Issue - decisions

Along with Ridwan Musa, Highways Manager; the Chair welcomed Rob Wilson, Senior Engineer, to the meeting.

The report presented stated that the Lancashire County Council Highway Maintenance Plan (HMP) provided a comprehensive Code of Practice in the form of guidance and operational standards for the maintenance and related management of the publicly maintainable highway infrastructure network. This included grass cutting and weed control.

The Committee was informed that from 2018/19, funding was to increase. As a result, LCC had distributed some of the extra funding to the district councils for their blanket weed clearing programmes. Members questioned the monitoring of the Service's work and compliance with the regulations. They also questioned if the additional funding to the Service was making a difference. It was confirmed that the item on Highway Verges and the extra funding would be added to the work plan for a future meeting.

Members enquired if there was guidance and assurance for people from local communities around the clearing of weeds and grass cutting in public areas. This action would be taken back to work with the Communications Team looking at updating the Highways website with self-help advice.

Resolved: That;

1. The arrangements that are in place for highway verges - grass cutting and weed control be reviewed and scrutinised.
2. That the additional funding for 2017/18 and the additional work to be undertaken be noted.
3. That the additional funding for 2018/19 and the following two years and how that will be allocated to grass cutting and weed control be noted.
4. That the developments regarding future weed control be noted.