To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Massey, Meredith and Sullivan.

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.  

There were no declarations of interest.

To determine any items on the agenda, if any, where the public are to be excluded from the meeting.

There were no items for exclusion of Public and Press.

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chair decides should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items of business.

Members are requested to approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 11 October 2023.

That the minutes of the Rochdale South Township Delegated Sub-Committee meeting held on the 11 October 2023 be approved as a correct record.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 2023.

That the Minutes of the Kingsway Area Forum held on 7 November 2023 be noted.

To consider a report of the Operation Manager Highways Maintenance.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods regarding the 2024 – 2026 Highways Local Transport Plan (LTP) Capital Programme. The purpose of the report was for Members to note and approve the attached highways work programmes which were proposed to take place during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.

Members were informed that the report had been amended from a previous report presented to the Committee with the correct electoral boundaries now reflected in the proposed schemes.

Members were advised that the schemes that had been selected based on the principles of asset management which use network condition data, engineer inspections, life cycle planning and cost efficiency to produce the most efficient highway improvement over the course of the programmes.

It was advised that in addition to the LTP Capital Programme, separate steady state funding scheme would be available over the next five years which may be able to fund additional projects.

Kingsway ward members expressed concerns that the proposed schemes did not include projects within Kingsway ward, particularly areas which ward members had raised as concerns directly to Highways. The Operations Manager Highway Maintenance advised that the LTP Programme proposed schemes must abide by a set criteria instructed from government, failure to adhere by this criteria would result in the loss of £500k of funding.

It was advised that the steady state funding did not have the same criteria as LTP and that this funding could be directed to areas of concern within Kingsway ward. The steady state funding scheme timeline would be delivered in tandem with the LTP programme with both beginning from 1 April 2024. The LTP programme would provide £4m funding across two years while steady state would provide £6m across two years without the same criteria restrictions.

It was advised that any underspends in the LTP programme would be brought back to Rochdale South Township Committee to consider and if supported by members remaining funds could be allocated to Kingsway ward.

Members questioned why some roads had been selected for the scheme while an adjacent road in worse condition was not included in the programmed. It was advised that some of the treatments were preventative measure treatments whereas some of the roads in very bad condition would only be suitable for resurfacing works which would be funded from the steady state scheme.

Resolved:

1.     That the Rochdale South Township Delegated Sub-Committee noted and approved the proposed work programmes to be delivered in 2024/25 and 2025/26, pending Officers reviewing the proposed schemes within Kingsway ward in consultation with the Chair, vice-chair and ward councillors.

To consider Rochdale South Township Funds 2023/24.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods which provided an update on revenue and capital expenditure, commitments and balances of Rochdale South Township Funds 2023/2024 and the allocation of funds to proposed projects.

Members were informed that the Rochdale South Township Capital Funds available for allocation was £0.00and that the Rochdale South Township Revenue (Projects) Funds available for allocation was £4,970.

In considering the funding applications the Sub-Committee received four verbal representations from the public applicants in attendance at the meeting.

Alternatives considered:

Members were asked to decide whether or not to approve the allocation of funds to projects/schemes as appropriate.

Resolved:

1.    That the expenditure, commitments and balances of the Rochdale South Township Revenue and Capital Funds, as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 of the submitted report, be noted;

2.    That the decisions made under delegated authority as detailed in Appendix 3 of the submitted report be noted;

3.    That the Sub-Committee notes that the Townships and Communities Manager has assessed the proposed projects to be considered for funding against the criteria of eligibility for the Rochdale South Township Fund, the priorities of the Township and any specific risks have been identified within the report;

4.    That the Townships and Communities Manager, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and opposition spokesperson of the Sub-Committee, be given delegated authority to make decisions on any deferred projects;

5.    That the Townships and Communities Manager, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and opposition spokesperson of the Sub-Committee, be given delegated authority to make decisions on any projects with split applications between Rochdale South Township and Rochdale North Township which may require review should funding from Rochdale North Township be refused;

6.    That applications for Rochdale South Township Funds 2023/2024, as outlined at Appendix 4 of the submitted report, be dealt with as follows:

Reasons for the decision:

Management of the Rochdale South Township Fund was delegated to the Rochdale South Township Delegated Sub-Committee.

Rochdale South Township Funds were allocated to projects that benefitted the Township’s community and environment and realised the Township’s priorities.

To enable the Sub-Committee to monitor and review the use of the Rochdale South Township Funds to ensure continued efficient and effective use of the funds.

Eligible for Call-in: Yes