Public reports pack
Argyll and Bute Council · 20 June 2024
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 20 June 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Argyll and Bute Council Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal Agus Bhòid Executive Director: Douglas Hendry Kilmory, Lochgilphead, PA31 8RT Tel: 01546 602127 Fax: 01546 604435 DX 599700 LOCHGILPHEAD 13 June 2024 NOTICE OF MEETING A meeting of the ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE will be held ON A HYBRID BASIS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, KILMORY, LOCHGILPHEAD AND BY MICROSOFT TEAMS on THURSDAY, 20 JUNE 2024 at 10:30 AM, which you are requested to attend. Douglas Hendry Executive Director BUSINESS 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (IF ANY) 3. MINUTES (Pages 3 - 8) Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee held on 21 March 2024 4. ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY SUMMIT – ACTION PLAN (Pages 9 - 26) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth 5. CIRCULAR ECONOMY BILL UPDATE (Pages 27 - 54) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure 6. WASTE UPDATE (Pages 55 - 60) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 7. SECOND DOMESTIC BIN REVIEW 2024 - TO FOLLOW Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 8. UPDATE - ROADS CAPITAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME 2024/25 - TO FOLLOW Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 9. ROADS DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL GUIDANCE (Pages 61 - 160) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services Public Document Pack
Page 2
10. ROAD SAFETY PLAN 2024-2030 (Pages 161 - 196) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 11. TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2019 - PAVEMENT, DOUBLE AND DROPPED KERB PARKING STANDARDS - UPDATE REPORT (Pages 197 - 246) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 12. PUBLIC CONVENIENCE DOOR ACCESS CONTROL PROJECT UPDATE (Pages 247 - 252) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services * 13. REVIEW OF ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES (Pages 253 - 274) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 14. OBAN FLOODING UPDATE (Pages 275 - 284) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 15. FLOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGY - SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION (Pages 285 - 328) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 16. SEPA CONSULTATION – POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE AREAS FOR FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT (Pages 329 - 332) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services REPORTS FOR NOTING 17. SCRUTINY REPORT – FLY TIPPING (Pages 333 - 352) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 18. STREET FURNITURE REPLACEMENT UPDATE (Pages 353 - 380) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services 19. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WORKPLAN (Pages 381 - 384) Items marked with an “asterisk” are items, on the basis of information available at the time this Agenda is published, on which the Committee may not have delegated powers to act, and which may therefore require to be referred to the Council or another Committee, and that referral may depend on the decision reached at the meeting. Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee Councillor John Armour (Chair) Councillor Graham Hardie Councillor Willie Hume Councillor Andrew Kain Councillor Jim Lynch Councillor Tommy MacPherson Councillor Ian MacQuire Councillor Luna Martin Councillor Liz McCabe Councillor Ross Moreland Councillor Gary Mulvaney Councillor Alastair Redman Councillor William Sinclair Councillor Andrew Vennard Councillor Peter Wallace Contact: Hazel MacInnes Tel: 01546 604269
Page 3
MINUTES of MEETING of ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE held ON A HYBRID BASIS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, KILMORY, LOCHGILPHEAD AND BY MICROSOFT TEAMS on THURSDAY, 21 MARCH 2024 Present: Councillor Robin Currie (Chair) Councillor John Armour Councillor Jan Brown Councillor Garret Corner Councillor Graham Hardie Councillor Andrew Kain Councillor Jim Lynch Councillor Tommy MacPherson Councillor Ian MacQuire Councillor Ross Moreland Councillor William Sinclair Councillor Andrew Vennard Councillor Peter Wallace Also Present: Councillor Yvonne McNeilly Attending: Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Stuart McLean, Committee Manager 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mark Irvine and Gary Mulvaney. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest intimated. 3. MINUTES The Minutes of the meeting of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee held on 30 November 2023 were approved as a correct record. 4. CEMETERY ASSET - UPDATE REPORT OUTLINING PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT REMAINING LAIR SPACE IN CEMETERIES The Committee gave consideration to a report outlining the approach to protect the sale of lairs on some islands, in more rural areas and locations where officers were finding it difficult to extend the cemetery site or purchase new land. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee agreed that the measures listed in Appendix 1 to the submitted report be endorsed to further protect the sale of lairs in cemeteries which have a rural/island location, as well as having limited scope for extension and/or a new site locally to build on. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated March 2024, submitted) Page 3 Agenda Item 3
Page 4
5. WASTE UPDATE The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the Council’s request to the Scottish Government for a derogation for the Council’s PPP contract and that the existing third party off taker for the Helensburgh and Lomond area would cease to trade from 31 March 2024, meaning that new arrangements would have to be put in place. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the update regarding meetings held with Scottish Government on the Waste PPP contract; and further noted the update relating to the derogation and the drop date set with Scottish Government of 5 April 2024; 2. noted that the third party off taker for Helensburgh and Lomond had given notice that they would cease trading on 31 March 2024; and 3. noted that a further update report would be made available to the Committee in June. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) 6. ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY UPDATE The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the increased Electric Vehicle Charger (EVC) network in the area and plans for future expansion. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the ongoing work to develop and manage the EVC network; 2. agreed that officers should continue to engage with Transport Scotland on future funding options through the new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and that a specific Member Seminar would be arranged on EVC when there was clarity on how that fund would operate and be allocated; and 3. agreed that a report be brought to a future meeting of the Committee regarding Argyll and Bute EVC tariffs. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) 7. ANNUAL STATUS AND OPTIONS REPORT 2024 The Committee gave consideration to a report introducing the Annual Status and Options Report which made an analytical assessment of the condition of the Council’s road network and associated infrastructure as well as setting out projected conditions based on varying levels of investment. Decision Page 4
Page 5
The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee - 1. endorsed the Annual Status and Options Report and the positive analytical feedback it provided; and 2. agreed to use the information for future budget setting. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) 8. TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2019 - PAVEMENT, DOUBLE & DROPPED KERB PARKING STANDARDS The Committee gave consideration to a report highlighting changes in legislation in relation to inconsiderate and obstructive parking and detailing additional parking enforcement which the Council would be able to carry out as part of its Decriminalised Parking Enforcement activity. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the changes in legislation; and 2. noted that the implementation date for Argyll and Bute was yet to be finalised; and 3. noted that a report would be provided to a future Committee once more information became available, including details of the legislative framework, enforcement options and any additional resource which may be required to discharge these additional powers. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) 9. SECOND DOMESTIC BIN REVIEW 2024 The Committee gave consideration to a report proposing that a review of the existing policy for second domestic bins (green bins which take general waste) be undertaken. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee agreed to a review being progressed; with further information regarding publicity and a timeframe being reported back to the June Committee. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated 5 February 2024, submitted) The Chair ruled and the Committee agreed to adjourn the meeting for a 10 minute comfort break for at this point. The Committee reconvened at 12.55pm. Page 5
Page 6
10. LOCAL BRIDGE MAINTENANCE FUND The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the £5.450M of funding secured through a highly competitive bid process from the Scottish Government’s £32M Local Bridge Maintenance Fund. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the content of the submitted report; 2. noted that officers would be engaging with Scottish Government regarding the increased costs; and 3. agreed to a Members Seminar being arranged for all Members outline the bridge inspection process. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) 11. ROUTE OPTIMISATION UPDATE The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the Route Optimisation project which was scheduled to be rolled out in August 2024 following system building and testing. The Route Optimisation system would enable existing cyclical activities such as bin collection, grass cutting and gritting, to be tested for efficiency and, where possible, routes remodelled to be more efficient and effective. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the progress with the Route Optimisation project; 2. agreed to a seminar being arranged for all Members following the summer recess to demonstrate the functionality and opportunities available through the system; and 3. noted that a further update report would be brought back to the December 2024 Committee meeting. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated March 2024, submitted) 12. ROADS CAPITAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME 2024/25 The Committee gave consideration to a report providing details of the proposed roads reconstruction programme for 2024/25. The Programme was based on the 2024/25 allocation of a total of £8.0M. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – Page 6
Page 7
1. endorsed the proposed programme of capital works for 2024/25; and 2. agreed that details of each Area Committee’s programme would be forwarded on to individual Elected Members. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated February 2024, submitted) Councillor Tommy MacPherson left the meeting at this point. 13. FILM IN ARGYLL - SCREEN INDUSTRIES UPDATE REPORT The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update of the work of the Council’s Film in Argyll service in attracting inward investment into Argyll and Bute from the screen industries, and the economic benefits that it had brought to the local economy, including opportunities to promote and market the area. The report covered the period January 2023 to January 2024. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the content of the submitted report; and 2. noted the continued positive economic impact the screen industry had on Argyll and Bute. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth dated 5 February 2024, submitted) 14. TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS AND REGENERATION TEAM - LARGE SCALE PROJECT UPDATE REPORT The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the progress of the large-scale, externally funded project work of the Transformational Projects and Regeneration Team; and highlighting key issues that could have an impact on the successful delivery of projects. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee noted the progress contained within the submitted report. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth dated February 2024, submitted) In respect of the previous item of Business, the Head of Development and Economic Growth advised that Audrey Martin, Transformation Projects and Regeneration Manager would be retiring from the Council after 37 years’ service. The Committee recorded their thanks to Audrey for her work during this time and wished her well for the future. Page 7
Page 8
15. ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL'S ECONOMIC STRATEGY REFRESH: 2024- 2034 The Committee gave consideration to a report providing a refreshed Argyll and Bute Council Economic Strategy covering the period 2024 – 2034. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – 1. noted the refreshed Argyll and Bute Council Economic Strategy as outlined in Appendix 1 to the submitted report; and 2. endorsed the refreshed Economic Strategy, with an associated Action Plan to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee in June 2024. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth dated 14 February 2024, submitted) 16. ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY - PROGRESS REPORT In June 2023, the Committee declared a Housing Emergency due to a consistent reduction in supply of housing, a steady increase in demand for housing across all tenures and increasing levels of unaffordability. The Committee had approved a range of actions and considered a report providing an update on progress towards these intentions to tackle the Housing Emergency. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee noted the activity and progress that was ongoing in pursuing the Committee approved intentions and generally seeking to address the Housing Emergency. (Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth dated February 2024, submitted) 17. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WORKPLAN The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee work plan was before the Committee for noting. Decision The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee noted the content of the workplan. (Reference: Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee work plan as at March 2024, submitted) Page 8
Page 9
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 In June 2023 the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee declared a Housing Emergency and approved the following: • The intention to update the Local Housing Strategy • The intention to hold an Argyll and Bute Housing Summit together with relevant stakeholders in the Autumn of 2023 1.2 This report is to update on the second of those points regarding a Housing Summit. The Housing Emergency Summit was held in November 2023 and 92 delegates attended. The purpose of the Summit was to bring partners together to forge commitments aimed at tackling housing shortage, pursuing innovation, coordinating planning and targeting delivery capacity. Details of the Summit can be found in the March 2024 EDI Housing Emergency Report Housing Emergency Report and the Housing Summit Report that has previously been circulated to Members Housing Summit Report. 1.3 A key outcome of the Housing Emergency Summit was the creation of an Action Plan for each housing emergency priority which will allow delivery partners to set proposed timescales, specify activities and detail partner responsibilities to drive further action and implementation. The Action Plan is included at Appendix 1. 1.4 Council officers identified the action points the Council is able to take forward as lead partner and it is intended these will ultimately be incorporated into the updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme later this year. The Council is not able to tackle and deliver all of the identified actions points. The Housing Summit Action Plan has been presented to the Community Planning Partnership Management Group (CPP) and it agreed to set up a CPP Housing Sub-Group to identify Partners that can contribute. 1.5 Following endorsement by the Council, the Housing Summit Action Plan will be circulated to all delegates at the Housing Summit, and any other relevant stakeholders and partners so that they might identify key actions they can contribute to. RECOMMENDATION Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee are asked to consider and endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan contained at Appendix 1 and note that appropriate elements will be incorporated into the ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 20 JUNE 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY SUMMIT – ACTION PLAN Page 9 Agenda Item 4
Page 10
updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme to be presented to Council later this year. Page 10
Page 11
2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 In June 2023 the Council’s EDI Committee declared a Housing Emergency due to a consistent reduction in supply of housing, a steady increase in demand for housing across all tenures and increasing levels of un- affordability. 2.2 This Committee approved a range of actions and this report is to update the EDI Committee one of those actions, which was to hold a Housing Emergency Summit. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee are asked to consider and endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan contained at Appendix 1 and note that appropriate elements will be incorporated into the updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme to be presented to Council later this year. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 In June 2023 the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee declared a Housing Emergency due to a consistent reduction in supply of housing, a steady increase in demand for housing across all tenures and increasing levels of un-affordability. The Committee approved the following:- • The intention to update the Local Housing Strategy; and • The intention to hold an Argyll and Bute housing summit together with relevant stakeholders in the Autumn of 2023 4.2 This report is to update the EDI Committee on the second of those points regarding a Housing Summit. Declaring a housing emergency in Argyll and Bute is a call to action for government, public bodies and partners. It is intended as the catalyst to bring partners, stakeholders, investors and communities together to prioritise and commit to the collective action needed to tackle housing shortage. The Council is working hard with partners to programme a broad range of activities, both in the short term and long term, to ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 20 JUNE 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY SUMMIT – ACTION PLAN Page 11
Page 12
target this collective action where it is needed most. 4.3 The Housing Emergency Summit was held on 27th November 2023 at the SAMS Campus, Oban and 92 delegates attended. The purpose of the Summit was to bring partners together to forge commitments aimed at tackling housing shortage by maximising resources, pursuing innovation, coordinating planning and targeting delivery capacity. Details of the Summit can be found in the March 2024 EDI Housing Emergency Report Housing Emergency Report and the Housing Summit Report that has previously been circulated to Members: Housing Summit Report. 4.4 The scale of housing emergency in Argyll and Bute is greater than the capacity of any one agency to address. A key outcome of the Housing Emergency Summit was the creation of a shortlist of priority actions and interventions to address housing shortages, to act as the catalyst for collective action. 4.5 Council officers, working with the consultants, engaged to facilitate the Housing Summit, have developed a final list of action points under each housing emergency priority, which reflects the options appraisal and prioritisation carried out by the delegates attending the Housing Emergency Summit. 4.6 The result is a Housing Summit Action Plan covering each housing emergency priority. This will allow delivery partners to set proposed timescales, specify activities and detail partner responsibilities to drive further action and implementation. It is proposed that the collective identified actions to tackle housing shortages should be programmed initially over a 5-year delivery period and subject to regular review. The Housing Summit Action Plan is included at Appendix 1. 4.7 Council officers have identified the action points the Council is able to take forward as lead partner, and where appropriate have identified an indicative delivery timescale, and any likely delivery partners. It is also likely the Council will identify additional actions that were not prioritised, but are contained within the Housing Summit Report, to take forward in the development of future housing strategy. 4.8 Given the scale of collective action required, the Council is not able, resourced sufficiently, or empowered to tackle and deliver all of the identified action points. In the first instance, the Housing Summit Action Plan has been presented to the Community Planning Partnership Management Group (CPP). The CPP acknowledged the relevance and need for the identified actions and agreed to set up a CPP Housing Sub-Group which would be led by HIE to explore what and how the CPP might contribute. 4.9 It is proposed that the Housing Summit Action Plan should be endorsed by the Council for incorporation into an updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme as appropriate. The updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme will then form the formal indication of policy and delivery for the Council as Housing Authority, and this is anticipated to be brought to Council in September of this year. Page 12
Page 13
