Additional investment into the Public Realm was provided through the pothole and challenge fund, this allocated £7.674M of funding, some of which was initially earmarked to deliver the following project in year. This funding must be spent by 31 March 2021.

An initial programme of works on which this funding would be spent was developed and set out in a record of officer decision dated 17 September 2020 and this set out the programme of projects as follows:

U65606 Paunton Rock Armour £200,000
C1011 Kinsham deck replacement Phase2 £600,000
C1001 Buckton deck replacement Phase2 £600,000
repairs to C1072 Kington Bridge Phase 2 £200,000
A4113 Leintwardine £150,000

This report can be seen on the councils website by following the link below:

http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=7181

Similarly additional Highway asset management (HAM) funding was provided and funded the following programmes of work :-

Marshfield construction works - £120,000
Kington concrete repairs (split funding with above) £200,000
However constraints have subsequently been imposed by the Environment Agency on the ability to enter the water course to undertake these projects to the anticipated programme which means for these projects the earliest start date on site is now May 2021. The following major schemes are affected:-
• Paunton Rock Armour - EA constraints on in river working, unable to get into the river before May 21 at the earliest Kinsham Deck Replacement - EA constraints 15th June earliest in river work -
• Buckton Deck Replacement - EA constraints 31st May earliest in river work
• Kington Bridge Concrete Repairs. EA restrictions on placing scaffolding under bridge. May earliest lifting of restrictions
• Marshfield bridge construction

Whilst design work and procurement of prefabricated elements of the projects will be undertaken in 2020/2021 construction work cannot commence until 2021/2022 as a result of the constraints above. This results in a forecast anticipated underspend in 2020/20211 of £1.641M on those elements affected by entry into the water courses with respect to the pothole and challenge budget, and for the same reason £245K with respect to the HAM funding

In order to deliver the intended agreed programme of projects set out above the schemes will now be delivered from the councils Investment in C & U roads capital budget next financial year, and the C and U roads work that was to be delivered from that budget will be undertaken this financial year funded from the pothole and challenge fund grant money.

These works can be funded from that highway maintenance grant funding.

The HAM funding of £245K is to be carried forward into 2021/2022 to align with the new programme requirements