Proposed Annual Plan and contract update
23rd April 2014
Walter Longden
Procurement and Contract Manager
Annual Plan 2014/15 Presentation
Content
 Introductions
 The New Contract
 The journey so far
 Contract scope
 Proposed Annual Plan 2014/15





The Budgets
Dealing With Emergencies
Working Closer with Communities
Maintaining the Public Realm
Investment in the Public Realm
The journey so far
1 Sep, 2013
Contract start
Jul - Aug
Mobilisation
Aug
Jul 13
Sep
Nov - Mar
Trasnsition
Oct
Nov Dec
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr - Mar
Annual Plan
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Jan
Feb Mar
Mar 15
Contract scope

Highways Management Services

Public Realm Specific ICT solutions

Highways Maintenance and

Fleet Management
Improvement Works

Transformation Services

Traffic Control Systems Maintenance

Parks & Open Spaces

Local Flood Risk Management

Street Lighting

Associated Professional Services

Street Cleaning

Associated Public Realm Asset

Land Drainage
Management

Public Rights of Way
Associated Public Realm Regulatory

Customer Support Services

Services
Public Realm Contract
Proposed Annual Plan 2014/15
6
Contract Organisation update
Contract
Director
Commercial and
Finance
Ceri
Fenner
7
Localities
Alasdair
MacDonald
Andy Williams
Operations
Knowledge
Centre
Design and
Build
Scott
Hardacre
Rachel
Rice
Craig
Smith
Performance review – Emergency Response

Focus on flooding and emergency
response.

A total of 45 roads were closed,
with 16 remaining closed due to
subsidence or major road surface
damage.

Belwin – £3.8m corresponding to
52 identified schemes. Target
completion by end May‘14.
Holme Lacy Bridge
8
Performance review – Highways Defects
9

We have dealt with over
1,100 Cat 1 defects since
September.

In addition we have “velocity
patched” almost 16,000
defects.
Performance review – Highways Defects

Overall we have dealt with
over 33,500 Cat 2 defects
since September with 8,000
to be fixed.

We have increased resources
using the supply chain to
improve defect response
times (8 TM teams supporting
6 patching gangs).

10
We will be reviewing the Highways Maintenance
Plan as part of a Contract Transformation
Programme.
Getting Value for Money

This is an “Open Book” style of contract,
which means costs are transparent.

Developing actual cost mechanisms -> target
costing

The contract is flexible, in so far as we are
able to review and amend service levels to
meet the Council’s objectives.
This means:




11

We will better understand the performance of
Service delivery through visualisation
management techniques.

This will inform the business transformation
programme.
The actual costs of delivering
the service will be better
understood.
The service will be able to
flex to meet the Council’s
objectives.
Actual Service performance
will be visible to the entire
team.
The contract transformation
programme will identify and
delivery more efficiencies.
Proposed Annual Plan
12

2014 /15 Budget

Dealing with emergencies
(Revenue)

Working closer with communities
(Revenue)

Maintaining the public realm
(Revenue)

Investment in the public realm
(Capital)
The Budget 2014/15, Summary
13

The Capital Budget has been
increased by £24.9m from £10.4m
to £34.26m

The Revenue Budget has been
reduced by £2.21m from £8.59m to
£6.38m.

As a general principle resource
levels are being sized to fit the
budget.

Service levels have been determined through the application of efficiencies and
thereafter whether the service is required under statute or otherwise. This has
lead to a reduction in scope in some instances.
The Budget 2014/15, Revenue
14

A significant proportion
of the Street Cleansing
and Grounds
Maintenance Service are
considered as
discretionary spend.

Budgets have been
reduced from £3.05m to
£1.8m.
Revenue savings – by type
15
Dealing with emergencies
16
Dealing with emergencies
CIVIL EMERGENCY

We are ready to support the emergency
services in a major emergency. This was
tested with the recent extensive flooding.
WINTER MAINTENANCE


17
We are keeping the current resource
levels (16 gritters).
The salt barns will be full, containing
6,500 tonnes of salt.

We are investing in new tracker
technology.

The budget level is based on a typical
winter at 90 salt runs.
This means:








quick response to major
incidents.
round the clock supervision.
sandbags (over 1,000).
managing road closures and
diversions.
carrying out clean up
operations.
the ready availability of more
people and equipment if we
need it.
Herefordshire’s highways will
be effectively gritted during
the winter season.
Round the clock service.
Working closer with
Communities
18
Working closer with communities
 We’ve
expanded and reconfigured the
teams, and now have a Knowledge
Centre and Locality teams. To raise our
competency level we are recruiting.
19
This means:
 our staff (13No.) working
in the Localities
understanding the local
needs.
 better coordination of
different services to get
things done.
 supported by a team
responsible for
measuring and driving
service performance.
Your Locality Steward
20
Working closer with communities
 Maintaining
the lengthsman / P3
parishes scheme.
 Conducting
in-year refresher training
for those already in the scheme.
 Providing
training and equipment to
new participants (7No).
This means:
 Closer working with the parishes
through the Locality team.
 More parishes better able to tackle
local issues themselves.
 Getting more things done.
21
P3 Parishes
Parish Lengthsman
Scheme
Maintaining
the Public Realm
22
Maintaining the Public Realm
PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY

We’re making sure all public
rights of way stay safe by:




23
fixing all safety defects on
Category 1 footpaths.
fixing all “hazards” on all other
footpaths.
also fixing faults that could
become a “hazard”.
This is the first time this risk
approach has been adopted
on PROW.
This means:
 We’re keeping all public rights of way safe.
 We’re fixing faults that could become a hazard.
Maintaining the Public Realm
GRASS CUTTING/GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

We’ve had to tailor the resource levels to meet the budget,
however we are still keeping the highway safe by cutting
the visibility splays, carrying out weed spraying and
maintaining the trees.