4.10 Following endorsement by the Council, the Housing Summit Action Plan will be circulated to all delegates at the Housing Summit, and any other relevant stakeholders and partners so that they might identify key actions they can contribute to. 4.11 It is proposed that the Argyll and Bute Strategic Housing Forum and the Community Planning Partnership Management Group will also form appropriate vehicles for monitoring of progress, and suitable reporting mechanisms will be agreed and publicised on the Council’s website. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 As requested by EDI Committee, the Council held a Housing Emergency Summit in November 2023. This was well attended by a wide range of stakeholders and was a useful exercise not only in placing focus on the issues of the Housing Emergency but allowing a broad range of stakeholders to identify and prioritise a range of actions and potential solutions. These have now been incorporated into a Housing Emergency Action Plan. This covers a range of actions for a variety of stakeholders and no one agency can fulfill all that is required. The Committee is asked to endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan so that it can be circulated, and so that relevant elements can subsequently be incorporated in to a revised Local Housing Strategy Action Programme. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy - The ongoing activity is consistent with current Council priorities and the Local Housing Strategy vision and outcomes which are directly aligned with the overarching objectives of the Outcome Improvement Plan, in particular Outcome 2 – we have infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. 6.2 Financial - None directly arising from this report but future housing delivery actions will require additional funding at some stage from the Council and our partners if delivery is to be accelerated. 6.3 Legal – None. 6.4 HR – None. 6.5 Equalities (Fairer Duty Scotland) - The activity outlined in the report is consistent with aims and objectives set out in the Local Housing Strategy, which is subject to an EQSEIA. 6.5.1 Equalities – Protected Characteristics - There are targets set within the SHIP to deliver housing which meet the needs of specialist groups. 6.5.2 Social-Economic Characteristics - The delivery of affordable housing across Argyll and Bute facilitates socio-economic opportunities for all. The SHIP links with the Child Poverty Strategy. Page 13
Page 14
6.5.3 Islands - The delivery of affordable housing across Argyll and Bute facilitates socio-economic opportunities for all. The SHIP links with the Child Poverty Strategy. 6.6 Risk - The Housing Needs and Demand Assessment process takes full account of housing need on the islands. 6.7 Climate Change – New housing in the right location helps reduce carbon outputs particularly when heating is provided using renewable energy and utilising high standards of insulation which can also be applied to existing stock. 6.8 Customer Service – None. 6.9 Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None. Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with overall responsibility for Development and Economic Growth Councillor Jim Lynch, Depute Policy Lead for Economic Development, Housing, Communities and Islands May 2024 For further information contact: Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Fergus.Murray@argyll-bute.gov.uk Matt Mulderrig, Development Policy and Housing Manager Matt.Mulderrig@argyll-bute.gov.uk Douglas Whyte, Team Lead – Housing Strategy Douglas.Whyte@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Housing Summit Action Plan Page 14
Page 15
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN The Housing Emergency Action Plan is detailed below: Housing Emergency Priority 1: Enable the Delivery of More Market Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Progress Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner Delivery Partners 1.1 Implement a more flexible approach to infrastructure, roads and design requirements on development sites. New Roads Guideline / Almost complete / quick win Yr 1 A&BC 1.2 Increase capacity within Council services key to housing development including Planning, Roads and Building Standards. DM has increased capacity over recent months. New roads staff in place. Building Standards Fees increase over a 3 year period will improve resources. Monitoring performance. Scottish Govt. Resourcing Planning System Review is currently underway. Project officer to support Housing Group & improved internal communications has been agreed and is in the process of being recruited. Yr 1 / monitor A&BC Scott Govt. 1.3 Dramatically increase the number of college places for construction skills development in Argyll & Bute. Need to establish baseline, existing numbers, evidencing the need, scoping of options/ 1-3Yrs A&BC UHI / Construction Industry / Developers / Colleges / A&BC Education Page 15
Page 16
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN identification of target or direction. 1.4 Create an empowered Construction Forum bringing together all planning consultees to speed up decision making. Current communication channels exists between all statutory consultees & Key Agencies involved in the planning process both at Planning application stage, and during LDP production. Increased resources (see 1.2) will assist communication. Monitor improvement and evaluate need in year 3. Yr 3. A&BC 1.5 Develop funding and risk sharing models to enable infrastructure investment in housing sites. The Council is working with Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and HubNorth who are already looking at this issue. Ongoing A&BC Scottish Futures Trust, HubNorth 1.6 Repurpose vacant spaces/derelict buildings to deliver homes for sale or rent (see 4.2) An additional Empty Homes Officer appointed with HSCP. NDR & Development and Economic Growth Teams developing repurposing with NDR. Yr1 A&BC Private landowners 1.7 Use rural housing burdens and RGD/Partnership Support for Regeneration Funding (PSRF) Rural Growth Deal Pilot will explore this delivery model. Outline Business Case already submitted. Yr3 ABC SG / UK Govt / SFT Page 16
Page 17
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN enabling developers to offer principal homes at a fixed price A&BC acts as developer in the pilot which will then be reviewed. A&BC seek to influence More Homes for review of PSRF 1.8 Create supplementary planning guidance to bring forward sites for speculative building that are not a housing allocation in the current LDP, making it easier for developers to take forward Feb 2024 LDP2 adoption allows consideration of development on a wider geographical area than previously. LDP3 work / OSDF / HSDF will seek to identify new development land. Yr1 (re LDP2) & Yr3 ABC Housing Emergency Priority 2: Enable the Delivery of More Affordable Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner / Delivery Partners 2.1 Consider the use of standard housing design types to speed up procurement/planning approvals and building warrant approvals. Primary beneficiary RSLs. RSLs should decide if they want it and take the lead with ABC being the supporting partner. Raise at Strategic Housing Forum. Yr 2/3 ABC Housing Forum / RSLs RSLs / A&BC 2.2 Create a ring fenced infrastructure fund for Argyll & Bute similar to the Highland Council model Highland Council model was a loan as part of their Rural Growth Deal. Alternatives: HIF applications scheduled for several projects. Ongoing. A&BC Scott Govt Page 17
Page 18
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Issue of RPA flexibility raised with SG & Housing Minister. Council funding strategic Masterplanning will facilitate planned future investment in strategic infrastructure. (see 1.8). 2.3 Improve infrastructure planning across agencies Seek to influence improvements. Liaison activity already happens prior to LDP production and National Infrastructure Plan but doesn’t result in appropriate investment. Priority action. Ongoing COSLA / A&BC Scott Govt 2.4 Freedom to use Scottish Government housing funding more flexibly and as an allocation with local administrative control Raised with More Homes division and Housing Minister Seek to influence change. Ongoing A&BC / CPP Scott Govt / RSLs / Community Housing Trusts 2.5 Use Rural Housing Body status to enable land assembly, master planning and infrastructure investment The following are proposed as more deliverable actions: A&BC Have achieved Rural Housing Body Status, will implement to secure primary occupancy and potentially affordability in a variety of 1/5yrs ABC Page 18
Page 19
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN ways, guidance will be developed to support this. Land assembly and Masterplanning will be considered through OSDF / HSDF and LDP3. (see 1.8) See 2.2 & 2.3 for infrastructure investment. 2.6 Develop planning policies which tackle the housing crisis e.g. exception policies, Affordable Housing Policy contributions, rural burdens Currently reviewing and developing new approaches to planning policy including: primary occupancy restriction, planning control for short term lets, include key worker definition in affordable housing, construction worker housing strategies, seasonal worker accommodation. 1-3yrs A&BC 2.7 Create funding mechanisms for Community Housing Trusts to finance feasibility studies, professional fees and approval process Need to explore sustainable model for Community Housing Trusts & clarity of roles. Ongoing CPP / Scottish Government HiREP / HIE / Community Housing Trusts 2.8 Evidence the demand for intermediate housing to enable an RSL development pipeline and deliver more Have engaged with LAR to explore delivery of mid- market rent. A&BC / Housing Forum Page 19
Page 20
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN MMR and low-cost homes for sale Evidence exists within the HNDA. Will seek to review understanding of that evidence at Housing Forum, with a view to improving dissemination. 2.9 ACHA to develop a minimum of 300 new build homes of mixed tenure and a minimum of 50 buy backs by 2029 1-5Yrs ACHA Housing Emergency Priority 3: Enable the Delivery of More Homes for Argyll & Bute's Workforce Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner / Possible Lead Partner Delivery Partners 3.1 Deliver seasonal and temporary workforce accommodation using short term occupancy agreements Working with MICHT to deliver worker accommodation on Mull. (HubNorth & SFT involved). HIE have expressed interest in contributing to this work. Temp construction worker accommodation also needs to be tackled. SSEN and Cruachan Conditions Example. SG and HIREP looking at the issue. Yr1 & ongoing. ABC for Tobermory proposal. CPP re wider issue. MICHT / UK Govt & SG through Rural Growth Deal), HiREP / HIE. 3.2 Develop a strategic approach to evidencing the need for Already a lot of evidence/ HNDA / Consultants ABC Public sector agencies. Page 20
Page 21
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN workforce housing in the public sector Reports / MICHT survey / CPP survey. HSCP Empty Homes officer. CPP may be able to instigate a more formal route for monitoring live demand and consideration to a more collaborative approach such as sharing accommodation. CPP 3.3 Deliver emergency workforce housing options including the use of modular, temporary and tiny homes Rural Growth Deal worker housing project on Mull. HIREP work on worker housing. Housing Strategy conditions for major projects such as SSEN Sub-stations and Cruachan. Will incorporate in Planning Policy. Yr 2-3 ABC CPP SSEN / HiREP / HIE / DRAX 3.4 Deliver a Mid-Market Rent workforce housing programme LINK 18 units at Dunbeg. LAR exploring opportunities without Govt Finance. RSLs LAR Page 21
Page 22
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN 3.5 Identify public sector land and buildings which could provide workforce housing via repurposing and change of use. ABC property is mapped. CPP 3.6 Use the Partnership Support for Regeneration Fund to enable private sector workforce housing models Initial analysis suggested this would not prove attractive to developers in rural ABC. Will seek to influence SG / More Homes Division to review this Fund (see 1.7) Ongoing. ABC 3.7 Assess the potential to reintroduce the Rural Home Ownership Grant model for working households in partnership with Community Housing Trusts Community Housing Trusts Housing Emergency Priority 4: Make the Best Use of Existing Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner Delivery Partners 4.1 Further reform CPO processes to tackle abandoned homes more effectively Empty Homes Officers have delivered empty property back in to use via CPO before, currently exploring on one property to see if interest from developer / purchaser. Low ABC SG Page 22
Page 23
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Not clear what reforms are needed if any. Input to SG consultation. 4.2 Create a multi-agency team enabling mixed tenure refurbishment and regeneration projects (see 1.6) Council NDR Team developing NDR relief scheme for empty property back in to use. Council CARS schemes. Private Sector Housing Grant funding to support this. Council APAG group for dangerous property. Work in Helensburgh Clyde Street with ACHA. Ongoing. ABC 4.3 Develop a housing model that offers apprenticeships with tenancies to keep young people in Argyll & Bute Home Argyll can discuss if they would want to implement a local lettings policy connected to apprenticeship. Yr2 HomeArgyll Construction Industry 4.4 Create more choice and flexibility within the Home Argyll policy to address identified housing pressures Home Argyll partners amended lettings policy to allow prioritization of identified pressures. Yr1 HOME Argyll Partnership Page 23
Page 24
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN 4.5 Increase the number of Empty Homes Officers with more flexibility to assemble funding New Empty Homes officer employed in partnership with HSCP. Yr1 ABC/HSCP 4.6 Develop a better range of housing options for older people to encourage movement in existing housing stock Incorporate into the LHS Action Programme and develop from there. Yr 2-3 ABC CPP 4.7 Introduce STL control areas in pressured housing market areas Now short term let license applications have been received. We can explore process of consulting on and establishing planning control areas. Yrs1-2 ABC 4.8 Double the Council Tax on Second Homes This was implemented on the 1st of April 2024. Have bid for additional officer resource to help support transition from second homes to long term rental. ABC 4.9 Map public sector land and buildings which could provide affordable housing via repurposing and change of use Duplicates 3.5 CPP 4.10 Extend the use of rural housing burdens across Rural Housing Authority Status Achieved. Yrs 1-2 ABC Page 24
Page 25
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Housing Market Areas to maintain primary occupancy and/or affordability Models to utilize this being developed. Page 25
Page 26
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 27
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROAD AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 CIRCULAR ECONOMY BILL UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 13 June 2023 and is published on the Scottish Government website. The Scottish Government (SG) states that the Bill will establish the legislative framework to support Scotland's transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee consider and note this report, and note that future updates will be provided on the progress of the Circular Economy Bill. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 Key provisions of the Circular Economy Bill 3.1.1 To enable the introduction of the Circular Economy Bill, the SG has considered the key provisions of the Circular Economy Bill which are noted below. • A requirement for a Circular Economy Strategy with associated consultation, review and reporting requirements; • Powers to introduce circular economy targets with associated monitoring and reporting; • Powers to introduce restrictions on the disposal of unsold consumer goods for the purpose of reducing waste; • Powers to introduce charges for single-use items (expected to be initially used to introduce a charge for disposal beverage cups); • A new criminal offence for a householder to breach their duty of care in relation to household waste, and new fixed penalty regime for that offence; • Introduction of new enforcement measures around household waste disposal and recycling (fixed penalty and civil penalty charges); • A new statutory code of practice on household waste recycling; • Powers to set targets for local authorities relating to household waste recycling; Page 27 Agenda Item 5
Page 28
• Introduction of a new civil penalty charge for littering from a vehicle; • Powers to introduce mandatory public reporting requirements for businesses in respect of waste and surpluses; • Powers to enable enforcement authorities to seize and search vehicles to tackle waste crime. 3.1.2 The Scottish Government has consulted on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill from 30 May 2022 to 22 August 2022 and has published submitted responses. 3.1.3 An analysis of consultation responses was published by the Scottish Government on 30 November 2022.The Scottish Government had previously published a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill in 2019, with a view to introducing a Bill in 2020. This was delayed by the pandemic. 3.1.4 In tandem with the consultation on proposals for the Bill, the SG also consulted on Delivering Scotland's Circular Economy Route Map to 2025 and beyond, aimed to be complementary consultations. The routemap provided the wider context for the Bill, noting that the SG already has significant powers under a range of legislation for circular economy interventions, many interventions are non-legislative in nature, and a number of important interventions are taking place at a UK-wide level. 3.1.5 Council Officers submitted comments in relation to the SG Route Map consultation, the content is noted within Appendix 1. 3.2 Circular Economy Bill – next stages 3.2.1 The Circular Economy Bill next stages are noted below. i. Stage 1 - Committees examine the Bill and gather views. They produce reports before MSPs debate the Bill in the Chamber. MSPs then decide on the purpose (“general principles”) of the Bill. ii. Stage 2 – Changes to detail - MSPs can propose changes (“amendments”) to the Bill. The amendments are considered and decided on by a committee. 3.2.2 Until the next stages of the Bill are progressed the full implications for Argyll and Bute are largely unknown. As matters evolve and more information become available further reports will be brought forward. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 In concluding this report, Officers will continue to monitor the progress of the Circular Economy Bill and further updates on any changes and/or provisions made to the Bill as noted within this report. The new Bill will advise on additional powers being made available to local government. However, it is also noteworthy that there are further implications for local authorities and through Page 28
Page 29
these implications may result in financial pressures. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – The Council’s Waste Strategy will evolve in line with the changes in legislation relating to the Circular Economy Bill. 5.2 Financial – Compliance with the Circular Economy Bill may add financial pressure to Argyll and Bute to comply with the requirements, e.g. in relation to staffing resources. The Bill will need to be approved and a full understanding of the requirements known, prior to confirming any additional cost pressures. 5.3 Legal – Further powers will be given to local authorities through the introduction of the Circular Economy Bill. 5.4 HR – To comply with the Bill additional staffing resource may be required. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities – None. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None. 5.5.3 Islands – There are no individual island issues noted at this stage. 5.6 Climate Change – The introduction of the Bill will impact upon climate change and should reduce Greenhouse Gas generated in Argyll and Bute. 5.7 Risk – Financial risk is prevalent. The extent of the risk is unknown at this time. 5.8 Customer Service – None. 5.9 Rights of the Child – None arising from this report. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Infrastructure jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk John Blake, Fleet, Waste and Transport Manager john.blake@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 29
Page 30
APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Circular Economy and Waste Route Map Consultation Page 30
Page 31
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Scotland's draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 - consultation Reducing and reusing waste are the first goals of the waste hierarchy and central to changing our relationship with materials and products. Building an economic system that moves away from being based on items that are designed to be disposable will bring significant environmental benefits. In this section, we have three main objectives: • Drive responsible consumption, production and re-use • Reduce food waste • Embed circular construction practices Read more on the Route Map. Objective 1: Responsible consumption, production and re-use Priority action: • Develop and publish a Product Stewardship Plan to identify and tackle the environmental impact of priority products (2025/26) Further actions: • Deliver a prioritised approach to the introduction of environmental charges for problematic products (by 2025) • Introduce a charge for single-use disposable cups (by 2025) • Consult on actions regarding the environmental impacts of single-use vapes (ongoing) • Review the feasibility of setting reuse targets (from 2025) • Develop restrictions on the destruction of unsold consumer goods (from 2024) • Develop measures to improve the reuse experience for consumers (ongoing) • Deliver behaviour change-based approaches focused on sustainable consumption, aligned to Let’s Do Net Zero communications (ongoing) • Identify ways to expand business models that prolong product lifespan (ongoing) Objective 2: Reduce food waste Our Review of the 2019 Food Waste Reduction Action Plan outlines that we need to reset our approach to tackling food waste (see chapter 2). The actions outlined below are based on the evidence we have so far on how best we can reset our approach. We welcome views on how to enhance this to ensure our reset delivers at the speed and scale required to see sustained food waste reduction results. Priority actions: • Deliver an intervention plan to guide long-term work on household food waste reduction behaviour change (by 2025) Page 31
Page 32
