pedestrian guardrail | Not measured |
| Trees | Not measured |
| Verges | 2500000 metre squared |
- Safety Inspection Manual
Please see the Safety Inspection Manual 2018. - Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy
This sets out how we will best manage the highway network. It takes into consideration customer needs, local priorities, asset condition and best use of available resources. - Winter maintenance service policy
Policy outlining the winter maintenance service for Kirklees. This service is carried out in order to allow all road users to move about as safely as possible and to help minimise the disruptive effect of severe weather. - Highway maintenance plan
The Highway Maintenance Plan sets out the operational requirements to maintain the network and identifies the resource requirements to deliver the maintenance service.
Levels of service are one way in which the council can determine if it is meeting customer expectations and its statutory obligations in the delivery of its highways asset management service. They enable the council to
- Ensure that operational activities actively support the achievement of the council's strategic goals
- Determine if adequate focus is given to what is important to the customer
- Evaluate priorities and value for money
- Document and measure the service provided
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- Highway Asset Management Performance Indicators - Customer Service
- Highway Asset Management Performance Indicators - Network Serviceability
- Highway Asset Management Performance Indicators - Safety
- Highway Asset Management Performance Indicators - Sustainability
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority Performance Indicator Definitions
In order to demonstrate continuous improvement, performance has to be continually measured and this is undertaken through performance indicators, standards and targets
There is a need for local engagement mechanisms to ensure the asset management approach is understood. Understanding the needs and expectations of stakeholders provides the information needed to determine and review the service provided. This informs our asset management activities.
We commission annual surveys of customer satisfaction and analyses trends to benchmark and diagnose performance and identify potential for improvement.
We have a scheme prioritisation process for all major assets, aligned to the asset management strategy. A programme of works for all assets is approved for one to two years and looking forward there is an indicative programme for three to five years.
In total, the government is spending a record £6.1 billion on local highways maintenance between 2015/16 and 2020/21, giving councils long-term certainty for the first time to plan future work with the aim of preventing potholes and improving local roads, bridges and street lighting.
As part of this investment, the Pothole Action Fund will give local authorities in England an average £50 million a year to help them tackle more than 4 million potholes. Funding is calculated according to the size of the local road network in the area and the Kirklees allocation was £941,000 in 2018/19. Each year a summary report shows where this sum was invested.
In the Budget 2018 the Chancellor announced £420 million additional capital funding in 2018/19 for Highway Authorities to tackle potholes, repair damaged roads, and invest in keeping bridges open and safe.
The Kirklees allocation was £2,711,000. It was a condition of the funding that it was used by the end of March 2019. The additional funding was allocated where condition surveys show the greatest need and that was to our Local Community Roads (the unclassified road network).