2020

---

RH0369 – Solar lighting for car parks and footpaths – 111220

A member authority is seeking to use solar lighting on its car parks and footpaths

They would like to know the following:

• How successful have the lights been in terms of functionality, lumen quality, installation, access for cleaning?  
• Have extra measures had to be put in place with regards to power?
• How did they finance the move from standard lighting to solar-powered?
• Did they access Salix to fund any part of the project?

---

RH0367a – Highways Maintenance Stores – 061120

A member authority is reviewing its in-house stores' function that supports their highways maintenance activities (not asphalt or concrete)

Please can you answer the following:

Do you have an in-house stores service?

If so:

• How many stores do you have?
• How many depots do you have?
• How many persons operate the stores?
• How are materials ordered and then collected?
• Are the orders pre-prepared ready for collection?
• How do you get informed when the order is ready?
• What do you have in stores eg PPE, Tools and materials?
• Do they operate a delivery service?

If not:

• Who provides your stores' function?
• How does this work?
• How are materials ordered and then collected?
• Are the orders pre-prepared ready for collection?
• How do you get informed when the order is ready?
• Do they have one or many depots?
• Do they offer a delivery service?

---

RH0367 - Use of video during Highway Safety Inspections (S58) - 151020

This local authority is keen to hear from other member authorities as to the method of carrying out driven safety inspections when considering social distancing requirements (Covid 19).

This authority’s understanding is that most authorities carry out driven safety inspections with two people a Driver and Inspector, due to the requirement for social distancing the authority is considering the use of video capture utilising a driver only, who would be an inspector.

This would then be reviewed to identify defects, the image of the defect would then be captured and instruction for its repair raised. The video would then be deleted in accordance with the Data Protection Impact Assessment.

It would be beneficial if you can indicate what your normal driven inspection process is and any changes you have made or are considering.

---

RH0367 – Stolen gully grates – 220920

A member authority is reviewing their approach to gully grates

Please can you supply the following information:

1. What initiatives have you taken to reduce grates being stolen (using social media/press releases etc.)?
2. Have you made any successful prosecutions?
3. What alternative products have you used to replace those units that go missing?

---

RH0366 - Response to illegal tree felling by residents - 100920

A member authority is interested to know how local authorities respond to trees being felled without permission, in particular:

• What legislation is used?
• Do they issue fines?
• Have any residents been charged by the police in relation to this matter?

---

RH0365 - Road Maintenance/Asset Management Systems – 270820

A member authority is looking to acquire a new asset management system.

1. 1. What system(s) do you use for recording enquiries, inspections, defects and issuing works instructions and who is the provider?
   • To what extent does this system cover all aspects of the Roads asset (ie, Road Maintenance, Structures, Traffic Mgt, Street Lighting, Street Furniture?
   • Does it hold the financial information in terms of budget allocation etc. and allow a measured process to be undertaken?
   • Does it have a map locating and capture module for recording inspections?
   • Does it have any mobile working solutions?
   • Does it hold the Street Gazetteer and associated data?
   • Does it have the facility to create networks and attach budgets accordingly?
2. Do you have a separate asset recording system or is this integral to your Works Mgt system?
3. (Scotland Authorities) For the local Street Gazetteer, can you provide details and whether it meets the new Street Conventions V 4.3 requirements and subsequently the SDTF 4.3?
4. Are you in the process of sourcing new solutions for your systems and if so, what providers are you looking at?
5. Do you have any feedback in terms of the suitability of the system for your needs, support and improvements performance by the provider and any other information that may be relevant?

---

RH0364 - Changing Highway Defect Investigatory Criteria - 210820

A member authority has moved to a risk-based inspection process to determine which highway defects require attention and how quickly they need to be repaired.

The Council is considering amending its intervention level criteria to 40 mm depth (over an approx. area of 300 mm X 300 mm) from 50mm

If you have lowered your intervention levels from 50 mm to 40 mm (or any other change), please confirm the following:

1. Has the overall number of defects requiring repair gone up and stayed at an increased level?
2. If they have gone up, did you require additional resources to manage the additional demand?
3. Was there an initial spike in numbers, which then reverted back to normal levels and if so, how long did this last?
4. When you changed your investigatory depth criteria, did you also reduce the minimum size of a defect requiring action (for example from 300 mm x 300 mm to 250 mm x 250 mm) at the same time?