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation • Develop with stakeholders the most effective way to implement mandatory reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses (by 2025/26) Further actions: • Strengthen data and evidence (ongoing) • Review the rural exemption for food waste recycling, as part of recycling codesign process (in 2024/25 and 2025/26) • Investigate feasibility of action plans (after 2025) • Deliver enhanced support for businesses (ongoing) Objective 3: Embed circular construction practices Priority action: • Support the development of regional Scottish hubs and networks for the reuse of construction materials and assets (from 2025) Further actions: • Develop new and promote existing best practice standards in circular practices within the construction sector, and assess the options for both voluntary and mandatory compliance (ongoing) • Investigate and promote options to incentivise and build capacity for the refurbishment of buildings (by 2026/27) • Investigate and promote ways to reduce soil and stones disturbance, movement and volumes going to landfill (by 2026/27) • Review opportunities to accelerate adoption of climate change and circular economy focussed purchasing in construction (from 2024) • Consider how devolved taxes can incentivise the use of recycled aggregates and support circular economy practices (ongoing) Questions 1. To what extent do you agree with the priority actions proposed within the Reduce and Reuse strategic aim? Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Develop and publish a Product Stewardship Plan to tackle the environmental impact of priority products (by 2025/26) ABC expresses concern about the oversight in product stewardship plan proposals related to priority items like tyres, mattresses, and textiles. These proposals need to address Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) adequately, and there is a notable absence of initiatives incorporating POPs into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, thereby burdening local authorities. The impact of POPs legislation on the circular economy is a growing concern for ABC. While the new legislative landscape overlooks POPs in the circular economy route map, it may lead to increased incineration of domestic furniture and seating. Page 32
Page 33
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Additionally, emerging POPs regulations might affect Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). ABC questions how POPs legislation aligns with promoting a circular economy and expresses concerns that additional charges may increase fly-tipping incidents. In specific regions of Scotland, particularly the Highland Councils and the Islands and Argyll & Bute, managing POPs presents significant challenges due to geographical constraints and logistical difficulties, especially with ferry transportation—the associated expenses further strain local councils. Strategic interventions are necessary to effectively address the disposal and management of bulky waste containing POPs. ABC firmly advocates for a producer compliance scheme to handle the complexities of these challenging waste materials. The scheme should shift responsibilities and costs from local councils to the producers, ensuring accountability for the entire lifecycle of products, including proper disposal. Haulage is a significant issue, particularly for POPs, given the high costs and logistical challenges of transporting substantial quantities to central locations. Local authorities need more financial support and resources to manage these issues effectively. Advocating for increased financial support, potentially through grants, subsidies, or specific funding tailored to regions with higher logistical challenges, becomes crucial. ABC seeks clarity on the types of textiles covered under a product stewardship plan, as textiles encompass a wide range of products. However, ABC welcomes the development of a Product Stewardship Plan by 2025/26, focusing on three priority products, including mattresses, tyres, and textiles. This approach addresses the limitations of the current system. It introduces extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for priority products, relieving local authorities of the burden of responsibility at end-of-life. EPR for priority products aligns well with the proposed strategic aim under reduce and reuse, and ABC acknowledges that this could draw on the experience from more mature EPR schemes. ABC is aware of preliminary work by the Scottish Government on investigating an EPR scheme for mattresses, which could enable a relatively swift introduction. Building upon current policies like EPR to drive progress in reuse, repair, refurbishment, and reducing the need for new products is welcomed by ABC. Engaging with the UK Government and other developed governments to encourage improved product design is essential in driving a circular economy within the UK. Deliver an intervention plan to guide long-term work on household food waste reduction behaviour change (by 2025) While much progress has been achieved by local authorities in Scotland on food waste reduction, the current system still fails to capture a significant proportion of food waste from the household waste residual stream, and so there is quite evidently scope for significantly improving the status quo. The proposed intervention plan to enable long-term work on behaviour change related to household food waste reduction would appear to offer a strong solution for addressing the limitations of the current system. The Scottish Government’s ambition, to work collaboratively with local authorities and householders to enable research and to better understand household recycling behaviour to affect a reduction in volume of food waste being placed in the residual Page 33
Page 34
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation waste stream, is considered by ABC to be a constructive approach to the addressing the problem at the scale and pace required. Develop with stakeholders the most effective way to implement mandatory reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses (by 2025/26) Effective monitoring and management of food waste by the commercial sector is rightly recognised by Scottish Government as currently quite limited and voluntary in scope. Mandatory reporting of food waste and surplus by businesses would close the gap. The Scottish Government recognises the need to work with stakeholders including the business sector and the environment regulator SEPA to develop a robust system of mandatory public reporting that does not unfairly disadvantage smaller organisations and links with other policy developments including Digital Waste Tracking. Support the development of regional Scottish hubs and networks for the reuse of construction materials and assets (from 2025/26) While ABC supports repurposing construction materials and assets, we do not endorse the notion that local authorities should be responsible for implementing these plans. Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) are outdated and are facing increasing capacity constraints due to the growing demand for heightened separation and segregation. This is compounded by stricter regulations governing the storage and disposal of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) materials, disposable vapes, batteries, NOx, bulky and small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), among others. Considering these challenges, the industries responsible for producing these materials should take a leading role in providing both the necessary spaces and funding to bring the aspirations of the waste route map to fruition. 2. To what extent do you agree with the further actions to 2030 listed across the Reduce and Reuse strategic aim? Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Deliver a prioritised approach to the introduction of environmental charges for problematic products (by 2025/26) ABC supports the Scottish Government's plan to implement a prioritised approach to introducing environmental charges for problematic products. This endorsement aligns with ABC's belief that businesses should not be able to dispose of unsold Page 34
Page 35
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation goods and that single-use products should be disincentivized by making them the more expensive, undesirable choice and offering a viable more environmentally preferable option. ABC would like to reiterate the necessity of addressing overproduction and the resulting overconsumption of raw materials within the framework of a circular economy strategy. Introduce a charge for single-use disposable cups (by 2025) ABC endorses the proposal for Scotland to introduce a charge for single-use disposable cups by 2025. This alignment is supported by compelling reasons, including that an estimated 4,566.6 tonnes of single-use cups and 583.1 tonnes of plastic lids are placed on the market annually. ABC anticipates that implementing a charge for single-use cups would contribute to a significant reduction in their sales, as well as other disposable items. Such a decrease in demand is expected to result in a long-term reduction in the need for raw materials, such as timber felling, to produce fibre for cups and other related materials. Review the feasibility of setting reuse targets (from 2025) The feasibility of setting reuse targets from 2025 is a critical consideration that warrants careful examination. Individuals and community groups often lead efforts around reuse, and occasionally through national initiatives like online reuse forums such as Freegle or FreeCycle. While local authorities currently participate in some reuse activities, they are not optimally positioned to implement the types of schemes proven to be effective. Instead, they function better as facilitators and supporters of community-driven initiatives by signposting residents. It is crucial to approach the establishment of reuse targets with caution, ensuring that they do not impose impractical obligations or duties on councils that exceed their capacity to deliver. ABC underscores the need for a strategic shift in responsibility from local authorities to producers. Placing reuse targets on local authorities could necessitate a significant infrastructure expansion, impacting Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and bulky waste collections. ABC contends that the impetus for driving reuse initiatives should be directed towards producers. The understanding here is that producers, as the originators of waste, are responsible for enhancing the reusability or reparability of items. ABC emphasises that imposing reuse targets on local authorities could lead to challenges, including operational scale and infrastructure requirements, particularly in peripheral areas like Island communities in Scotland. These challenges may hinder the ability of local authorities to facilitate increased levels of reuse effectively and ultimately fall short of any targets set. Develop restrictions on the destruction of unsold consumer goods (from 2024) ABC strongly advocates for the development of restrictions on the destruction of unsold consumer goods from 2024. ABC firmly believes that businesses should not have the right to dispose of unsold goods. This stance underscores the need to address overproduction and the subsequent overconsumption of raw materials, highlighting the importance of aligning such efforts within the broader context of a circular economy strategy. The rationale behind ABC's support for restrictions on the destruction of unsold goods lies in its potential benefits to the circular economy. Implementation of these restrictions is anticipated to lead to surplus stock being redirected through avenues Page 35
Page 36
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation such as sales, donations, or recycling. This, in turn, is expected to diminish the demand for new products while increasing the availability of used components for remanufacturing. In addition to these restrictions, ABC envisions the development of targeted strategies and support initiatives. These initiatives will aim to foster increased reuse among consumers, with the overarching goal of reducing the demand for new products. This will significantly contribute to a decline in material consumption and a corresponding decrease in the extraction of virgin materials, promoting a more sustainable and circular approach to consumption and resource management. Develop measures to improve the reuse experience for consumers (ongoing) ABC supports the ongoing development of measures to enhance consumers' reuse experience. However, ABC seeks clarification on how repair initiatives and the "right to repair" principles will be fully realised in Scotland. UK regulations for the right to repair only extend to professional repair initiatives. Zero Waste Scotland has highlighted reuse and repair business models to boost the product and component reuse rate, fostering demand within the supply chain and among consumers. Two of these models are incentivised return and asset management. ABC acknowledges these models as valuable components of a comprehensive strategy to encourage reuse. ABC underscores the importance of making right-to-repair regulations more consumer-focused and transparent. One practical approach could involve implementing eco-labelling practices specifically addressing durability and repairability. By incorporating eco-labels, consumers gain transparent information about a product's longevity and ease of repair, empowering them to make informed and sustainable choices. Deliver behaviour change-based approaches focused on sustainable consumption, aligned to Let’s Do Net Zero communications (ongoing) ABC strongly supports implementing a behaviour change-based approach that focuses on sustainable consumption, aligned with the ongoing Let’s Do Net Zero communications initiative. ABC believe that achieving a circular economy is intricately linked to robust and widespread communication strategies that effectively reach every segment of society. Scottish councils must be provided with the necessary tools to communicate transformative changes to residents. Furthermore, ABC urges the government to consider the importance of national and local communication efforts, acknowledging the diverse demographics and geographical variations across Scotland. A tailored and inclusive communication strategy is crucial to ensure that the goals of a circular economy are comprehensively understood and embraced at every level of society. Identify ways to expand business models that prolong product lifespan (ongoing) ABC stresses the need for supportive policies to drive businesses toward adopting and expanding models that prolong product lifespan, fostering sustainability and a circular economy. Incentives and, when necessary, mandates should be implemented, requiring collaboration with government bodies and industry associations to shape a regulatory environment promoting these practices. 2 Modernise recycling Page 36
Page 37
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Recycling helps to conserve our natural resources, keep valuable materials flowing through our economy and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. We want Scotland to become a world-leader in recycling, where recycling and reuse services are easy to use and accessible to all, and support and encourage positive choices. By 2030, we want a high-performing recycling system that has modernised recycling services for households and businesses across Scotland, optimised the performance of collection services, and can recycle most waste types to maximise diversion of waste from disposal. Increasing the amount of materials recycled and increasing the proportion of these recycled in Scotland will deliver carbon reductions, reduce the environmental impacts associated with extracting new raw materials, and create a range of important economic opportunities to reprocess and reuse materials here in Scotland. The objectives are grouped under: • Modernise household recycling and reuse services, improving and optimising performance. • Support businesses in Scotland to reduce waste and maximise recycling. Read more on the Route Map. 3. To what extent do you agree with the priority actions proposed within the Modernise Recycling strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Priority Actions: • Facilitate a process to co-design high quality, high performing household recycling and reuse services with households, COSLA, local authorities and service operators. Timescale: Scoping work commenced in 2023; delivery of the co-design process will take place in 2024-25 and conclude in 2025-26. • Review of compliance with commercial recycling requirements. Timescale: The review will commence in 2024, and report findings by the end of 2025. • Co-design measures to improve commercial waste service provisions that drive waste prevention and reuse, and maximise recycling. Timescale: Preparation in 2025-26, co-design process in 2026-27. Part A: Modernise recycling Recycling helps to conserve our natural resources, keep valuable materials flowing through our economy and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. We want Scotland to become a world-leader in recycling, where recycling and reuse services are easy to use and accessible to all, and support and encourage positive choices. By 2030, we want a high-performing recycling system that has modernised recycling services for households and businesses across Scotland, optimised the performance of collection services, and can recycle most waste types to maximise diversion of waste from disposal. Increasing the amount of materials recycled and increasing the proportion of these recycled in Scotland will deliver carbon reductions, reduce the Page 37
Page 38
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation environmental impacts associated with extracting new raw materials, and create a range of important economic opportunities to reprocess and reuse materials here in Scotland. The objectives are grouped under: • Modernise household recycling and reuse services, improving and optimising performance. • Support businesses in Scotland to reduce waste and maximise recycling. Read more on the Route Map. Proposed actions Objective 1: Modernise household and reuse services Priority action: • Facilitate a co-design process with Local Government for high quality, high performing household recycling and reuse services (2024/25 and 2025/26) Further actions: • Develop a statutory code of practice for household waste services (by 2025/26) • Introduce statutory recycling and reuse local performance targets for household waste services (from 2030) • Strengthen the Householder’s duty of care in relation to waste (by 2025/26) • Give local authorities more tools to support household recycling and reduce contamination (by 2025/26) • Undertake a review of waste and recycling service charging (by 2024/25) • Review the monitoring and reporting framework for local authority waste services (by 2025/26) • Develop options and consult on the introduction of end destination public reporting of household recycling collected (by 2027/28) Objective 2: Support businesses in Scotland to reduce waste and maximise recycling Priority actions: • Review of compliance with commercial recycling requirements (2025) • Co-design measures to improve commercial waste service provisions (2026/27) Further actions: • Conduct a national compositional study of waste from commercial premises (by 2025/26) • Investigate further steps to promote business-business reuse platforms (by 2027) Page 38
Page 39
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Questions 3. To what extent do you agree with the priority actions proposed within the Modernise Recycling strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Facilitate a process to co-design high quality, high performing household recycling and reuse services with households, COSLA, local authorities and service operators. Timescale: Scoping work commenced in 2023; delivery of the co-design process will take place in 2024-25 and conclude in 2025-26. ABC is concerned about the practicality of applying co-design principles to waste and recycling services. We fear that by extending the collaboration too far, negotiations may be removed from local government control during service changes. Control over decision-making and service improvements is necessary to prevent uninformed public decisions. After all, local authorities' officers are the experts in service provision, resources, and specific demography. ABC hopes that government are mindful of timelines when the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and other related policy changes will have an effect on the composition of waste. Review of compliance with commercial recycling requirements. Timescale: The review will commence in 2024, and report findings by the end of 2025. ABC supports a compliance review for commercial recycling. While a widely accessible recycling service can decrease litter and flytipping, optimise collection routes, and reduce landfills and incineration, changes for local authorities should be fully funded. Additional requirements, like increased collection from commercial premises, must be costed, and local authorities should be reimbursed for added expenses. Co-design measures to improve commercial waste service provisions that drive waste prevention and reuse, and maximise recycling. Timescale: Preparation in 2025-26, co-design process in 2026-27. ABC supports this endeavour and wants to see more onus placed on the producer to achieve these goals. Page 39
Page 40
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation 4. To what extent do you agree with the further actions to 2030 listed across the Modernise Recycling strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Develop a statutory code of practice for household waste services, with a focus on recycling and reuse. ABC advocates for enhanced alignment of collection systems, particularly when mandated by new statutory obligations. Given the financial challenges local authorities have faced over the past decade, changes required by such obligations must be fully funded. Any additional requirements stemming from new statutory obligations must be thoroughly costed, with local authorities appropriately remunerated for increased costs. Financial incentives for local authorities are crucial to effectively support statutory targets, considering ongoing financial pressures and budget cuts. As new statutory targets will necessitate legislative changes and impose additional legal burdens on councils, full funding from the Scottish Government is essential to enable compliance with any new duties. Additionally, ABC emphasises the necessity for a structured and regular working group led by the Scottish Government to address gaps in waste-related initiatives. This working group should not just ensure coordinated efforts; it should be the cornerstone of the waste route map strategy, with action plans and clear timelines for effective implementation and visibility. Introduce statutory recycling and reuse local performance targets for household waste services. ABC is concerned about introducing statutory targets without clearly understanding necessary service adjustments. ABC sees a need for a nuanced approach in setting and comparing recycling targets, considering regional variations in waste management infrastructure and practices within Scotland rather than drawing comparisons to regions like Wales with different compositions, regulations, legislative drivers, and infrastructure. While the route map recognises the need for varied targets considering the diverse starting points of different councils, ABC is apprehensive that imposing financial penalties may exacerbate challenges for councils in the most struggling categories. Page 40
Page 41
