Highways Working Together Policy

Local communities, local priorities, local choices

Dorset County Council (DCC) has a duty to maintain highways maintainable at the public expense and a power to maintain other highways. Dorset Highways is the Service responsible for carrying out DCC’s duties and powers to maintain surfaced highways, footpaths and associated features. DCCs duty to maintain unsurfaced highways is carried out by the Countryside Service.

The level of maintenance necessary to comply with DCC’s duty can be lower than that expected by local communities.

Over the past decade Dorset Highways has seen a significant reduction in the budgets for delivering routine highway maintenance and, as a result, non-essential and minor maintenance items can no longer be carried out; it is necessary to focus resources on the priority issues that affect public safety and the integrity of the highway, i.e. Core Functions.

Many communities have contacted Dorset Highways expressing a wish to become involved in commissioning or carrying out some of the minor maintenance activities which DCC is unable to finance. This leaflet is designed to offer Parish and Town Councils a list of options to carry out additional highway maintenance works in their respective areas, should they wish to do so.

The following items are considered to be core functions and will be provided by Dorset Highways:

inspect and maintain surfaced highways and associated features in accordance with the Dorset Highway Maintenance Plan
install new and maintain surface water drainage pipes
empty surface water gullies in accordance with the Dorset Highway Maintenance Plan
investigate and rectify flooding as and when required
maintain highway verges in accordance with the Dorset Highway Maintenance Plan
development of safety schemes where accident hotspots are identified
resurfacing as required
maintain highway bridges and retaining walls
maintain salt stocks and clear snow in accordance with the published Winter Maintenance Plan
replacement of essential signs

Local communities may want the following non–essential functions to be carried out:

increased frequency of: o Urban grass cutting; o Rural verge cutting
gulley emptying
weed killing
sign cleaning
general cleaning (road sweeping)
tree pruning
siding out (removal of detritus from the back of footways)

than would be achieved through the Council’s normal maintenance schedule:

earlier refreshing of road markings and replacement of roads signs than would be achieved through the Council’s normal maintenance schedule
additional winter service functions (more salt bins, more salt, salting of additional routes, etc.)
fingerpost arm replacement or re-painting
village gateway signage
other non-essential sign replacement
grip clearing more frequently than biennial
cutting back overgrowth around surface water gullies
clearance of fallen leaves from gullies
proactive clearing of surface water systems
painting or treating fencing

It is hoped that by working together with Parish and Town Councils, Dorset Highways can enable non-essential and minor maintenance items to be undertaken in areas where local communities consider them to be desirable.

There are four options that Parish, Town and Borough Councils may consider implementing to enable non-essential and minor maintenance items to be carried out in their area, these options are outlined on the following page.

These are:

option 1. Use of Volunteers
option 2. Town / Parish Councils commission suitable contractor
option 3. Dorset Highways are commissioned by Town / Parish Council
option 4 Agency Agreement between Town / Parish Council and Dorset County Council

Should you have any concerns or queries regarding which option is most suited, your local Community Highway Team will be happy to advise.

Options

Option 1 - Use of volunteers:

Parish / Town or Borough compile programme of works to be carried out and discuss with the Community Highway Officer.
Parish / Town or Borough organise volunteer teams.
Direct liaison with Community Highway Officer to co‐ordinate the works.
Dorset Highways provide suitably qualified Supervisor/Chargehand and appropriate personal protection equipment and hand tools free of charge.

Option 2 - Parish / Town or Borough Council use a Suitably Qualified Contractor or In‐House Workforce:

Parish / Town or Borough compile programme of works to be carried out and discuss with the Community Highway Officer.
Parish / Town or Borough source suitable contractor
Direct liaison with Community Highway Officer to co‐ordinate the works.
Contractor carries out the work directly for Parish / Town or Borough Council.

Option 3 - Dorset Highways carry out works paid for by the Parish / Town or Borough Council:

Parish / Town or Borough compile programme of works to be carried out and discuss with the Community Highway Officer.
Agree with Dorset Highways resources required and cost (an idea of likely costs in 2016 for particular tasks are set out below).
Direct liaison with Community Highway Officer to co‐ordinate the works.
Dorset Highways carries out the works funded by the Parish / Town or Borough Council

Option 4 - Parish/Town Council enter into an agreement with Dorset County Council:

Contact Community Highway Officer to agree that works will be included within the Agency Agreement.
Agency Agreement signed by both parties.
Parish Council carries out works with the chosen supplier / provider.
Annual Agency Review carried out.

Collaboration between parish and town councils working in partnerships

There are a number of Parish and Town Councils who are showing interest in sharing arrangements / establishing partnerships within all of the 4 options, this would be welcomed and the County Council and DAPTC would be happy to lend any assistance required.

Sample of Typical Costs (subject to change due to inflation or increased material costs):

Gully Emptier with Two Operatives is £ 450.00 per day
White Lining Team is £ 550.00 per day
Flail Mower and Driver is £ 375.00 per day
General Maintenance Team (Two Operatives) is £ 400.00 per day
Mechanical Side Verging Team is £1200.00 per day
Drainage Survey and Jetting Team is £ 450.00 per day

Sample of some typical outputs per 8 hour day:

Gully Emptier with Two Operatives 80‐150 gullies per day
White Lining Team ‐ up to twenty complete junction markings
Flail Mower and Driver – up to 5 miles of single width verge cutting
Mechanical Side Verging Team – 2‐4 miles in length of verge cutting

Smaller quantities should be priced for separately as they will likely be cheaper than the day rate.

There are many schemes already operating for Parish and Town Councils and Community Groups to work with DCC in relation to their local highways. The options set out are intended to build on the success of schemes.

The options set out above are intended to build on the success of schemes such as:

Flood Warden Scheme. A community champion who monitors drainage problems and flooding hotspots and works in conjunction with the Community Highway team to resolve any issues
First Line of Highway Enforcement. We supply you with a template letter to provide to home/landowners when a ditch requires clearing or hedge needs cutting, this will this will remove the need for formal action from DCC and this less formal approach to enforcement has been seen as a more acceptable and less adversarial option
Snow and Ice Clearance Dorset Highways will support communities who wish to formulate a snow plan for their Parish, with the provision of a snow plough blade, a supply of rock salt to assist in the removal of snow and the prevention of ice and help in preparing a Parish Snow Plan

The choice is yours, we are available to discuss any of the above initiatives you may wish to be involved in. Your Community Highway Officer is the key contact for discussing any proposals you may have.

We hope you will get involved, you may be surprised at what can be achieved by working together.

Review

This policy was last reviewed in 2019.

The next expected review date is 2024.

Weather disruption