---

RH0363 - Section 177 oversail licences - 210820

A member authority is looking for information from other authorities on how they deal with Section 177 Oversail Licence for structures projecting over the highway. In particular
• how they are managed, processed and issued,
• what team would be responsible for overseeing the process.

---

RH0362 - Winter Maintenance - Cycle paths - 120820

A member authority is reviewing their winter maintenance policy.

1. Do you treat:
• Carriageway cycle paths?
• Shared footway cycle paths?
• Off road cycle paths?

2. If you do treat any of the above cycle paths, what method of treatment would you use?
3. Is treatment, precautionary/reactive or both?

---

RH0361 - Road Marking/Sign Software - 120820

A member authority is seeking help on Highways design software packages.

What software products do you use for the following:
1. Road Marking Drawings?
2. Sign Designs?
3. Diversion Routes?

---

RH0360 - Line Marking Equipment - 140720

A member authority is considering the purchase of a lorry mounted line marking unit to deliver highway line marking services in-house

Do you have experience of operating your own road lining equipment, either as a standalone vehicle or Quick Change Body (QCB) configuration?
• Please provide feedback on your own equipment
• What benefits does your in-house solution provide?

---

RH0359 - Inspection of Non-adopted Structures - 140720

A member authority is looking to provide additional inspection, testing and monitoring services for non-adopted structures such as bridges and culverts for third parties
They would like to hear from others who provide this service for the following:

• How has this been aligned with statutory responsibilities and legal obligations?
• Have sub-contractors/consultants been utilised and what has been the nature of this relationship?
• What has been scale of benefits of this approach including income generation and service improvement

---

RH0358 - Anchor Point Load Testing for Festive Decorations and Cross Street Banners - 090720

A member authority is reviewing its policy on Anchor Point Load Testing for Festive Decorations and Cross Street Banners

Please can you provide details on the following:

• How frequently do you test?
• Who do you use to carry out the testing?
• If a contractor are they Construction Fixing Association accredited?
• Do you have a contract for it and would you be willing to share a copy of your contract specification?
• Are you aware of any nationally procured contracts that can be used?
• Have you considered training an in-house team/contractor to be able to do it in-house?

---

RH0357 - Auditing of Winter Service Delivery - 050620

A member authority is reviewing its winter service audit procedure.
It would like to hear how other members carry out this important work during the season.

Could you please provide details of your audit questions, together with examples of any templates.

---

RH0356 - Private connections to the highway drainage system - 210520

A member authority is currently experiencing a substantial growth in developments. This has raised a particular issue with the application for connections to the highway drainage. Due to the legal and maintenance complications that arise, the member authority is reviewing policy and procedures. As part of this process, they would welcome your response to the following three questions.

1. In what circumstances, if any, do you allow private individuals and developers to connect to your highway drainage system?
2. What is your authority’s policy and/or procedure to applications from private individuals and developers wanting to connect to your highway drainage system?
3. Where within your organisation, does the responsibility for these applications lie?

---

RH0355 - Policies for placing vehicle charging cables across pavements - 210520

A member authority is enquiring whether any other local authorities have policies for dealing with requests to place a vehicle charging cable across the pavement.

In particular, what licencing / permissions have been considered necessary.

They are interested in which licences/ permissions for both commercial and private vehicles ideally.

---

RH0354 - Policy on removal of roadside memorials - 110520

A member authority is enquiring as to what are District, Borough and County positions regarding roadside memorials?

Is there a policy in place that can be shared?

Are they left for a specific amount of time before removal and are families asked to remove them?

---

RH0354 - Thermal mapping usage - Winter Gritting - 120320

APSE is seeking your assistance on the use of Thermal mapping in decision making for gritting
Please provide the following information:

Do you use thermal mapping of roads to make Winter gritting decisions?
What sources of data do you use/collect?
How do you use the data?
• As a determinant of whether to grit?
• Or for reference in wider decision making process?
• Do you have specific trigger values?

---

RH0354 - Thermal mapping usage - Winter Gritting - 120320

APSE is seeking your assistance on the use of Thermal mapping in decision making for gritting
Please provide the following information:

Do you use thermal mapping of roads to make Winter gritting decisions?
What sources of data do you use/collect?
How do you use the data?
• As a determinant of whether to grit?
• Or for reference in wider decision making process?
• Do you have specific trigger values?

---

RH0353 - Responsibility for former railway structures - 100320

A member authority is researching responsibility for former Railway structures acquired with former mineral lines or from the British Railways board.
Often the British Railways Board rescinded their obligations for upkeep of the Public Highway (roads, pavements etc.) that span across such bridges at transfer.