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Strengthen Householder’s duty of care in relation to household waste: making a breach of the householder duty of care a criminal offence and creating a new fixed penalty regime to enforce this duty. ABC supports the initiative to strengthen the householder's duty of care regarding household waste by considering breaches as criminal offences and introducing a new fixed penalty regime for enforcement. The current approach of intervening through education before recycling service removal may inadvertently lead residents to dispose of recycling improperly, which conflicts with the principles of a circular economy. ABC advocates for empowering local authorities with additional enforcement powers, similar to those available for fly-tipping offences, starting with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and escalating to court action if necessary. Striking a balanced and progressive approach is deemed essential to prevent an overload of court cases and garner increased public support for any enforcement actions. However, while ABC supports the idea of increased powers for councils, there are valid concerns. Enforcing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) in Scotland raises apprehensions about the feasibility of holding householders accountable through this method due to financial constraints and resource limitations for local authorities in implementing and enforcing such measures. Give local authorities more tools to ensure that households are properly using their recycling containers and to reduce recycling contamination. See the answer given above. Undertake a review of waste and recycling service charging. ABC endorses a comprehensive examination of direct charging for residual waste services, particularly for authorities considering this option. Implementing this approach may necessitate challenging policy changes. However, ABC views charging for residual waste as a progressive step towards enhancing recycling quality, incentivising overall waste reduction, and placing responsibility for conscientious consumption squarely on citizens. Review the monitoring and reporting framework for local authority waste services and subsequently strengthen where necessary. ABC supports a comprehensive review of the monitoring and reporting framework for local authority waste services by 2025/26. We underscore the importance of enhancing the framework as required, urging the government to prioritise user- friendly systems. Local authorities must be adequately resourced with data officers to streamline administrative processes. ABC agrees that conducting an up-to-date waste compositional analysis will inform the co-design of future recycling services and gain valuable insights into adding specific streams in any new framework. Develop options and consult on the introduction of a requirement on local authorities and others to report publicly on end destination of household recycling collected. ABC strongly endorses this initiative to engage citizens, rebuild trust in services, and encourage proper recycling service use. However, we urge caution to ensure this reporting task is manageable for already time-constrained officers. Conduct a national compositional study of waste from commercial premises. Page 41
Page 42
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation ABC acknowledges the crucial role of waste compositional analysis in addressing data gaps within commercial recycling and enhancing service provision. We are pleased to note that beyond 2026, the Scottish government intends to implement a continuous program of commercial waste analysis to assess the impacts of interventions. This is particularly significant considering the numerous policy changes expected to influence waste streams over the next six years. Investigate further steps to promote business-business reuse platforms. Regarding the feasibility of encouraging reuse and repair, ABC emphasises the necessity to shift responsibility from local authorities to producers. ABC advocates placing the impetus for driving reuse initiatives on producers, who have the potential to support and financially contribute to enhancing items' reusability or reparability. In Scotland, local authorities, particularly those in peripheral areas like Island communities, face challenges related to operational scale and infrastructure requirements, hindering their ability to facilitate more reuse. The underlying concern is that local authorities have limited influence over what is produced and the availability of outlets for materials. The responsibility lies with producers, distributors, businesses, and retailers. 3: Decarbonise disposal The production and management of waste results in environmental impacts and represents missed economic opportunities for these materials. That is why our focus in this Route Map is to prevent materials from becoming waste in the first place. As we accelerate our move to a circular economy, we will produce less waste. We want to ensure that materials that cannot be avoided, reused or recycled are managed in a way that minimises environmental and climate impacts, encourages management of materials further up the waste hierarchy, and minimises broader societal impacts. The objectives are to: • Understand the best environmental outcomes for specific wastes • Ensure there is an appropriate capacity to manage waste • Improve environmental outcomes for waste through innovation • Incentivise decarbonisation of the waste sector Read more on the Route Map. Part A: Decarbonise disposal The production and management of waste results in environmental impacts and represents missed economic opportunities for these materials. That is why our focus in this Route Map is to prevent materials from becoming waste in the first place. As we accelerate our move to a circular economy, we will produce less waste. We want to ensure that materials that cannot be avoided, reused or recycled are managed in a way that minimises environmental and climate impacts, encourages management of materials further up the waste hierarchy, and minimises broader societal impacts. The objectives are to: Page 42
Page 43
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation • Understand the best environmental outcomes for specific wastes • Ensure there is an appropriate capacity to manage waste • Improve environmental outcomes for waste through innovation • Incentivise decarbonisation of the waste sector Read more on the Route Map. Proposed actions Priority actions: • Develop and deliver a Residual Waste Plan to 2045 (develop by 2025/26) • Facilitate the development of a Sector-Led Plan to minimise the carbon impacts of the Energy from Waste Sector (by 2025/26) Further actions: • Support the inclusion of energy from waste in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and investigate other fiscal measures to incentivise low carbon disposal (from 2028) • Review and target materials currently landfilled to identify and drive alternative management routes (from 2024) • Facilitate the co-production of guidelines for effective community engagement (process underway from 2024) • Increase the capture of landfill gas (by 2025) Questions 5. To what extent do you agree with the priority actions proposed within the Decarbonise Disposal strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Priority Actions: Develop and deliver a Residual Waste Plan to ensure the best environmental outcome for unavoidable and unrecyclable waste and set strategic direction for management of residual waste to 2045. Timescale: Research and engagement during 2023-2024 and 2024-25. Publication in 2025-26. ABC supports the Residual Waste Plan to ensure optimal environmental outcomes for unavoidable waste and establish a strategic direction for residual waste management until 2045. However, we have some concerns: Cost of ETS: We are wary of the potential substantial cost of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), estimated at approximately £50 to £70 per tonne. Page 43
Page 44
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Influence on carbon reduction: There are concerns about local authorities' capacity to influence carbon reduction in the energy-from-waste sector, particularly without a dedicated residual waste plan. Challenges for Islands: Islands face specific challenges, including ferry capacity issues and the feasibility of reviewing target materials destined for landfill. Energy-from-waste (EfW) considerations: The route map's focus on managing waste may overlook the dual nature of EfW for Shetland, where it is as much an energy matter as a waste one. EfW is crucial for heating over 1,000 properties, addressing fuel poverty in an area with higher energy costs compared to the mainland. Citizen behaviour: Local councils' limited ability to influence citizens to use waste services correctly raises concerns. Addressing this challenge is crucial for the success of any waste management plan. Infrastructure investment: ABC seeks clarification on how the government plans to incentivise investment in essential infrastructure such as 'dirty MRFs'. Need for clarity and action plans: ABC wants more clarity, detailed action plans, and visible timelines within the Residual Waste Plan. Inclusive representation in Advisory Panel: ABC requests diverse representation from across Scotland to be included in the Residual Waste Advisory Panel. This ensures that all demographics are considered in any actions resulting from the panel's recommendations. Facilitate the development of a Sector-Led Plan to minimise the Carbon Impacts of the Energy from Waste Sector. Timescale: Research and engagement during 2023-2024 and 2024-25. Publication in 2025-26. ABC acknowledges the necessity for waste industry ownership in steering the development of the required infrastructure for handling materials. This sector-led approach is crucial for guaranteeing economic viability and environmental sustainability within the plan. Imposing a mandate becomes instrumental in compelling the necessary expansion and fostering innovation in the sector. However, this initiative must be seamlessly integrated, effectively removing materials from households and commercial premises. There remains a significant incentive for the government to strategically deploy levers such as reducing residual capacity and frequency availability or implementing direct charges for residual waste services. These measures play a pivotal role in shaping behaviours and promoting responsible waste management practices, aligning with the plan's overall success. 6. To what extent do you agree with the further actions to 2030 listed across the Decarbonise Disposal strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Further Actions: Page 44
Page 45
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Support the inclusion of energy from waste in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and investigate other fiscal measures to incentivise low carbon disposal. Supporting the inclusion of energy from waste (EfW) in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and exploring other fiscal measures to incentivise low-carbon disposal may pose several challenges for local authorities: Financial implications: Local authorities may face increased costs associated with complying with the ETS. Implementing low-carbon disposal methods could require investment in new technologies or infrastructure, and this is at a time when local authorities are more stretched than ever before. Technology Adoption: Implementing low-carbon disposal methods, especially if reliant on new technologies, may require local authorities to invest in and adopt unfamiliar systems. This presents an opportunity for growth and development, empowering local authorities to lead in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Still, ABC is concerned about where the funding to make this transition will come from. Data and reporting requirements: Compliance with the ETS or other fiscal measures might necessitate enhanced data collection and reporting. Local authorities may need to invest in systems to meet these requirements. Interactions with existing waste contracts: The proposed changes may require renegotiating or adjusting existing waste contracts. This could entail legal complexities and potential disputes, as well as the possibility of falling short of targets due to delayed implementation. Review and target materials currently landfilled to identify and drive alternative management routes. ABC appreciates the chance to contribute to a call for evidence in 2024. Facilitate the co-production of guidelines for effective community engagement. ABC endorses the development of meaningful and effective community engagement guidance. Collaborating with community groups, local authorities, and residual waste operators should ensure that the advice is practical and beneficial for all stakeholders. Increase the capture of landfill gas. ABC supports this. 4: Strengthen the circular economy Delivering a circular economy is not a simple task. It requires sustained transformational system change, and a range of actions that are both complementary and coordinated to drive sustainable management of our resources. If Team Scotland are to maximise the opportunities that a circular economy brings to Scotland, we must maintain a strategic approach to its delivery, ensuring the right structures and support are in place to enable action across the circular economy. Page 45
Page 46
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation The objectives are to: • Provide strategic oversight and direction for the delivery of a circular economy in Scotland. • Coordinate action across cross-cutting areas to support progress across the waste hierarchy. • Robustly monitor and evaluate progress to enable agile working, take action where we are not on track, and learn from and implement what works. Read more on the Route Map. Part A: Strengthen the circular economy Delivering a circular economy is not a simple task. It requires sustained transformational system change, and a range of actions that are both complementary and coordinated to drive sustainable management of our resources. If Team Scotland are to maximise the opportunities that a circular economy brings to Scotland, we must maintain a strategic approach to its delivery, ensuring the right structures and support are in place to enable action across the circular economy. The objectives are to: • Provide strategic oversight and direction for the delivery of a circular economy in Scotland. • Coordinate action across cross-cutting areas to support progress across the waste hierarchy. • Robustly monitor and evaluate progress to enable agile working, take action where we are not on track, and learn from and implement what works. Read more on the Route Map. Proposed actions Priority actions: • Develop a Circular Economy strategy every five years (from 2025) • Set new circular economy targets (determined from 2025) Further actions: • Review and refresh Scotland’s Waste Data Strategy’s action plan (development alongside new circular economy targets) • Maintain a programme of research on waste prevention, behaviour change, fiscal incentives and material-specific priorities (ongoing) • Develop public procurement opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of public spending, including scoping new legislative circular economy Page 46
Page 47
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation requirements for contracting authorities under section 82 and 82A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (ongoing) • Support greater uptake of green skills, training and development opportunities (ongoing) Questions 7. To what extent do you agree with the priority actions proposed within the Strengthen the Circular Economy strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Develop a Circular Economy strategy every five years. Timescale: Update or refresh every five years, with the first strategy set from 2025. ABC believes that including a five-year strategic plan into the Circular Economy bill requirements is a proactive measure to steer Scotland towards achieving milestones. This approach ensures flexibility for adjustments and adaptations based on evolving policies. ABC highlights the intricate challenges in transitioning waste management to net zero and underscores the need for a comprehensive strategy beyond the scope of local authorities. Throughout our discussions in this response, we have stressed the significance of public engagement, participation, and a nuanced understanding of diverse community needs. Resource constraints, technological infrastructure requirements, logistical challenges, and the vital need for robust compliance monitoring. The most crucial point raised is the potential financial burden on local authorities, considering variations in their capabilities. ABC advocates for a collaborative effort involving all stakeholders to co-design measures to improve waste management services, including producers and residents. This holistic approach is necessary for the successful and sustainable implementation of waste management initiatives, and we strongly urge the Scottish Government to carefully consider these factors in future strategies. ABC would like to understand better what proactive measures are planned to ensure a just transition. Anticipated changes for all stakeholders may increase goods, services, and waste handling costs. What measures are proposed to shield the public, local authorities, and others from inflated pricing throughout the proposed changes? Setting new circular economy targets beyond 2025. Timescale: Research underway across 2023-2024, with new targets to be consulted on, and determined from 2025. ABC welcomes the initiative to set new circular economy targets beyond 2025, particularly ones that move away from weight-based metrics towards considering factors like carbon emissions. This shift allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the actual costs associated with material use and disposal. However, ABC underscores the importance of extending these targets to include producers and manufacturers. Implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for more materials beyond the current scope of products could serve as a Page 47
Page 48
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation viable solution, compelling producers to take accountability for the entire lifecycle of their products. Additionally, if we're moving away from weight-based assessments, we must address how local authorities will measure and document data regarding materials. Developing new methodologies and frameworks will be essential in this transition. 8. To what extent do you agree with the further actions to 2030 listed across the Strengthen the Circular Economy strategic aim? Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible. Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Not answered Please provide evidence to support your answer if possible Further Actions to 2030: Review and refresh Scotland’s Waste Data Strategy’s action plan. ABC welcomes this review. Maintain a programme of research on waste prevention, behaviour change, fiscal incentives and material-specific priorities. ABC welcomes the spirit of collaboration and the level of ambition set out in the route map and agrees that behaviour change is a crucial element that should underpin all elements of the circular economy strategy and priorities. Develop public procurement opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of public spending, including scoping new legislative circular economy requirements for contracting authorities under section 82 and 82A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. ABC embraces the prospect of more sustainable procurement processes for Scottish authorities and recognises the dual benefits of environmental responsibility and cost savings. Drawing inspiration from recent policies in England, mainly concerning local authorities mandated to establish food waste collections, Scotland can glean valuable insights. While industry and markets were forewarned about the impending procurement demands, ABC anticipates potential challenges such as price increases, bottlenecks, and prolonged waiting times for essential equipment, stemming from numerous authorities' simultaneous efforts to implement similar services. Support greater uptake of green skills, training, and development opportunities. ABC advocates for a more robust promotion of green skills, training, and development opportunities. Considering that 2050 is 26 years away, it is imperative to implement plans targeting the younger generation, beginning at the primary school level. As many individuals working in the sector now may retire before 2050, proactive measures must be taken to engage and educate the youth. In this context, it is crucial to address the development of courses and training programs. What Page 48
Page 49
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation strategies will be employed to ensure the creation of relevant educational content? Educational providers need support integrating Circular Economy (CE) concepts into the curriculum. Additionally, the notion of a dedicated CE in schools’ officer, supported by appropriate funding, could play a pivotal role in increasing interest in our sector. Part B: Impact assessments We are committed to assessing the impact of proposals. Alongside this draft Route Map we have published updated assessments of the potential impacts on equality, socio-economic considerations, island communities, business and regulation, and the environment. This is in accordance with our legislative requirements and, importantly, to inform the final policy development process. Review the Route Map impact assessments. 9 . Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Equalities Impact Assessment. Add text to provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Equalities Impact Assessment The council has an Equalities Impact Assessment guidance and supporting template to reference, see: Equality and Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (EqSEIA) | The Hub (argyll-bute.gov.uk) This allows for assessing how the strategic aims of Route Map interventions of ‘reduce and reuse, modernise recycling, decarbonise disposal and strengthen the circular economy’ actually impact service users with protected characteristics. 10 . Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Fairer Scotland Assessment. Add text to provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Fairer Scotland Assessment If any of the work will result in providing grant funding to employers/organisations from the council, received from the Scottish Government, then consideration should be given to the Fair Work First conditionality, see: Fair Work First Criteria: What It Means In Practice - Fair Work First guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Through this approach the Scottish Government is supporting employers who adopt fair working practices, specifically: • payment of at least the real Living Wage; • provide appropriate channels for effective workers' voice, such as trade union recognition; • investment in workforce development; • no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts; Page 49
Page 50
