Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy

In adopting an asset management approach to the management of the highway infrastructure asset we will implement a methodology which includes:

• applying a systematic approach to the management of highway assets which takes the long-term view
• enhancing current methods for optimising and prioritising highway maintenance schemes to take account of whole life costs, risk management and defined levels of service
• the use of lifecycle planning to determining evidence based, cost effective planned maintenance treatments to be carried out at the optimum time in the assets lifecycle in order to maximise the life of the asset and to understand the level of funding required over the lifespan of the asset
• developing rolling works programmes for all highway assets with the aim to deliver long-term sustainable preventative maintenance schemes
• a Communications Strategy which ensures a clear and effective dialogue with customers and stakeholders giving them the opportunity to contribute to the management of the highway asset;
• consultation with customers and stakeholders and consideration of their needs and expectations when defining levels of service and publishing our performance against these targets;
• striving to achieve an overall Excellent level of service for the highway infrastructure, subject to sufficient funding being made available (regular review of the performance management framework to set realistic levels of service and performance targets which will enable auditing and monitoring of the delivery of the asset management strategy and demonstrate that investment is being used efficiently to deliver value for money)
• assessment and management of current and future critical, strategic, tactical and operational risks associated with highway infrastructure assets along with determining appropriate mitigation measures. This will assist in reducing the risk of injury to customers and minimise the financial exposure of the council
• managing and regularly reviewing our asset management policy and highway infrastructure related plans making sure these documents are aligned to our corporate objectives and current recommendations from central government and relevant professional bodies
• maintaining, reviewing and updating our asset registers to ensure we hold sufficient and up-to-date data
• benchmarking our asset management policy, plans and strategies with other similar local authorities and learning from examples of best practice
• actively collaborating with other local authorities and service providers to ensure the delivery of improved services, greater efficiencies and increased financial savings
• entering into shared procurement alliances with other local authorities in order to procure common services and deliver significant economies and improved highway maintenance services
• undertaking reviews of highway maintenance service areas in order to understand these operations through the eyes of our customers and stakeholders with the purpose of identifying processes that don't add value and can therefore be eliminated resulting in a betters customer experience at a reduced cost
• proactively seeking continual improvement of our asset capabilities and activities to ensure value for money for customers and stakeholders

All of the above actions, when taken as a whole, provide a robust decision-making process which recognises the relationship between cost, performance and levels of service. This in turn allows potential for the delivery of improved levels of service for the resources available or, where owing to reduced budgets, can assist in ensuring the effects of a decrease in levels of service are mitigated as far as is reasonably practicable.