Agenda Item 9
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY UPDATE –STREET SIGNS
Summary: This report updates the Committee on work undertaken on street
signs installation and maintenance over the last financial year and to set out
the position for this service looking forward.
Conclusions: That although little progress was made during the early part of
the year on the capital scheme and ongoing maintenance that the backlog of
signs have been ordered and installed.
Recommendations: That the committee note the contents of the report and
recognise the efforts of the two staff members in moving the situation forward.
Cabinet member(s):
Cllr Eric Seward
Ward(s) affected:
All
Contact Officer, telephone
number, and e-mail:
Steve Hems, 01263 516182
steve.hems@north-norfolk.gov.uk
1.
Background
1.1
Following approval of the street signs capital project members have
had a number of updates on progress the latest to the April 2010
meeting. This report updates on the activity undertaken since that last
report.
2.
Position Update
2.1
Following the management restructuring in early 2010 there was little
progress in installing or maintaining street signs between April and mid
October. This was for two main reasons.
a) the Technical Assistant (Street Signs) post was vacant following the
recruitment of the post holder into another role in the department,
b) the managerial responsibility changed under the restructuring but
due to redundancy/ redeployment issues the previous manager
continued to undertake the role leading to a lack of clarity and ability
to move forward.
2.2
During the period of April to mid October a small amount of survey
work and repair and maintenance was undertaken on an overtime
basis by the previous post holder. Although this enabled some issues
to be taken forward a backlog of outstanding installations, repairs to
damaged signs built up.
2.3
A further batch of the capital programme signs were produced and
installed by the contractor in June and July completing the 1000 signs
identified as part of the original project. Due to the costing negotiated
with the contractor a proportion of the capital budget remains available.
2.4
In mid October the post of Technical Assistant (Street Signs) was filled
on a part time six month contract. The post holder dealt with a list of
damaged/removed or mis-installed signs but was not able to move
forward ordering any new signs.
2.5
In December a Technical Administrator was appointed for a total of 9
days, in order to collate the various sources of street sign reports and
requests into one coherent list. This work was successfully completed
and identified approximately 360 signs which required ordering. During
January further work was undertaken prioritise the list, provide updates
to parish clerks or other contacts and to place the orders for the signs.
2.6
At a meeting with the sign contractor, G&G Signs, it became clear that
they had reviewed the service offering and were concentrating on sign
production rather than installation. This has reduced the cost to the
council from £80-100 per sign to £40-50. It was agreed that G&G would
produce and deliver the signs and that the temporary Technical
Assistant (Street Signs) would install all signs.
2.7
Signs have been ordered in batches of approximately 50 in order to
minimise the carriage costs. Seven batches have been ordered and as
at the 17th March three batches have been received and two of these
batches fully installed. In order to cope with this increase in workload
the Technical Assistant post has been increased to full time equivalent
to the end of the temporary contract period.
2.8
The contractor has provided assurances that all remaining batches will
be delivered by the end of March 2011. The installation of the majority
of these signs is anticipated to have been completed by the end of the
fixed term contract post in the middle of April. A verbal progress update
will be provided to the meeting.
3.
Budget Position
3.1
There are two budgets available for street signs, revenue and capital.
The revenue budget was unspent in the early part of the year and has
been able to support the vast majority of the staffing costs and the 360
signs that have been ordered. The revenue budget will be fully spent
for this financial year. The remainder of the costs of the street signs
will be funded from the capital budget. Due to the timing of this report it
is not possible to state exactly what cost this will be but a verbal update
will be provided to the meeting.
3.2
At the end of period 11 the capital budget at period 11at £42,692. It will
be necessary to identify the ongoing demand requirements in relation
to this budget.
4.
Future position
4.1
The management responsibility for street signs will pass to
Environmental Services at the end of March.
4.2
Members have previously been informed that street signs would be
added to a central database that would allow easy interrogation to
enable people reporting sign issues to be kept informed of progress.
This has, to date, not been progressed due to the prioritisation of
backlog issues. Investigation of new functionality on the departments
M3 database is being undertaken. The spreadsheet system developed
by the Technical Administrator has proved very successful in managing
the data and it is intended to continue this system until alternatives
have been fully investigated.
4.3
There are a number of parishes which remain unsigned. However the
parish councils in these areas have indicated that they do not wish for
signs to be installed. This will be revisited over the coming months to
ensure that all areas that want signs are provided with them.
4.4
The process of replacing damaged, vandalised or missing signs will
continue as and when reported to the Council. The revenue budget of
£15,000 and 0.5 fte staff resource can only realistically allow for the
replacement of approximately 300 damaged signs per year and that it
will not be possible for the Council to provide additional new signs from
within this budget.
4.5
Once all installations of the batches of signs referred to in 2.8 have
been completed then an assessment will be undertaken of the
remaining demand for capital budget expenditure.