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation • action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace; • offer flexible and family friendly working practices for all workers from day one of employment; and, • oppose the use of fire and rehire practice. The Fair Work First criteria seek to address particular challenges in Scotland's labour market, to make a real difference to people and their communities, business and other organisations and the economy. 11 . Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Island Communities Impact Assessment. Add text to provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Island Communities Impact Assessment Agree with an island impact assessment inclusive of revenue and capital cost implications. 12. Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. Add text to provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. Part B: Strategic Environmental Assessment The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires those plans, programmes and strategies that are likely to have a significant impact on the environment to be assessed and measures to avoid, prevent or reduce adverse effects are sought, where possible, prior to implementation. Alongside the draft Route Map, we have published a Strategic Environmental Report, which contains further information on the SEA process and the findings on the likely environmental implications arising from the measures set out within the Route Map. Review the SEA Report. Questions 13. What are your views on the accuracy and scope of the environmental baseline set out in the environmental report? Page 50
Page 51
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Add text to share your views on the accuracy and scope of the environmental baseline set out in the environmental report 14 . What are your views on the predicted environmental effects of the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map as set out in the environmental report? Please give details of any additional relevant sources. Add text to share your views on the predicted environmental effects of the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map as set out in the environmental report 15 . What are your views regarding potential reasonable alternatives, in reference to the approach set out in the environmental report? Add text to share your views regarding potential reasonable alternatives, in reference to the approach set out in the environmental report 16 . What are your views on the approach to mitigation, enhancement and monitoring of the environmental effects set out in the environmental report? Add text to share your views on the approach to mitigation, enhancement and monitoring of the environmental effects set out in the environmental report About you Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are content for your response to published. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will still take account of your views in our analysis but we will not publish your response, quote anything that you have said or list your name. We will regard your response as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy. By clicking submit you agree to our privacy policy. What is your name? Page 51
Page 52
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation Name Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? (Required) Individual Organisation What is your organisation? If responding on behalf of an organisation, please enter the organisation's name here. If you are responding as an individual you can leave this blank. Organisation Further information about your organisation's response Organisations may use this space to provide additional context for their response. This could be information about, for example: • any research your organisation undertook to inform the response • any engagement with your members or audience undertaken to inform the response This is optional. Please add any additional context The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: (Required) Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response Information for organisations only: Page 52
Page 53
Appendix 1 – Scottish Government Route Map Consultation The option 'Publish response only (without name)' refers only to your name, not your organisation’s name. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. Do you consent to Scottish Government contacting you again in relation to this consultation exercise? (Required) Yes No What is your email address? If you would like to be contacted again in future about this consultation please enter your email address here. You will also need to give permission to be contacted in the question above. Your email address will never be published. Email I confirm that I have read the privacy policy and consent to the data I provide being used as set out in the policy. Privacy Policy (Required) I consent Page 53
Page 54
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 55
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROAD AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 WASTE UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Argyll and Bute Council currently has a 3 model waste disposal arrangement in place. This consists of island landfill sites which the Council operate, a third party off taker for the refuse collected in Helensburgh and Lomond and a PPP contract for the remainder of the Council area which runs until September 2026. 1.2 Scottish Government are introducing a Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) Landfill ban at the end of December 2025. The landfill ban will mean that almost all biodegradable material (food, card, paper, pet feces, garden waste etc) will no longer be able to go to landfill. Landfill sites will be retained to take non- biodegradable materials such as rubble and some limited biodegradable materials such as plaster board and animal remains from slaughterhouse processes. 1.3 The Council’s island landfill sites have had works carried out to facilitate waste transfer ahead of the BMW ban. The Helensburgh and Lomond area has third party off taker currently in place for its waste disposal and an Energy from Waste (EFW) provider will be in place for the 2026 BMW ban. 1.4 The Council’s PPP contract which covers the remainder of Argyll and Bute currently operates Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants. MBT plants reduce the amount of material which goes to landfill through processing, separation of materials and the production of compost like output (CLO) which is used in landfill restoration. The MBT process will not be permitted with the BMW ban. In December 2022 the Council Leader wrote to Scottish Government (SG) requesting either a derogation, to allow the MBT plant to continue under the PPP contract for a 9 month period beyond the BMW ban when the PPP contract came to a natural end or for the additional costs to be made available to the Council, c£1.5M to enable the PPP contract to be varied to be compliant with the BMW ban. 1.5 At the March 2024 meeting of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Members considered a report covering a number of work streams regarding recycling and waste disposal. This report provides an update regarding the Council’s request to Scottish Government for a derogation for the Council’s PPP contract. Page 55 Agenda Item 6
Page 56
2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee:- i. Consider and note the update regarding discussions held with Scottish Government on the Waste PPP contract; ii. Consider the implications of Argyll and Bute Council not receiving the derogation from the Scottish Government, and approve the variation of the Waste PPP contract with Renewi to enable the conversion of the MBT plants into Waste Transfer Stations for BMW ban compliance; iii. Note the discussion relating to financial support from Scottish Government and instruct Officers to continue to pursue the Scottish Government for the additional costs for compliance with the BMW ban (circa £1.5m). iv. Note that Renewi have formally notified officers that their UK operation, including the Argyll and Bute Contract, is being taken over by Biffa 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 Waste PPP 3.1.1 In December 2022, the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee agreed to pursue a derogation from the Scottish Government, from the implementation date of the Biodegradable Municipal Waste Ban of 1 January 2026 to the end of the Council’s Waste PPP contract in September 2026. 3.1.2 The Council has in place a 25 year Waste PPP contract which ends in September 2026. The Waste PPP contract covers Oban and Lorn, Mid Argyll and Kintyre, Bute and Cowal together with the inner islands. 3.1.3 The Scottish Government are due to introduce a Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) landfill ban from the end of December 2025. The last 9 months of the PPP 25 year contract will not be compliant with the new regulation. 3.1.4 Argyll and Bute Council is the only Local Authority in Scotland with a PPP contract, this leaves the Authority in a unique situation whereby it is hampered by a 25 year contract which was supported by the Scottish Executive in 2001. To remove itself from the contract has significant financial implications for the Authority. 3.1.5 As advised at the March Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee, the SG were given a drop dead date of 5 April 2024 to grant the derogation to landfill until the PPP contracts subsists in September 2026. To date the SG have not committed to the derogation and given the parliamentary process that would be required to achieve a derogation through changes to regulation it is very unlikely that a derogation can now be achieved. Therefore, the PPP contract will require a variation or agreement in principle to cease the production of CLO in the Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants and to Page 56
Page 57
convert the plants into Waste Transfer Stations in Oban, Lochgilphead and Dunoon. General waste will then be taken to third party off takers for Energy from Waste (EfW) feed stock rather than being processed with residual being landfilled. This approach will also future proof the Council’s waste service in line with the BMW ban. The Council is seeking funding for the additional costs (circa £1.5M) which would be incurred by the Council in respect of varying the PPP contract from Scottish Government. As advised in the March 2024 Waste Update, the Executive Director and Head of Service met with officials from Scottish Government on 9 February 2024, Scottish Government officials stated that subject to due diligence it would be more likely that some form of associated grant payment could be forthcoming rather than a derogation. At the stage of writing this report, the SG has not confirmed this arrangement in writing. 3.1.6 From the options appraisal carried out in 2022, the additional costs to the Council for varying the contract with Renewi is c£1.5M. The financial modelling within the options appraisal is being refreshed as part of a due diligence exercise. However, it is not expected that the additional costs of £1.5M will change significantly. 3.1.7 Renewi have formally notified officers that their UK operation, including the Argyll and Bute Contract, is being taken over by Biffa. Officers understand that this will not affect the terms of the existing contract and that the Renewi staff based in Argyll and Bute will remain. We do not have details of the exact date when the take-over will come into effect. When more detail becomes available officers will update Renewi accordingly. Business with Renewi continues as per the contract. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 In concluding this report, an update on discussion has been provided in relation to discussions with SG. There has been no response received regarding the derogation. The Council is now committed to the second option of converting existing site infrastructure into Waste Transfer Stations. Officers will engage with Renewi on instruction from the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee to ensure the conversion of the MBT plants to Waste Transfer Stations in accordance with BMW ban compliance. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – The Council’s Waste Strategy will evolve in line with the changes in legislation relating to the BMW ban of waste to landfill. The current Renewi contract will be varied to comply with legislative changes. 5.2 Financial – Compliance with the 2025 Landfill ban will require financial resource from the Council. As the Scottish Government are initiating the change, Officers Page 57
Page 58
will pursue financial support from the Scottish Government for this change to provide a long-term financially sustainable solution. However, there remains a risk that funding is not forthcoming. 5.3 Legal – The existing PPP contract was not designed or written to accommodate the changes that the 2025 legislation will require. The contract allows variations to be made although the process is quite cumbersome. There will be legal implications, which will need to be resolved, relating to a contract variation regarding the changes in Renewi’s contract. 5.4 HR – HR issues will be addressed prior to and during the process of contract handback. Having sufficient resource will factor into the project demands of waste management. TUPE will be relevant at the handback and during the process of progressing to handback should the Council operate the sites themselves. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities – None. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None. 5.5.3 Islands – There may be potential ferry capacity issues for bulking and transporting waste material from islands, this has been raised with Transport Scotland. 5.6 Climate Change – Transitioning from Landfill to Energy from Waste (EfW) would result in a reduction in the annual quantity of Greenhouse Gas generated in Argyll and Bute. Additional road miles incurred taking waste to EfW markets will partly offset the carbon reductions achieved through not landfilling. 5.7 Risk – There are financial risks associated with no derogation. The costs are approx. £1.5m, a refresh of all Waste PPP costs will be undertaken. 5.8 Customer Service – None. 5.9 Rights of the Child – None arising from this report. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services Jim.Smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 58
Page 59
John Blake, Fleet, Waste and Transport Manager john.blake@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 59
Page 60
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 61
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 ROADS DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL GUIDANCE 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The Roads Development Framework Technical Guidance provides a single document for new and existing roads aimed at the technical professions, including roads engineers, planners developers and contractors. 1.2 The document provides information on acceptable standards for both new and existing private roads and offers departures from previous standards. 1.3 The Technical Guidance sets out where discretion can be applied, noting that in the majority of cases this must be based on robust data (for example, forecast traffic flows). Offices can also consider local context when departing from standard. 1.4 Overall, the principles set out within the Technical Guidance aim to provide clear guidance to all those working within the profession in Argyll and Bute and seeks to deliver an appropriate balance between the needs of roads, planning, housing and the needs of the travelling public. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee agree to adopt the Roads Development Technical Guidance. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The Argyll and Bute Council area is diverse in nature and character; both in population demographics and geometry, as well as features of the road network. It is challenging to find or agree a “one-size-fits-all” framework but it is important and fair that any development framework seeks to provide a broad consistency across the area. Page 61 Agenda Item 9
Page 62
3.2 The draft Roads Development Technical Guidance, attached under Appendix 1, aims to meet National Policy but tempered to meet the local considerations as a broadly, rural authority. There are occasions where the local context does not provide a practicable adoption of national standards even though the Council may be supportive of its aims. An example of this may be the aspiration to achieve modal shift from private car journeys to walking, wheeling or public transport; however, while this may be achievable to some degree within the larger, more urban settlements, it is the reality that for the vast majority of our geographical area the desired modal shift is not likely to be achieved in the short to medium term. 3.3 The audience of the Technical Guidance is targeted towards ‘technical professionals’ working within the development field, although it is intended that the document will be available to all via the Council’s website. The document does, therefore, use technical standards and language and it may be useful to set out, here, the aim and purpose of the Technical Guidance. 3.4 Firstly, the following definitions may be of use Footway – the right of way is by foot only and it is associated with a carriageway (i.e. it abuts the carriageway). i. Footpath – the right of way is by foot only but is not associated with a carriageway, sometimes may be separated from the carriageway by a verge. ii. Cycle track – the right of way is by pedal cycle only or by pedal cycle and by foot. If contiguous (attached) with a carriageway it may be known as a cycleway, if not, it may also be known as a cycle path. iii. Verge – an area of land abutting the carriageway, normally grassed but may on occasion include planting and flower beds or other landscaped areas. iv. Carriageway – the right of ways above included but also includes a right of way by vehicle. v. Road Corridor – generally, the road corridor includes any carriageway, footway, verge etc. and may also include retaining walls, embankments and so on. 3.5 For new roads and developments, the Technical Guidance should be read alongside the National Roads Development Guide (NRDG). The NRDG is, effectively, the successor document to Strathclyde Regional Council’s Roads Development Guide (“orange book”). The Technical Guidance makes amendments and additions to the NRDG, considering local factors. In addition to this, the Technical Guidance also provides standards for: • Small housing developments (for 1 to 5 dwellings) • Small housing developments (for 6 to 10 dwellings) • Variation of road standards for specific islands • Adoption process for private roads (other than by Roads Construction Consent) • Guidance for developments on existing private road networks Page 62
Page 63
3.6 In broad terms, the Technical Guidance sets out the principles and standards which will ensure that new and existing roads are safe and convenient to all road users. For prospective adopted roads, the Technical Guidance will ensure that: i. Road layouts are designed to ensure their integration with the local environment, including road design, landscaping and parking. As far as practicable, parking will be provided off-street. ii. Road layout is designed to ensure it meets the need of all users, including the most vulnerable (children, pedestrians, cyclists, & those with mobility issues). iii. The road will be designed to meet the needs of forecast traffic volume and in such a way as to manage speed of vehicular traffic to ensure reduction in incidents and their severity. This will normally be achieved by road geometry (radii etc.) but may also require the installation of physical traffic calming (e.g. chicanes, road humps). 3.7 Alongside NRDG and the Technical Guidance, developers may also need to refer to Designing Streets and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), these are the National Documents. 3.8 The Technical Guidance has been checked against the Argyll and Bute Council Local Development Plan 2 and is compliant with its outcomes. The Framework will provide planners and developers with a guide on what is likely to be conditioned and the reason why. It is expected that this will enable a smoother course for developers, planners and roads engineers and should improve the work flow when considering planning applications which include road implications, as the rationale for roads conditions etc are clearly explained within the document. 3.9 The following paragraphs set out what each section of the Technical Guidance covers, broadly, and highlights the main amendments to existing guidance or process documents. Local Variations to the NRDG 3.10 The full list of variations is contained in Appendix 1 “Argyll & Bute Council variations to National Roads Development Guide”. Section 2 of the Technical Guidance details the amendments and additions of the NRDG. The key changes are detailed in the subsequent paragraphs. 3.11 A section on “Parking Considerations” has been included within the Technical Guidance. This section outlines the added difficulty and impact of parking on rural or semi-rural roads. The section also highlights minimum bay sizes, the potential for inclusion of cycle parking and potential reductions within town centres with good public transport provision. Table A8 in the document, Car Parking Standards provides the minimum parking standards to be applied. Page 63
Page 64
3.12 The Technical Guidance also sets out the arrangements when contact should be made and the contact email for cases where Technical Approval is required, Structure approval or where work is required to be carried out on or near the Argyll and Bute Council structural assets (bridges, retaining walls and so on). 3.13 The Technical Guidance includes a section on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), referring to the Council’s flood management guidance and where the Council will adopt the SUDS drainage into its asset. As a general rule, the Council will only adopt the SUDS drainage when it only contains road surface drainage, and it is located within the road corridor or where servitude rights have been granted for areas outwith the road corridor. There may be other circumstances relating to shared systems where the Council may wish to enter into an agreement with Scottish Water, this would be dependent on local circumstances and would be treated on an individual basis. 3.14 The document also sets out notification processes and related charges for the inspection of new developments. This sets out the minimum notification periods to allow the authority to arrange for quality inspections to be carried out prior at each stage of construction (for example, impaction of the roads sub-base layer prior to the bituminous layer being installed to ensure it has been compacted to the relevant specification). 3.15 The Technical Guidance includes two tables setting out the required visibility sightlines: one for lightly trafficked roads (Table A1), one for strategic and heavily trafficked routes (Table A2). The strategic routes are set out within Appendix 4 of the Technical Guidance, but routes are considered to be carrying heavy traffic if it has a traffic volume of 3,000 Vehicles Per Day (VPD). 3.16 Tables A3 and A4 of the Technical Guidance and the associated text set out the design parameters for urban road link geometry (A3) and rural road link geometry (A4). The tables set out when the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges should be used and where it is appropriate to use the local deviations. Both tables set out the maximum and minimum gradients permitted for road type and design speed. • For urban design, road type includes: o Strategic Route o Main Distributor o Local Distributor o Industrial Access Road o Main Residential Steet o Minor residential street, home-zone, Cul-de-sac • For the rural design, the road type: o A-Class o B-Class o C-Class o Unclassified o Single track access roads Page 64
