To receive any written questions.

Question from Councillor AT Oliver to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation

Within the national policy context Herefordshire Council will be required to

(i)      Provide sustained and increasing investment in improving road conditions; and

(ii)     Create better quality bus services and national concessionary travel, with better integrated transport provision.

Where within the Medium Term Financial Strategy do we provide the necessary investment and strategy to address these requirements?

Answer from Councillor DB Wilcox, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation

The Councillor stated that the Local Transport Plan 2006/7 - 2010/11 set out the Council’s investment strategy for transport over the medium term. The Council had managed to secure increased funding from Government for the maintenance allocation following successful lobbying for improvements in the formula which determined its level of funding.

The Council had also prepared a Supplementary Planning Document on Planning Contributions which would help it legitimately increase the level of funding that it secured through new development to improve the transport network. This would also help improve medium term funding for transport.

The Council was currently developing the Herefordshire Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP) which would help it take a longer term view of how best to invest in the transport network.  It was intended that a final TAMP would be available in May.  It was anticipated that the document would provide an action plan of ongoing improvement in investment in the network.

In terms of public transport, the Council continued to invest significant amounts in supporting services and had increased funding to support free bus travel for OAPs. The concessionary fares scheme was likely to cost just under £1.5M for 2007/8 and was predicted to cost £1.7M in 2008/9.

Question from Councillor AT Oliver to the Cabinet Member for Resources

The Financial Management Strategy states that effective project management of capital schemes to ensure they stay within budget is required to increase capital investment capacity.

In the light of the doubling in cost of provision of the new capital market, how may we have confidence this effective management will be achieved, and that major schemes such as the Edgar Street Grid, the Office Accommodation Strategy, and the ICT Strategy Programme, will stay within budget?

Answer from Councillor H Bramer, Cabinet Member for Resources

Councillor Bramer stated the Council had a policy that required all major projects to be managed in accordance with PRINCE 2 project management principles.  Each major project was supported by an appropriately qualified project manager from the Corporate Programmes and Projects team within the Corporate & Customer Services Directorate.  Adoption of the PRINCE 2 methodology ensured that, amongst other issues, there was strict financial control of projects against the approved budget with exceptions on financial or any other matter being escalated to the appropriate officer or body of the Council for decision in line with the Council’s Constitution.  In addition to formal reports on any major project, Cabinet also received a budget monitoring report on an at least bi-monthly basis which provided information on progress with major projects from the financial perspective.  This provided the opportunity for Members to be advised of any significant financial risks in connection with major projects in relation to the budget provision.

Question from Councillor AT Oliver to the Cabinet Member for Resources

Within the capital programme for funding bids not recommended is a bid for essential maintenance work to a Grade II Listed Building, that is the Broad Street Library.

On the face of it, it would appear this work is not essential, and can be postponed indefinitely.  May we be assured that if we walk down Broad Street we are not in imminent danger of being hit by falling coping stones?

Answer from Councillor H Bramer, Cabinet Member for Resources

Councillor Bramer said that he could confirm that the decision not to proceed with capital expenditure was based on the wider intentions to consider a relocation of the library to a new building and to completely refurbish and adapt the Broad Street building as a museum that was being considered by the Adult & Community Services Directorate. In the circumstances, major capital expenditure on the building at this time could be counter-productive. The report on library provision was due to be received from the external consultants in the near future with a report to Cabinet which would come forward in July or August. In the interim, any essential safety or wind and watertight repairs that required attention would be met from the Council's revenue budgets.

Councillor Oliver thanked Councillor Bramer for his answers, and posed a supplementary question on the Edgar Street Grid project.  He said that it was almost inherent in such large capital projects that costs could spiral above budget.  How sure could the Council be that such increased costs could be dealt with.  Councillor Bramer replied that ways were being looked at reducing costs in all areas.