We have improved the efficiency of the remaining
resources through better deployment and scheduling, and
clear productive targets. Despite this we need to reduce all
This means:
amenity grass cutting frequency from the current 7 to 3.
 The highway will
We also need more grass cut by the lengthsman scheme
remain safe.
in remote areas.
We will be ceasing the seasonal flower beds and roses service and only be maintaining
the existing shrubs. We will look to community groups to deliver this service.


24
The Council is actively looking to return the sports grounds and parks to the town
councils, operators, and community groups.
Maintaining the Public Realm
ROAD DRAINAGE
25

We will be continuing to clean drains
across the County, however given the
budget constraints we have restricted
the resources to 3 machines.

The recent heavy rains has shown we
need to focus on returning the rural
drainage network to serviceable
condition.

Cleaning gully’s in urban areas will be
carried out on a needs only basis.

A guidance leaflet is being finalised to
assist parishes in understanding general
land drainage obligations.
This means:
 We will focus resources on
where we have known flooding.
Maintaining the Public Realm
ROAD SWEEPING


We’re changing the sweeping schedules to
simplify them. We’re confident we will be able to
meet the minimum environmental standards.
We going to:

Sweep all urban A and B Roads once per week.

Sweep all urban C; U/C roads once per month.

Sweep urban centres 3 times per week.

All other roads will be swept on a reactive basis.
7
1
3
2
4
5
C
11
12
This means:
 Detailed and simple
sweeping
schedules.
 FTE
reduction
from 9No. to 6No. sweepers.
 We will still comply with the minimum cleanliness standards.
26
6
13
8
9
10
Maintaining the Public Realm
LITTER BINS / PICKING

We will continue to empty the 1,200 bins across
the county (incl. dog and 3 needle bins)

We will tailor bin collection based on use.

We plan to keep litter picking local to the bin,
with all other litter picking carried out on a
needs basis.

We need to engage the community to assist in
keeping their local areas clear of rubbish
through the Lengthmans scheme.
This means:
 The litter bins will continue to be emptied across the County.
 Engaging the local community to undertake litter picking in their areas.
27
Investment in fixing
the roads
28
Investment in fixing the roads
HIGHWAYS
 We’ve
applied a well defined process to the
highway network to understand it’s
condition.
 The
list of schemes identified is now going
through value engineering.
 We
have circulated the schemes list and
need to feedback on the roads we’ve
identified.
This means:
 We have a list of schemes that have been
prioritised, agreed and remains within
Herefordshire’s budget.
29
Investment in fixing the roads


The Council have paid £750k in
damage claims to the public
over the past 12 months.
Mortimer
Leominster
Over 50% of Herefordshire’s
road network is RED or AMBER,
and therefore in need of urgent
repair.

Red condition: 600 miles

Amber: 400 miles
Kington
Bromyard
Ledbury
Weobley
Hereford

30
The £20m investment will only
treat 1 in 5 of the red and high
amber lengths of the network.
Golden Valley
Ross on Wye
Investment in fixing the roads
 We
will continue to deliver network
improvements from the regular annual
funding. These will include network safety
schemes, structures, cycleway and footway
schemes.
This means:
 Continuing to invest in
improving the highway
network.
 Recently been allocated
an additional £3.5m from
Central Government,
which will allow us to
carry out further surfacing
work across the network.
Ruckhall Bridge
31
Investment in fixing the roads
STREET LIGHTING
32

The business case is close to
agreement following the success of
previous trails.

Materials should start to arrive on site
by the end of May’14.

3,000 age expired columns will be
replaced as well as 9,000 lanterns.

Works will focus on urban areas first.

Replacement of lighting units near
schools will be carried out during the
holidays.
This means:
 Reduced energy costs.
 Reduced maintenance costs.
 Removal of age-expired
lighting columns.
 An expected CO2 reduction of
14,000 tonnes of carbon over
10 years.
Re-organisation update
Re-shape:


33
Phase 1 announced early January:
55 staff placed ‘at risk’.
Consultation period finished late
February.

Interviews complete (over 100
interviews conducted).

19 staff unable to secure roles.

Resulting in circa. 25 vacancies.
Re-size:

Phase 2 announced early March.

Ensuring the organisation fits the
budget.

60 operational staff placed ‘at risk’.

Consultation period expires 8th April.

Selection based on competency
matrix.

Potential redeployment to highways
teams (limited).
Future Plans
34

Contract flexibility

Recruitment

Team development

Review of HMP

Process mapping

Visualisation

Target costing

Communications
How to contact us .......
 Council
Members
 Parishes
 Members
herefordshireparishes@bblivingplaces.com
of the Public streets@herefordshire.gov.uk
 Customer
 Reports
35
herefordshiremembers@bblivingplaces.com
Services
on line
Tel No. 01432 261 800
Herefordshire Council website