Page 65
3.17 This section also sets out an additional restriction for the siting of private accesses in a rural environment, namely that they should not be constructed within 90 metres of a road junction or within 25 metres of an existing private access. 3.18 In most cases, the maximum permitted gradient will be 6%, however the document does allow a local departure from standard to be requested, which must be approved in writing by the Roads Authority. However, in no circumstances will a gradient exceeding 10% be permitted. Note, the 6% maximum gradient will remain as an absolute maximum where the route is a service bus route. 3.19 The Technical Guidance contains a section of industrial estate roads. This is the first Council document to detail the requirements for industrial estate roads. The design detail sets out a minimum carriageway width of 7.3 metres but notes that this may be reduced to 6 metres where commercial vehicle activity is limited. An example of the latter width may be a small unit development with one-way working. Where the narrower width is agreed, the development must be designed in such a manner as to restrict future growth of the site which would result in the road no longer being fit for purpose. 3.20 The industrial estate road section also sets out parking standards for staff and customers (including provision of cycle parking and disabled parking), turning- head detail, gradients, junction spacing, and visibility splays appropriate for larger vehicles. Table A5 sets out the industrial roads link geometry in detail. 3.21 A section was added within the Technical Guidance setting acceptable Housing Court developments (The NRDG is silent on this). Housing courts are permissible up to a maximum of 20 units and must be designed in such a manner with provides adequate servicing arrangements to be made. In addition to this, refuse collection must be provided as communal or centralised waste collection points to minimise disruption to, or create an unsafe practice in regard to the Council waste collection service. The inclusion of housing courts provides another option for developers to provide a reasonable number of units without needing to provide extensive new roads, potentially at high cost. Development Contributions 3.22 Section 3 of the Technical Guidance sets out when and under what powers the Roads Authority can seek contributions from developers. This may include contributions or, indeed, full payment of such items as the provision of new roads to access locked sites, improvements to existing local infrastructure, or commuted sums to pay for future maintenance of block paving or SUDS, for example. This is all under existing legislation, however, it sets out a framework for Officers to use but also makes it clear to Developers and others that this may be a requirement for developments in the future. Finally, if the contributions are not being lodged with the Council (or by some other agreeable process) then the contributions should be captured under Section 75 of town and country planning legislation, agreements as these are heritable with planning permissions. Page 65
Page 66
Small Housing Developments – 1 to 5 units 3.23 Section 5 of the Technical Guidance captures a previously drafted guidance document but formalises it and brings the sightlines etc. in line with the main body of the Technical Guidance . Most developers within Argyll and Bute will be aware of the previous guidance document, however, it does add detail around commensurate improvements and clarifies that integral garages will not be counted towards the overall parking provision (as they are easily converted to residential space post-construction). Small Housing Developments – 6 to 10 units 3.24 In general, it is desirable for a road serving a development of 6 units or above to be adopted to ensure the rights of the travelling public are protected, so that roads are maintained to a suitable standard and to ensure road safety for all users. 3.25 Notwithstanding the above point, Section 6 details circumstances where it may be appropriate to provide a development up to 10 units but in which the road would not be adopted. This section sets out the standards applicable in this case and outlines the process. This option may be particularly useful to very rural areas but more likely to island communities where the provision of a new public road to adoptable standard may not be achievable or feasible. Where this is deemed acceptable, adequate arrangement must be put in place to ensure the road is maintained in perpetuity (for example, burdens included within the title deeds). Variation of Road Standards for Specific Islands 3.26 As outlined in paragraph 4.24, it is preferred that new roads are adopted, however, Section 6 of the Technical Guidance specifically recognises the difficulties in delivering new roads on certain islands (namely, the islands of Coll, Colonsay, Tiree and Jura). This is particularly relevant in regard to the ability to access hot bituminous material from mainland quarries. 3.27 Section 6, therefore, sets out circumstances where this exemption can be considered and goes on to detail what standard will be acceptable (e.g., the use of concrete or unbound material instead of bituminous). Any road constructed to the standards set out in Section 6 will not be adopted onto the Public List of Roads and will remain private in perpetuity. Adoption of Private Roads 3.28 Section 7 provides an overview of the adoption process for existing private roads. Broadly, it provides detail on the legal background for adoption and what an applicant must include in its submission. This includes evidence that a majority of frontagers support the proposed section of road for adoption, a plan of the existing road layout and the proposed improvements to bring the road to an adoptable standard. With this information, the Roads Authority will Page 66
Page 67
provide a cost estimate for the works and propose to the frontagers an apportionment of the same. 3.29 Note, there is an existing road adoption policy which can be viewed here Policy for Council contribution towards bringing private roads up to adoptable standards. This policy shall be applied when considering any private road for adoption. Development on existing private road networks 3.30 Section 8 of the Technical Guidance provides a set of principles, intended primarily for roads officers but will be a useful guide for developers and planners alike, for the consideration of proposed developments from existing private roads or tracks. This isn’t intended for recently constructed private roads but for those of an historical nature, for example, an old estate road. 3.31 While the Roads Authorities principal concern will be with the private roads interface with the public road network, any proposed development will be reviewed similarly to any new road. Officers will review existing internal road layouts, widths, provision of passing places for single track roads, appropriate access for emergency services = and ensure the route provides sufficient road safety. 3.32 At the interface with the public road, any proposed development will need to provide (not exhaustive): i. Junctions must be safe, have sufficient sightlines, service bay, be widened out to 5.5 metres for the first 10 metres and be surfaced with bituminous material. ii. In most cases, the development will be required to provide bin store(s) for collection alongside the public road. iii. Notes, SUDS may be required. iv. Provision of turning heads within the internal road network capable of providing safe manoeuvres for service vehicles. Summary 3.33 The Technical Guidance provides a single document for new and existing roads aimed at the technical professions, including roads engineers, planners and developers. 3.34 The document provides information on acceptable standards for both new and existing private roads and offers departures from previous standards (particularly in terms of the number of units which can be served by a non- adopted road and a formal relaxation of material choices on remote islands). Page 67
Page 68
3.35 The Technical Guidance sets out where discretion can be applied, noting that in the majority of cases this must be based on robust data (for example, forecast traffic flows). Offices can also consider Argyll and Bute’s local context when departing from standard. 3.36 Overall, the principles set out within the Technical Guidance aim to provide clear guidance to all those working within the profession in Argyll and Bute and seeks to deliver an appropriate balance between the needs of roads, planning, housing and the needs to of the travelling public. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report summarises the content of the Roads Development Technical Guidance and seeks that the Technical Guidance be adopted and used for future developments which involve either the existing road network or proposed new roads. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – New Technical Guidance for roads development (existing and new). 5.2 Financial – None but may secure contributions from developers for infrastructure improvements arising due to future developments. 5.3 Legal – New Technical Guidance has been reviewed to ensure it meshes with the LDP2. 5.4 HR – None. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – no concerns. Seeks to improve better access arrangements for those with mobility issues. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – recognises the need for housing and has provided reduced road standards in specific situations. 5.5.3 Islands – remote islands may seek reduced road standard (use of non- bituminous materials). 5.6 Climate Change – construction of new roads has a carbon output, however, the Technical Guidance encourages modal shift, as far as practicable in a rural authority, (through active travel, green plans, cycling and walking etc.) which may have beneficial carbon reduction. 5.7 Risk – provides clarity for those working within the associated technical professions. Technical Guidance should reduce risk overall. 5.8 Customer Service – N/a. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None known. Page 68
Page 69
Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Stuart Watson, Assistant Network & Standards Manager stuart.watson@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Road Development Technical Guidance Page 69
Page 70
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 71
1 Appendix 1 ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES Roads Development Technical Guidance Author Stuart Watson Owner Head of Roads & Infrastructure Services Date April 2024 Version v1.7 Page 71
Page 72
2 Document Information Title Roads Development Technical Guidance Author Stuart Watson Description Design guide for roads. Includes local relaxations, amendments to the National Roads Development Guide (NRDG), adoption processes, Small developments, Island specific development guidelines. Page 72
Page 73
3 Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 4 2.0 SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDANCE TO THE NRDG ................................................................... 5 2.1 NRDG PART 1 ............................................................................................................ 5 2.2 NRDG PART 2 ............................................................................................................ 5 2.3 NRDG PART 3 ............................................................................................................ 9 3.0 DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTIONS ................................................................................... 37 4.0 SMALL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS (FOR USE FOR 1 TO 5 DWELLINGS) .............................. 38 5.0 SMALL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS (FOR USE FOR 6 TO 10 DWELLINGS) ............................ 46 6.0 VARIATION ON ROAD STANDARDS FOR SPECIFIC ISLANDS .............................................. 48 7.0 ADOPTION OF PRIVATE ROADS OTHER THAN VIA THE RCC PROCESS .............................. 49 8.0 DEVELOPMENTS ON EXISTING PRIVATE ROADS .............................................................. 50 GLOSSARY OF TERMS ....................................................................................................... 53 APPENDIX 1 – CALCULATION OF ROAD BOND ...................................................................... 54 APPENDIX 2 – ROADS CONSTRUCTION CONSENT FORMS ..................................................... 56 APPENDIX 3 – AREA CONTACTS ......................................................................................... 79 APPENDIX 4 – STRATEGIC ROADS ...................................................................................... 81 APPENDIX 5 – STANDARD DETAILS ..................................................................................... 83 Page 73
Page 74
4 1.0 Introduction The National Roads Development Guide (NRDG) has been produced by the Society for Chief Officers of Transport in Scotland, supported by Transport Scotland and Scottish Government Planning and Architecture Division. The document follows the same principles introduced in Designing Streets with a change in national policy to move away from a standards based approach to one where designers, planners and roads engineers collaborate to develop a design led solution. The Councils Roads Development Technical Guidance has been devised to compliment the NRDG but takes into account local considerations which, on occasion, may be different than national guidance. This document highlights areas where Argyll and Bute Councils local Policies or Standards differ from the NRDG. Argyll and Bute Council area is diverse in nature and character and the Technical Guidance may not cover every situation. The Council reserves the right to vary requirements to suit particular local conditions as and when required or considered appropriate. Within Section 2 Supplementary Guidance to the NRDG, where sections of the NRDG are superseded entirely by guidance in this document this will be indicated by the term “Replacement Text”. Similarly, where sections of the NRDG have been added to this will be indicated by the term “Additional Text”. Developers working within Argyll and Bute Council area are required to use this document alongside the NRDG and cross-reference both documents. Developers may also require to refer to Designing Streets (DS) and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB). Where the NRDG refers to a design standard (e.g. the DMRB or British Standard) the most up to date version of the standard will be used. This document also provides further detail on the adoption of private roads (other than through the RCC process), variation of adoptable standards, development contributions through new developments and development of existing private roads. Page 74
Page 75
5 2.0 Supplementary Guidance to the NRDG This section specifies the parts of the NRDG which are amended or replaced to meet the local requirements within Argyll and Bute Council area. This Scottish Government (SG) guidance is based on the June 2017 amended version. 2.1 NRDG Part 1 Paragraph 1.8: The Need for Consultation Following “Consultation should consider items such as, but not necessarily limit to the following:” add Additional Text • Geotechnical information – ground investigation, factual and interpretative reports. 2.2 NRDG Part 2 Paragraph 2.1.1: Statutory Consents (c) Work on the existing public road (Road Opening Permits): Additional Text Any work on or adjacent to existing public roads which are on or near structures shall be subject to prior consultation with Argyll and Bute Council Structures Section via structures@argyll-bute.gov.uk Paragraph 2.1.4: Design Guidance and Adoption Standards Following “6 or more individual dwellings should normally be served by a “road” which will require Construction Consent and the submission of a road bond in a residential area.” add Additional Text Refer to Section 5.0 “Small Housing Developments (for use for 6 to 10 dwellings)” or Section 6.0 “Variation on Road Standards for Specific Islands” of this document for details regarding a variable adoptable standard for developments of 6 – 10 dwellings. A Construction Consent and the submission of a Road Bond may still be required. Note, Housing Associations are exempt from the provision of Road Bonds. Page 75
Page 76
6 Paragraph 2.2.6: Roads and Lane Widths (a) Junction Types and Arrangements Additional Text Site specific visibility standard sightline distances within Argyll & Bute are detailed within section 3.1 Road Design, 3.1.1 (c) Junctions of this document (d) Integrated Parking Following “In addition, the evolution of car design has resulted in increased car sizes over recent years, rendering much of the previous car parking space guidance outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Refer to Parking Standards in Part 3” add Additional Text It is recognised that integral parking provision within residential dwellings may be converted for other uses (Permitted development). Therefore this parking arrangement shall not be counted within the required parking standards. Refer to Table A8 Car Parking Standards of this document for the parking provision within Argyll and Bute Council area. Paragraph 2.2.7: Street Detail (a) Drainage and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) Additional Text SUDS schemes must comply with current SEPA guidance and approval process. (b) Flood Risk Management Additional Text Flood management must be in accordance with current guidance and the Councils flood “policy” (c) Utilities Additional Text Where the proposed new road is a prospective adopted road, provision for (public utilities) services must be made. If services are not being installed during the road construction phase then ducting appropriate to the scale of the development must be provided. In addition to this, where a system of street lighting is not being installed as part of the initial development ducting must be laid to allow the provision of lighting at a future date. Note, ducts must include draw-rope at installation. Page 76
Page 77
7 Paragraph 2.3.8: Adoption of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) for Roads Additional Text Where SUDS contains road surface drainage only and is contained within the road corridor or servitude rights have been granted for areas outwith the road corridor, the roads authority will adopt the scheme. The Council, as roads authority, may enter into agreement with Scottish Water for shared systems. Paragraph 2.3.10: Structures Agreements Additional Text Any agreement involving a structure shall be subject to the Technical Approval Process as outlined in Paragraph 3.8 of this document. Paragraph 2.3.11: Roads Bonds Additional Text For any prospective adopted road a road bond will be required. The road bond will be calculated based on the rates in Appendix 1; rates may be subject to inflation. Paragraph 2.4: Applying for Construction Consent Additional Text The Councils published Fees & Charges (link below) provides detail of the charges for the processing of RCCs. Charges may be subject to annual increases under the Councils budget setting processes. https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/council-and-government/council-fees-and-charges Paragraph 2.4.9: Construction Consent Forms Additional Text The Council’s Construction Consent Forms are contained in Appendix 2 of this Technical Guidance document. Submissions should be made to the local Traffic & Development Officer at the addresses listed in Appendix 3. The Argyll and Bute Council Construction Consent Forms are contained in Appendix 2. Permission is hereby granted for this these forms to the photocopied. Page 77
Page 78
8 Paragraph 2.4.12: Inspection Procedures during Construction (a) Notice of Commencement (b) Sub-paragraph (3) Notice of Operations Replacement Text The developer or his contractor must give the Local Roads Authority representative a minimum 3 working days’ notice (excluding weekends and public holidays), unless otherwise agreed with the Roads Authority, of: (a) Completion of formation; (b) Commencement of each pavement layer to the carriageways, cycle track, footways and footpaths; (c) Each concrete pour (including blinding) and commencement of steel fixing where reinforced concrete is used; (d) Striking of formwork; (e) Setting out of road lighting plant positions, backfilling of cable trenches and painting of lighting columns; (f) Placing and testing of drainage systems. It should be noted that these are minimum requirements and that, in certain cases, the developer may be required to notify the Local Roads Authority’s representative of additional construction stages. Developers should also note that failure to notify the representative as above can result in covered over work to be exposed for inspection at the developer’s expense to ensure that the construction complies with the Construction Consent. Finally, failure to notify can result in delays to adoption or potentially seriously compromise the adoption process. Sub-paragraph (4) – Charges for Inspection & Testing Additional Text The Councils published Fees & Charges (link below) provides detail of the charges for RCC Inspections. Charges are calculated pro rata based on the Road Bond Value. Charges may be subject to annual increases under the Councils budget setting processes. Inspections fees shall be paid in full prior to commencement of works. https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/council-and-government/council-fees-and-charges Page 78
Page 79
9 2.3 NRDG Part 3 Paragraph 3.1.1: Junctions Following “The range of junction types and arrangements are discussed in Designing Streets (page 36). This section details required junction criteria to enable a design to function correctly in relation to its user demands.” Additional Text Note that for all junctions on high speed roads (40mph or above), the guidance in Designing Streets is not appropriate and the DMRB must be referred to for guidance. Paragraph 3.1.1: Junctions (C) Visibility Splay Area Replacement and Additional Text “Stopping sight distances and visibility requirements are detailed in Designing Street (pages 33-35).” Replace the table with the following tables and add the following text: Table A1 – Lightly Trafficked Roads Vehicle Speed (mph) 60 50 45 40 35 30 20 Y distance 136 103 84 75 53 42 25 For Strategic Routes and other routes carrying traffic volumes greater than 3000 Vehicles Per Day (VPD), use figures in Table A2. The list of Strategic routes and higher traffic routes is detailed in Appendix 4. Table A2 – Strategic and Heavily Trafficked Routes Vehicle Speed (mph) 60 50 45 40 35 30 20 Y distance 160 120 95 75 53 42 25 Page 79
