Issue - meetings

To consider a policy for making amendments to the list of streets maintainable at the public expense.

The Cabinet Member considered a proposed policy for making amendments to the list of streets maintainable at public expense.

The Council was required under the Highways Act 1980 to keep correct and up to date a comprehensive list of streets maintainable at the public expense. The list was to contain all roads, lanes, footpaths, bridleways, byways, restricted byways, squares, courts, alleys and passages which were considered to be maintainable at public expense.

At present, the Council did not have in place a policy on any changes that were required to keep the List of Streets up to date. Any changes required to the List of Streets were received from a number of different sources. Types of evidence supplied to the Authority varied, from an adoption plan showing the road and extents to minutes from historical meetings of previous Councils. There had never been any strict procedure in place prior to any changes to the existing highways that were considered to be maintainable at public expense.

The policy would set out to ensure that any future changes to the list of streets would have a proper audit trail. This would ensure that any subsequent claims on the highway network could be successfully supported with a policy that showed that the changes had been followed correctly.

Councillor L Gilbert reported the comments of the Environment and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee that local members and local councils should be consulted on any proposed amendments to the list of streets.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services approves the policy on Amendments to the List of Streets as set out in Appendix A to the report.