• Who under The Highways Act 1980, do you deem responsible for upkeep of the Public Highway (an any supporting structure/bridge structure waterproofing) with regard to these structures
• Do you undertake joint inspection regimes with any District/Borough Council and the Statutory Highways Authority, whether that be any County Council Highways or Highways England/ Highways Scotland?

---

RH0352 - Safe working practices Highways and Lighting - 060320

A member authority is reviewing its Method Statements(MS), Safe Systems of Work(SSW) and Safe Working Procedures(SWP) around Potholes, Major Resurfacing, Reconstruction jobs, Junction Improvements, Sign Installations, Street Lighting, Gully Emptying etc

They are struggling to find the right balance of decluttering the existing information, making it simpler and more user friendly without losing the Health and Safety Content.

• Do you have a standardised format for your MS/SSW/SWP?
• Is it portable for gangs to carry with them?
• How do you communicate the information to your teams?

• Do you have a SSW for spillages, dead animals, trees on road etc?

If you are able to share copies of your procedures that would be much appreciated

---

RH0350 - Street Lighting Energy costs – 260220

A member authority is seeking to compare energy costs within street-lighting

Please can you supply the following;
• £/KwHr rate
• CCL per KwHr
• The cost for Meter Administration charges per annum
• Settlement & agent charges (including data collection charges) per annum
• Administration charges per annum
• The annual total KwHr consumption for street lighting 2018/19
• Name of Energy provider
• Whether the energy contract is an independent Street Lighting energy contract, or part of a contract including other Council energy users?

---

RH0351 - Performance Management Systems - Balanced Scorecards - 040320

A member authority is looking to develop their performance management system using a Balanced Scorecard approach.

They are interested to know of other local authorities who may have used Balanced Scorecards? Any shared learning, good practice or examples you could share would be appreciated. For example, any types of measures included within each of the scorecard perspectives.

They are particularly interested in areas relating to Highways but would also be interested in examples from other Local Authority directorates and service areas.

---

RH0348 - School Crossing Patrollers – Body Cam & Lollicams (to expose bad drivers) - 140220

A Member Authority are seeking information regarding School Crossing Patrollers – Body Cam / Lollicams (to expose bad drivers). The Member Authority are particular interested in the following: -

1. Do any Authorities currently provide their School Crossing Patrollers with; body cams, lollicams or any recording device that would be solely used for the purpose of capturing footage of bad drivers?
(a) If yes, what device(s) are you using?
(b) how do you manage the footage recorded that could potentially be used in court as evidence?
(c) when introducing a recording device, were there any objections or feedback from the Patrollers, parents, children or Trade Unions?

2. Has any Authority in the past considered introducing body cams or lollicams for Patrollers and then decided against? – if so, what were the main concerns?

3. Are there any Authority potentially currently considering introducing body cams or lollicams for Patrollers in the near future?

---

RH0347 - Highways Enforcement - 070220

A member authority is reviewing their Highways enforcement policies

Please can you provide information on the following:

1. The installation of Highway Mirrors
TSRGD 2016 now permits Local Authorities to determine whether mirrors should be installed on the highway

• Do you allow mirrors to be installed on the highway and if so, do you have a policy / criteria for their installation?

2. Highways Enforcement
Do you have a policy on the following: ( if so please share)
• Fly-tipping & flyposting
• removal of abandoned vehicles, caravans & trailers,
• materials & goods deposited on the highway
• mud / oil on the road
• obstruction
• A-boards
• Encroachment
• overhanging vegetation
• water discharging onto the highway
• damage to the highway
• broken cellar gates
• Illegal crossings, gates/doors etc opening on to the highway.

---

RH0349 - Highways Public Satisfaction Surveys - 180220

A member authority is seeking to gather information on what other councils are using to gauge public satisfaction in Highways.

Please can you answer the following:

1) Do you use the NHT survey?
• If so, do you participate every year, every 2nd year etc? And if every 2 years, what years do you plan on participating?

2) If not NHT, what other satisfaction providers are you using?

3) If you do not use a satisfaction provider, how are you gauging public satisfaction? Internal methods?

---

RH0346 - Winter Treatment of Footways - 310120

A member authority is reviewing their winter treatment of footways.

Please can you provide information on the following:

• What equipment, products and methods do you use to treat footways?

---