Page 80
10 Traffic volumes are in vehicles per day (VPD) and refer to the total combined flow in both directions. Where actual speed falls between the given values the y – distance may be interpolated by the Roads Authority. The ‘x’ – distance will normally be taken as 2.4m. Where considered appropriate by the Roads Authority the following x-distances may be used: • 4.5 metres for flows up to 3,000 v.p.d. • 9.0 metre for flows in excess of 3,000 v.p.d. The visibility envelope (vertical plane) shall be taken as1.05m (“driver’s eye”) to 0.6m above the carriageway. The “driver’s eye” may be increased to 2m for lorry drivers. The traffic speed to be used is the mean speed on the public road. This will either be measured or estimated by the Roads Authority. Developers should note that they must either own or obtain control of the land contained within a visibility splay, except when it is already controlled by the Council as part of the public road corridor. Control must be obtained through an agreement, in accordance with Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to ensure that the visibility splay remains free of obstruction in perpetuity. Paragraph 3.1.2: Private Access (a) Access Criteria Additional Text For further detail, including sightline requirements, please refer to Section 4: Small Housing Developments (for use for 1 to 5 dwellings). (C) Individual Dwellings Additional Text It should be noted that where a vehicular dropped footway crossing is required, the footway level must be re-profiled over its full width, or in the case of very wide footways over a minimum width of 2.0m. This prevents an excessively steep lateral gradient and slipping risk. See Figures A1a, A1b and A1c below. Note, where the dropped kerbs are also being used as a pedestrian crossing point the upstand shall be reduced to no more than 0mm. Page 80
Page 81
11 Page 81
Page 82
12 (D) Access Layouts Replacement Text Access layouts shown in Figures A2a and A2b. Page 82
Page 83
13 Paragraph 3.1.3: Design Details (A) Minimum Traffic Lane Widths Replace “The design parameters to be utilised for each type of road within the road hierarchy are given in Table 3 on the following page.” With: Replacement The design parameters to be utilised for each type of road within the road hierarchy are given in Tables A3 and A4 below: Table A3 – Urban Road Link Geometry Road Type Design Speed (kph) Gradients Vertical Curves K Values Minimum (%) Maximum (%) Minimum Crest Minimum Sag Strategic Route DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB Main Distributor DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB Local Distributor (1) 60 (for 40mph limit) 1 6 17 13 Local Distributor (2) 50 (for 30mph limit) 1 6 10 9 Industrial Access Road 32 (unless bus route) 1 6 10 9 Main Residential Street 32 (unless bus route) 1 6 6 6 Minor Residential Street, Home Zone and Cul-de-sac 32 (max.) 1 6 POA POA Table A4 – Rural Road Link Geometry Road Type Design Speed (kph) Gradients Vertical Curves K Values Minimum (%) Maximum (%) Minimum Crest Minimum Sag A-class DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB DMRB B-class 85 1 6 55 20 C-class 60 1 6 17 13 Unclassified 60 1 6 17 13 Single Track Access Road 60 1 6 POA POA Page 83
Page 84
14 Notes to Tables A3 & A4 1. Verge, footways or service strips to be 2m minimum on both sides of the carriageway. 2. Roads intended for use by buses are subject to a maximum gradient of 6% 3. Roads constructed with modular surfacing are subject to a minimum gradient of 1.25% and a maximum of 5%. 4. In a rural setting private accesses should not be constructed within 90 metres of a road junction or within 25 metres of an existing private access. 5. Speed limits may be amended locally dependent on traffic flows and mean speeds. (D) Gradients and Crossfalls Under “Maximum Gradients” Additional Gradients Maximum gradients should comply with Tables A3 and A4. Any departure from this standard must be agreed in writing by the Roads Authority. In no circumstances shall a gradient be greater than 10%. Under “Junctions”: Replacement The maximum gradient rising or falling on the final approach of a minor roads at the junction shall be limited to 5% for at least 12 metres from the interface with the major road. Under “Vertical Curve Length” Replacement The length of a vertical curve is based on the difference in gradient multiplied by the factor K. Refer to Tables A3 & A4 for the appropriate K value. (G) Provision for Public Transport Under “Bus Stop Provision” Following “Good public transport provision should be available at the initial phase of any new development, either by linking to existing networks or by establishing new routes and should therefore be discussed with local transport operators and the Local Authority’s Transportation manager at an early stage.” Additional Text In rural areas it may be necessary for the developer to provide hard standing areas to support bus pick up/drop off points. Consultation with the local Traffic & Development Officer at an early stage is recommended. Page 84
Page 85
15 Additional Text (h) Industrial Estates General Principles 1. Industrial developments shall be served by a road that requires Road Construction Consents. Industrial access roads shall be designed to incorporate HGV and Bus traffic. The applicant should be aware that the Roads Authority may require some form of financial security (normally a road bond) to be provided in relation to any prospective adoptable industrial estate roads; or where significant improvements to the external public road network are being carried out to make the development feasible or acceptable to the Roads Authority. 2. The Road Authority will not normally adopt industrial estate roads. Where the road is to be adopted this will normally be restricted to the main distributor road and any turning areas. Service roads will not be considered for adoption. Road Construction Consents (RCC) shall follow the normal process as detailed in the NRDG, Section 2.4 Applying for Construction Consent. 3. An industrial estate road provides frontage or service access to industrial and commercial premises. 4. Where service bays or areas associated with industrial or commercial developments are contiguous with the public road, agreement must be reached with the Roads Authority as to whether they are to be adopted or not. There must be clear markings delineating private areas; these should be of permanent form and require regular maintenance, i.e. not be road markings. Design Requirements 1. The alignment of an Industrial Estate Road will largely depend on its length but a formal design speed is still considered appropriate for assessing curve radii and visibility. The normal maximum speed limit will be 30mph. If the proposed estate road will form a part of a bus route then consideration will be given to speed reductions. Note that a 30mph speed limit equates to a 60kph design speed. 2. The carriageway should be a minimum width of 7.3 metres, but it may be acceptable to reduce this to 6.0 metres where commercial vehicle activity is likely to be limited, for example a small unit development or where there is one-way working. Any variance of carriageway widths are subject to approval by the Roads Authority. Page 85
Page 86
16 3. A minimum 2 metre wide footway shall be provided on both sides of the road, which will be increased to at least 3.0 metres minimum if shared footway/cycleway are provided. The footway or footway/cycleway shall be separate from the carriageway by a 2 metre verge preferably. Where the verge is located at the rear of the footway or footway/cycleway then a separation strip of no less than 0.6 metre width shall be required for a segregation strip. The segregation strip shall be formed of such materials to clearly show delineation from footway or footway/cycleway area. Localised widening of footway/cycleway may be required in the vicinity of bus stops. 4. Depending on levels of movements and also any surrounding pedestrian/cycle network, there may be a requirement for pedestrian crossing facilities. Bus services (new or enhancement) and public transport infrastructure may also be required. 5. Where direct frontage access is permitted on to the adopted road network, turning facilities in-curtilage shall be provided within the development. This is to ensure vehicles enter and exit the site in forward gear and no reversing is carried out within the adopted road network. 6. Carriageway design shall be to DMRB. Rigid pavement construction will not normally be accepted although this may be varied for individual accesses which will remain private. 7. Industrial Estate Roads and Access Roads shall be designed to remove reversing manoeuvres within the road network, including when exiting or entering the road network from properties. This may require industrial estate roads to be designed as through routes (loops) or with a turning area at the end of a road. Example of turning layouts can be found in Figure A3. Industrial estate roads should be designed to cater for 15.5 metre articulated vehicles or 11 metre rigid vehicles as a minimum. Swept path analysis will be required to prove that proposed layouts work. 8. Notwithstanding the above paragraphs, it is acknowledged that each industrial estate may require consideration on its own merits. Table A5 – Industrial roads link geometry Parameters Industrial Estate Road Design Speed (kph) (bus route may require a reduction) 60 Stopping sight distance (m) at interface with major road 90 Carriageway Width (m) 7.3 Footway Width (m) 2.0 minimum Verge Width (m) 2.0 minimum Gradients Minimum (%) 0.8 Maximum (%) 8 Page 86
Page 87
17 Vertical Curves K Values Minimum Crest 17 Minimum Sag 13 Horizontal Radius Desirable Min. (m) 180 Absolute minimum – with c’way widening or overrun areas at corners *see Table A6 below 90 In-curtilage turning (see also Figure xx re turning areas) Desirable Frontage Access Yes On-street lay-by for parking or loading/unloading Generally no but if permitted the area will not be adopted. Junction from local distributor to industrial access road Minimum spacing on road between junctions on same side (m) 100 Minimum spacing on road between junctions on opposite side (m) 50 Junction form industrial access road to access road Minimum spacing on road between junctions on same side (m) 50 Minimum spacing on road between junctions on opposite side (m) 25 Visibility splays at junctions SSD “y” distance (m) within ind. est. 42 Setback “x” distance (m) 4.5 Minimum radii (m) 15 Table A6 – Industrial roads curve widening Centreline Curve Radius (metres) Industrial Estate Road 90 8.5 150 7.9 180 7.3 Page 87
Page 88
18 Page 88
Page 89
19 Parking Requirements 1. On street parking will not normally be acceptable. Off-street parking shall be designed in such a way as to prevent queues forming on the adopted road network. 2. Parking for each site must take into account the following types of parking: a. Operational – for service vehicles and staff parking who require to use their vehicle as part of their day to day activities. b. Commuter parking – for staff who drive to and from work. c. Visitor parking – for customer and other visitors. 3. Parking areas may be required to include landscaping and other measures to mitigate against vast open, unattractive areas. This will be advised by planning guidance. 4. Parking areas will, however, create additional surface water and this will need to comply with SUDS and other water management regulation. Surface water generated out with the public road network will not be permitted to discharge into public road surface water drainage system. 5. Suitable segregation between vehicles and pedestrians must be maintained in parking areas. Table A7 - Industrial Units Parking Requirements Reference to m2 is to gross floor area A&B Roads minimum** Wholesale Warehouses 1.1 Space per 100m2 Storage or distribution 4 spaces per 100m2 General Industrial 2 spaces per 100m2 Disabled parking (retail / leisure / recreation) 3 spaces or 6% up to 200 space car park or 4 spaces or 4% in car parks with greater than 200 spaces Disabled parking (places of employment) 1 space per disabled employee plus 2 spaces or 5% (whichever is greater in car parks with up to 200 spaces; or 6 spaces plus 2% in car parks over 200 spaces. Cycle provision 1 cycle space per 8 standard bays for sole use by bicycles ** Round up to nearest full number Page 89
Page 90
20 Additional Text (i) Housing Courts (serve up to 20 dwellings) 1. A Housing Court is similar in concept to a car park with a shared surface finish for joint pedestrian and vehicular use. The associated dwellings are located around the court. A Housing Court will not be adopted by the Roads Authority. 2. The Court will provide parking spaces relative to the number of dwellings, up to a maximum of 20 dwellings, and no point within the court should be more than 40 metres from the access point. 3. The access road to a Housing Court must be a minimum of 5.5 metres wide over the first 10 metres. A strong physical definition must be provided to indicate the nature of the layout to the driver and that it is a private area. 4. Where a Housing Court is provided at the end of a Housing Road cul-de-sac, a separate turning head must be provided to ensure that drivers do not need to enter the Court in order to turn. Figure N1: Indicative housing court layout 5. Provision must be made within a Housing Court for servicing where there is a servicing provision, including postal deliveries. The service vehicle must be able to enter and leave in a forward gear at all times. 6. Refuse collection must be arranged so that communal or centralised waste collection is provided adjacent to the public road. Underground refuse storage facilities may be considered as appropriate. Page 90
Page 91
21 7. Statutory Undertakers should be encouraged to use any footways or landscaped areas outwith the Housing Court, otherwise a wayleave agreement will have to be reached with the house owners to allow access to apparatus. 8. As these Housing Courts will not be adopted by the roads authority, all lighting must be provided and maintained by the developer. Paragraph 3.1.4: Pedestrians and Cyclists (B) Pedestrian Provision Under “Width of New Footways Additional Text The minimum acceptable footway width shall be no less than 2 metres in normal circumstances. Where the local environment is constrained such that a 2 metre footway is not feasible, the roads authority may consider a reduction in width to 1.5 metres. This will be subject to local conditions including, for example, vehicular traffic volume, pedestrian volume and the hierarchy of road. Under “Obstacle in Pedestrian Desire Line” Additional Text Relaxations may be permitted depending upon local conditions. Where the obstacle is a free standing sign (e.g. A-Board, Barrel sign etc.) the minimum footway widths must be maintained in accordance with the Councils Advertising & Signage Policy and its associated application processes. Under “Steps or Ramps on Footway” Following “Steps should have 0.3 metre permanently nonslip treads and a minimum clear width of 1.4 metres” Additional Text Steps shall be formed with a material approved by the Roads Authority. Under “Disabled Access to Buildings” Additional Text Disabled access to buildings will not form part of the adopted road. Page 91
Page 92
22 Paragraph 3.15: Servicing (G) Refuse Collection Additional Text The Councils preferred refuse collection model is through communal or centralised waste collection where appropriate. Consideration may also be given underground refuse storage facilities. Bin collection points or facilities must not be more than 30 metres from the relevant residence. The bin storage facilities must be within 10 metres of the proposed vehicle collection. Where the development is mixed (e.g. commercial and residential) separate waste facilities must be provided. Reversing manoeuvres must be designed out as far as reasonably practicable. Where this cannot be achieved then reversing distance must be kept to a maximum of 10 metres. Paragraph 3.1.6: Statutory Undertaker Services (K) Planting and Service Strips Replacement Text No structures, walls, fences, or planting (other than low maintenance fauna as agreed with the Roads Authority) are permitted to be located within the service strips. In general the Roads Authority will not permit any planting within the proposed roads corridor and will not adopt any maintenance or ownership of planting (other than grass verges). This stipulation may be waived if the planting forms part of a SUDS design, however, note that the adopted road corridor shall not be artificially widened to accommodate SUDS. In addition to this, the Roads Authority will not normally adopt SUDS or other drainage installed in private land. If cases where the SUDS or other drainage schemes in private land are adopted by the local authority, these must provide safe vehicular access for maintenance and appropriate servitude rights in perpetuity. (L) Road Opening Consultation and Consents Following “…must be obtained from the Road Authority before any excavation is undertaken in a public road” Additional Text Windfarm developers in particular should ensure that discussions regarding national grid connections and cable routing are undertaken early in the design process and Page 92
Page 93
23 are ideally run in parallel with the Planning and Road Construction Consent process. (M) Provision of EV Charger facilities Additional Text Ducting for future provision of EV chargers or charging shall be provided, where appropriate, to the scale of the development and to the satisfaction of the Roads Authority. Paragraph 3.1.7: Rural Areas (C) Road Widths Under “Developing on Existing Roads” Following “Note this requires statutory consents such as a Section 56 Roads (Scotland) Act 1984." Additional Text It should be noted that widening or increasing traffic volumes on existing roads can present significant issues if structures are affected, in such cases the application shall be the subject to the Technical Approval process as outlined in Section 3.8 of this document. Under “Speed Visibility Relationship” Replacement Text Replace Tables 8 & 9 in the NRDG with Tables A1 & A2 contained in this document. Paragraph 3.1.9: Additional Considerations After “(d) Fire Fighting”, add Additional Text (e) Windows, doors and gates Where the building line is at or near the road corridor (verge, footway or carriageway etc.) any windows and doors facing the road must open inwards. Gates on the boundary of the public road should open away from the road corridor. (f) Carriageway Edge Restraint In general, it is expected that developments within urban areas will include carriageway edge restraint (normally pre-cast concrete kerbing), however; rural developments, including any improvements to the existing public road are, are not Page 93
Page 94
24 always subject to the same requirements. This section sets out the reasons for utilising edge restraint in a rural environment: • Edge restraint supports the carriageway structure and prevents edge deformation and ”spreading” • The use of kerbing, or other agreed measures, acts as a demarcation between vehicular traffic and pedestrians of rural footways or verges; • Where an upstand is provided the kerb acts as a check to prevent vehicles leaving the carriageway; • Again, using an upstand allows a channel to be formed at the interface between the kerb and carriageway edge which allows surface water to be effectively drained. Paragraph 3.4.1: Geotechnical Considerations (b) Supporting Technical Documentation Following “Where it is proposed to locate a road over land previously used for industrial purposes or waste disposal, it is essential that chemical analysis and gas monitoring information is submitted in addition to standard laboratory testing to BS 5930: 1999 and BS 1377: 1990.” Additional Text Current technical standards for ground investigation and testing are to be used. Following (g) CBR Additional Text (h) Slope Stability Where there are soil slopes within influencing distance above or below the roads, footpaths or verge slope stability analyses will be required. (i) Embankment and Fill Embankments and areas of up fill may require to be monitored over a period of time to demonstrate that settlement is complete before adoption. Paragraph 3.4.4: Carriageway Construction (a) Pavements Replacement Text Carriageway Pavement design should be in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. This requires details of the ground bearing capacity and the traffic type and volumes to be identified to arrive at a suitable load spreading pavement. A composite construction may be acceptable providing agreement with the road authority is sought in advance. Page 94
Page 95
25 BS 7533 for block paving and the additional qualifications and exceptions listed here. Capping Layer Where the CBR value is less or equal to 5%, a capping layer is required as per Figure 29. NB: The design California Bearing Ratio (CBR) should be obtained either by testing or by measurement of the plasticity index of the subgrade material. In the case of CBR testing, the method described in the laboratory test in accordance with BS 1377-4:1990, clause 7 should be used and is only relevant in natural soils and cannot be used for pavement design in fill materials. By their nature fills are random and highly variable in density and CBR testing in them only assesses the quality of the material at the locus of the test. Therefore for pavement construction on fill materials, unless the fill material is equivalent to or better than the specified capping material, a full capping layer is required. Frost Susceptibility It is possible for roads designed to have a total bituminous thickness of 170 mm and, with a CBR value < or + to 2%, a 150 mm sub-base and 600 capping layer. In such circumstances the upper 130 mm of the capping layer should be non frost- susceptible. In practical terms this effectively means that the sub-base becomes 280 mm with a capping layer of 470 mm. For a 2%<CBR<or+5% where the total bituminous thickness and sub-base thickness together are less than 450 mm the same principle applies (ie the sub-base is increased to achieve 450 mm of non frost susceptible material and the capping layer can be correspondingly reduced). This need not be done if the capping layer is non frost-susceptible. Increased Capping Layer Thickness Although Table 10.1 gives various thicknesses of capping layer dependent upon CBR, where CBR is significantly below 2%, these thicknesses may require to be Page 95
Page 96
26 increased dependent upon site and weather conditions prevailing at the time of construction. This requirement will be accompanied by an additional CC8 Engineers report to certify the design. Additional material may require to be removed and replaced by more suitable material. Although the new material may be of good quality, the subgrade shall be assumed to be equivalent to one of a CBR just under 2% and requiring 600 mm of capping layer. The developer should consult the Roads Authority for advice in these circumstances. Formation on Rock Where the formation is on rock, the granular sub-base will act as a 150 mm depth regulating layer. Carriageway Construction Where suitable technical facilities exist it is recommended that the specific circumstances of each site are catered for by designing the road in accordance with the criteria stipulated above, subject to a minimum construction as required to carry 0.5 Million Standard Axles (MSA), for all roads. In this circumstance it will be necessary to complete and return form CC8 ‘Carriageway Design Certificate (d) Clay, Natural Stone or Block Paving Pavements Additional Text Unless otherwise agreed with the Roads Authority, adopted or prospective adopted carriageways and shared surfaces shall be bituminous material. Where the Roads Authority considers that block paving may be appropriate the following restrictions will apply: i. In carriageways or shared surfaces Clay Pavers shall not be permitted for use. ii. Concrete Block Pavers may be considered for use in these areas but must have a minimum depth of 100mm. iii. Permeable block pavers will not be accepted by the Roads Authority. iv. The bedding layer must be drained but shall not be used for storage of surface water. v. The use of block paving is restricted to development with a maximum of 20 dwellings. vi. The use of block paving will also take into consideration the long term maintenance liability in recognition of declining roads maintenance budgets. Paragraph 3.4:7: Kerbs and Edging (a) Materials / Construction Replacement Text All carriageways, footways and footpaths should be provided with precast concrete kerb or edging. Alternatively and with the approval of Argyll & Bute Council natural stone kerbs may be acceptable. Page 96
Page 97
27 On conventional roads, kerbs should be set 125mm above finished carriageway level at the channel, except at pedestrian and vehicular crossings where this dimension is reduced to 0mm maximum and 10mm maximum respectively. Edging at heel of footways should be 50mm upstand whereas footpaths it should be set flush with the walking surface. On shared surfaces, an upstand of 20mm, with a suitably contrasted colour, should normally be provided, except at junctions with footpaths and private accesses where kerbs should be set at 10mm upstand for vehicles or 0mm for pedestrians A delineation kerbline at the rear of the verge may be required to identify the extent of the adopted road corridor. (b) Remote Areas (not contiguous with the carriageway) Replacement Text In remote areas, and with the agreement of Argyll & Bute Council, cycleways may be constructed without kerb edgings, where the sub base is laid 500mm wider than the surfacing to provide shoulders. Paragraph 3.4:8: Accesses Replacement (a) Driveways Vehicular access crossings of footways for individual dwellings should comply with Figure A1a of this document and be constructed as per NRDG Paragraph 3.4.6. Future maintenance requirements preclude the use of slab footway construction for vehicle crossings. Replacement (b) Other Access Details Where vehicular access, other than individual dwellings, is taken then Figures A2a and A2b shall be used and accesses shall be constructed in bituminous material unless otherwise agreed with the Roads Authority. Note: i. Subject to agreement by the Roads Authority, an absolute minimum access width may be reduced to 3.6 metres. Wider accesses may be required dependent on function and environment. ii. Radii at the interface with the public road may be required to be reduced to assist in controlling vehicle speed. (c) Pedestrian Access/Crossings Replace paragraph “Figure 32 details the requirement for dropped kerbs where pedestrian routes cross the carriageway from adjacent footways, e.g. at T-junctions and pelican crossings. Pedestrian crossings of a carriageway with an adjacent grass verge should comply with Figure 31 except that the dropped kerb should be Page 97
Page 98
28 set flush, or not more than 6mm upstand, with the carriageway and extend for a minimum length of 1.8 metres.”, with: Replacement Text Figure A4 details the requirement for dropped kerbs where pedestrian routes cross the carriageway from adjacent footways. Pedestrian crossings of a carriageway with an adjacent grass verge should comply with Figure A1c except that the dropped kerb should be set at no greater than a 5mm upstand with the carriageway and extend for a minimum length of 1.8 metres. Paragraph 3.4:9: Road Drainage and SUDS (a) Specification Best Management Practices Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems Following “The final design of the drainage system must be to the satisfaction and meet the requirements of the local Roads Authority, the appropriate Water Authority and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) Additional Text Contact Argyll & Bute Council’s Flood Risk Management section who will provide on request a copy of the Council’s Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) Design Criteria Guidance Note. Page 98
Page 99
29 (b) Gully Spacing Following “Advice on these matters should be sought from the local Roads Authority who should be consulted at an early stage by a developer wishing to carry out a full drainage design.” Additional Text It should be noted that Argyll & Bute Council require double gullies to be installed with independent tails at low points of any sags, traffic calming features and at turning areas / termination points on public roads. In regard to the gradients set out in Table 10 of the NRDG, note that minimum gradients should reflect those stated in Tables A3 & A4 of this document. Replacement Figure 33 Road Gullies replaced with Figure 33a Road Gullies, below. Page 99
Page 100
30 Under Figure 34 Chamber Construction Page 100
Page 101
31 Additional Text A polymer modified mortar shall be used for all brickwork and bedding of covers and frames. (h) Chambers Replacement Chambers should be constructed in accordance with Clause 507 of the Specification. Manhole covers and frames shall be non-rock and comply with BS EN 124 and be Class D400 (minimum clear opening 600 mm dia or equivalent, minimum depth of frame 100 mm) except in non-contiguous car parks or verges where the use of Class B125 (minimum clear opening 600 mm dia or equivalent, minimum depth of frame 100 mm) may be permissible. Paragraph 3.4:10: Landscape Treatment (a) General Issues Additional Text It should be noted that Argyll & Bute Council will generally not adopt landscaped areas within development sites. These should be subject to formal factoring arrangements. We will however, adopt grassed service strips and landscaping associated with A&B Council’s adopted SUDS features. Paragraph 3.4.11 Lighting Design (c) Network Manager Additional Text A system of street lighting may not be required in every setting, for example with rural locations. Prior to commencing lighting design, early engagement is encouraged with the local Traffic & Development Officers to ascertain the general requirements or otherwise. Paragraph 3.5: Parking Considerations Additional Text Argyll and Bute Council has a maximum parking standard, as outlined in the LDP, however, given the need to take account of parking issues in rural or semi-rural areas it also has minimum parking standards which are detailed in Table A8 below. 1. Where a proposed development is not specified within Table A8, the Roads Authority will select the nearest type of land use as a basis for assessing parking requirements. 2. Each car parking space must measure no less than 2.5 metres by 5 metres. Page 101
Page 102
32 3. Parking layouts must include circulation aisles with a minimum width of 6 metres. 4. Assessments for the required number of spaces, based on Table A8 below, must be rounded up to the nearest whole number. 5. Where the Roads Authority considers it appropriate there may be a requirement to provide suitable cycle storage facilities. 6. Within town centres, parking requirements may be reduced where there is good public transport provision. Table A8 – Car Parking Standards Car Parking Standards Reference to m2 is to Gross Floor Area Argyll and Bute Minimum Parking Standard Retailing (food) (Use Class 1) 1000m2 upwards 1 space per 25m2 Retailing (non-food) (Use Class 1) 1000m2 upwards 1 space per 30m2 Wholesale Warehouses 1.1 space per 100m2 Business (Use Class 4) 1 space per 50 m2 Cinemas (Use Class 11 (a)) 1 space per 10 seats Conference Facilities 1 space per 10 seats Stadia n/a Leisure (other than Cinemas and Stadia 1 space per 22 m2 Hotels and Hostels 1 space per 3 staff plus 1.2 spaces per room Bed and Breakfasts Housing Standards plus 1 space per letting room Higher and Further Education 1 space per 2 staff plus 1 space per 15 students Schools 1 space per staff member plus 1 space per 25 pupils. Provision must also be made for school transport (buses etc.) as appropriate. Storage and Distribution 4 spaces per 100 m2 General Industrial 2 spaces per 100m2 Open Air Markets 1 space per 50m2 site area Restaurants (Use Class 3) Hot Food Takeaways and Public Houses 2 spaces per 22m2 Housing (Use Class 9) and Flatted Dwellings 1 space per 1 bedroom unit 2 spaces per 2-3 bedroom unit Page 102
Page 103
33 3 spaces per 4 or more bedroom units Visitor parking 0.25 spaces per unit Residential Institutions: Homes Sheltered Housing 1 space per 2 staff plus 1 space per 4 units/bedrooms 1 space per warden plus 0.5 to 0.8 spaces per dwelling Town Centre: Housing (Use Class 9) (all Scales) and Flatted Dwellings (over 5 units) 0.5 spaces per unit Hospital 1 space per doctor; 1 space per 3 staff plus 1 space per 3 beds; Day clinics and out patients 3 spaces per 100m2 Non Residential Institutions 1 space per 2 staff plus 3 spaces per 100m2 Houses of Worship 1 space per 10 seats Crematoria 1 space per seat Disabled Car Parking Provision Minimum standards (retail, leisure and recreation):- 3 spaces or 6% (whatever is greater) in car parks with up to 200 spaces; or 4 spaces plus 4% in car parks with more than 200 spaces. Places of employment:- 1 space per disabled employee plus 2 spaces or 5% (whichever is greater in car parks with up to 200 spaces; or 6 spaces plus 2% in car parks over 200 spaces. Paragraph 3.5.11: Provision for Disabled Parking Replacement The requirements detail within the table included under this section of the NRDG is replaced by the parking provision detailed in Table A8 of this document. Page 103
Page 104
34 Paragraph 3.6.2: Vehicles (b) Layout of Parking Areas Additional Figure & Table For two way flows, minimum aisle width is 5m. Table A9 Permitted Dimension Variations for Fig.A5 Aisle Width (m) Bay Width (m) 6 2.5 5.5 2.5 5.3 2.75 5.0 2.8 4.8 2.9 4.5 2.95 4.0 3.1 3.5 3.2 Paragraph 3.6.3: Disabled Parking Design (c) Disabled Parking Design Consideration Additional Text For on-street disabled parking spaces the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 shall be used. Page 104
Page 105
35 Paragraph 3.6.4: Residential Parking Design Applies to sub-paragraphs a to e Additional Text Refer to Table A8 Car Parking Standards The LDP sets out circumstances where zero parking provision may be acceptable. Any variations to the parking standards must be evidence based and subject to approval. (f) Garage Provision and Size Additional Text Integral garages will not be counted towards parking provision. Free standing garages of at least 6m x 3m within 30m of the dwelling can be counted unless there is a site specific reason not to. Car ports will generally be counted as spaces. Paragraph 3.7: Parking Standards for Use Classes Replacement Text Argyll and Bute Councils parking standards are detailed in para 3.5 and Table A8 of this document. Any variations to the parking standards must be evidence based and subject to approval. Paragraph 3.8: Structures Technical Approval Replacement Text Structures Technical Approval Requirements All structural design and assessment shall be subject to the Technical Approval procedures outlined in CG300; Technical approval of highway structures of the DMRB. Argyll and Bute Council are the Technical Approval Authority (TAA) for all road structures and pedestrian footbridges that are the responsibility of Argyll and Bute Council (independent of maintenance responsibility). Whilst the scope of CG300 and CD622 fully apply, Structures requiring technical approval are summarised below: • All road retaining structures with an effective retained height of greater than or equal to 1.0m require technical approval in accordance with CG300. Page 105
Page 106
36 • All culverts and bridges with a clear span or internal diameter greater than 0.9 m in diameter require technical approval in accordance with CG300. • Any geotechnical works (i.e. embankments) “which may pose a risk to the general public, Argyll and Bute Council and/or Argyll and Bute Council’s asset” require Technical Approval in accordance with CD622. It is highly recommended that early involvement with Argyll and Bute Council’s Structures team is established for all schemes involving the above at structures@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 106
Page 107
37 3.0 Development Contributions 3.1There may be applications where a development proposal is deemed acceptable but is unable to proceed due to either deficiencies in roads infrastructure or that the development may impact roads infrastructure (including impact on traffic flow, public transport etc.) in the wider context of the area. In such cases, the Council, as Roads Authority, may require the developer to either carry out improvement works as required or, by agreement, to provide cash sums to allow the Council to carry out the works at its discretion. 3.2 Further to paragraph 3.1, the Roads Authority may request that sums are commuted for schemes which have a potential high cost future maintenance, for example complex SUDS, remote cycle paths or schemes with block paving as the running surface of the carriageway. Typically commuted sums would take into consideration the estimated maintenance costs for an appropriate period of time post-adoption to ensure such matters are appropriately addressed. 3.3 The main legislation where agreements may be made are governed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1997, as amended, Section 75, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 Section 69 and the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 Section 48. There are other legislation and regulations which may be used if considered appropriate. 3.4 The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 may provide further powers under s54 to create an infrastructure levy through subsequent Regulations. This matter will require to be considered as any Regulations are introduced. 3.5 While s75 agreements would be related to any grant of Planning Permission; s69 would require to be settled prior to the release of Planning Permission. Section 96 agreements may form part of the RCC process, particularly if the risk is linked to the construction phase, but should be highlighted within the Roads comments during the planning application process. 3.6 Any Section 75 agreements will require to accord with the advice set out in the Scottish Government Circular 3/2012 - Planning Obligations and Good Neighbour Agreements. 3.7 A typical legal agreement will include articles including but limited to the following: ▪ the parties to the agreement; e.g. the Council, Applicant, etc.; ▪ the development to which the Legal Agreement relates; ▪ the contributions requiring to be paid; ▪ when the contribution is required to be paid i.e. settlement trigger point; ▪ whether the contribution should be paid in one or multiple instalments; ▪ the consequences should the contribution not be settled when agreed; ▪ the purpose for which the contribution will be spent or applied by ABC; ▪ the deadline by which the contribution will be spent or applied by ABC; ▪ the terms of contribution return if the scheme is withdrawn Page 107
Page 108
38 4.0 Small Housing Developments (for use for 1 to 5 dwellings) Introduction 4.1 This section provides guidance for developers seeking planning permission for small residential developments of 1 to 5 dwellings within the Argyll and Bute Council area. This includes that part of Argyll & Bute within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. 4.2 Compliance with roads requirements and standards is only part of the planning process and in no way guarantees that a development will be granted planning approval. 4.3 The requirements laid out in this document apply to private accesses joining the public road. Private accesses are also referred to as private driveways. 4.4 Any retaining structures, adjacent to the public road, to be constructed as part of the development, must be designed in accordance with current good practice. A design certificate will be required. 4.5 Further consultation or information is available by contacting Network & Standards Officers, contact details are listed in Appendix 3 of this Technical Guidance document. 4.6 Where a proposed development takes access to the public road network onto a Trunk Road, contact should be made with the Trunk Roads Authority. Visibility Requirements 4.7 The provision of a new or improved access from a private access onto a public road must include adequate visibility. This is essential to enable drivers emerging from the private access to see and be seen by drivers proceeding along the public road. To achieve this, unobstructed visibility is needed within the shaded areas in Figures A10, A11, A12 & A13. These requirements are referred to as visibility splays and are defined by: the ‘y’ dimension measured along the near edge of the public road from the centre line of the private access, to both left and right; and the ‘x’ dimension measured from the edge of the public road along the centre line of the proposed access For clarity, the edge of the public road will be considered as the carriageway edge in most circumstances; the exception to this is where access is taken from a Strategic Road (as detailed in Appendix 4) where the edge of the public road shall be taken as the back of footway or verge (i.e. the curtilage of the property). The Roads Authority may use discretion where it considers it appropriate. Page 108
Page 109
39 Figure A10: Visibility Splays - Visibility is required over the shaded area shown in Figure A10 4.8 Where the access is on the outside of a bend, an additional area will be necessary to provide splays which are tangential to the road edge as shown on Figure A11. When accesses are located on bends a check must be made to ensure vehicle divers have adequate forward visibility, i.e. they are able to see approaching traffic on the public road to allow them to complete their manoeuvre safely. (Figure A13) Figure A11: Visibility Splays for Accesses on the Outside of Bends Page 109
Page 110
40 Figure A12: Visibility Splays for Accesses on Inside of Bends The normal requirements for visibility distances are set out below. X – distance (m) The ‘x’ – distance will normally be taken as 2.4m. Where considered appropriate by the Roads Authority, the following x-distances may be used: • 4.5 metres for flows up to 3,000 v.p.d. • 9.0 metre for flows in excess of 3,000 v.p.d. Y – distance (m) and Forward Sight Distance (m) The ‘y’ distance is based on a) the speed of the traffic on the public road, to ensure drivers can react in time to avoid a collision and b) the expected traffic flow on the public road, to avoid the need for traffic on the public road to slow down or stop in order to avoid a collision. The visibility envelope (vertical plane) shall be taken as1.05m (“driver’s eye”) to 0.6m above the carriageway. The “driver’s eye” may be increased to 2m for lorry drivers. For quiet roads, Table A1 should be used (repeated below for ease). For Strategic Routes and other routes carrying traffic volumes greater than 3000 vehicles per day (vpd), use Table A2 (repeated below for ease). See Appendix 4 for a list of Strategic Routes and those carrying higher volumes of traffic. Page 110
Page 111
41 Table A1 – Lightly Trafficked Roads Vehicle Speed (mph) 60 50 45 40 35 30 20 Y distance 136 103 84 75 53 42 25 Table A2 – Strategic and Heavily Trafficked Routes Vehicle Speed (mph) 60 50 45 40 35 30 20 Y distance 160 120 95 75 53 42 25 For Strategic Routes and other routes carrying traffic volumes greater than 3000 vpd, use figures in Table A2. Refer to Appendix 4 or a list of Strategic routes and higher traffic routes. 4.9 Traffic volumes are in vehicles per day (vpd) and refer to the total combined flow in both directions. 4.10 Where actual speed falls between the given values the y – distance may be interpolated by the Roads Authority. 4.11 The traffic speed to be used is the mean speed on the public road. This will be measured or estimated by the Roads Authority. 4.12 Applicants should note that they must either own or obtain control of the land contained within a visibility splay, except when it is already controlled by the Council as part of the public road corridor. Control must be obtained through an agreement, in accordance with Sect 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, to ensure that the visibility splay remains free of obstruction in perpetuity. Visibility on the Public Road 4.13 It will be necessary to check that forward visibility is not obscured. Vehicle drivers waiting to turn into private access should be able to see the road is clear before commencing the turning manoeuvre. Equally, following traffic must be able to see vehicles waiting to make a turning manoeuvre. Page 111
Page 112
42 Figure A13: Forward Visibility Splays 4.14 The area within visibility splays (both those beside the private road and those required for forward visibility) must be cleared of all obstructions to view, higher than 1050mm above the level of the adjacent carriageway. Minor departures from this requirement, such as the retention of a single slender pole or column, may be permitted as long as visibility is not materially affected. Visibility splays must be kept clear in perpetuity. 4.15 Visibility in a vertical plane must normally be provided from a driver’s eye height of 1.05 metre to an object height of 0.6 metre. For accesses taken from Strategic Routes the driver’s eye height of 1.05 metres to an object height of 0.26 metres above the carriageway may be used; Figure A14 below is provided for clarity. Figure A14 – envelope of visibility 4.16 The Roads Authority will not introduce or extend a speed limit simply to facilitate a new private access. Location of Accesses 4.17 The access should usually be located a minimum of 25 metres away from the nearest adjacent junction. However, a relaxation may be permitted depending on the local conditions. 4.18 Accesses for adjacent houses should generally be shared to avoid proliferation of accesses. Page 112
Page 113
43 Drainage 4.19 Drainage shall be provided where necessary to prevent water from the access flowing onto the public road. Similarly, when an access is being constructed the existing road drainage must either be maintained or an effective alternative provided, to the satisfaction of the Roads Authority. Layout of Access for Single or Paired Dwellings 4.20 Where the frontage of a development site consists of a footway parallel to the public road, accesses will be formed by lowering the kerbs and footway, in accordance with standard detail SD 08/ 005 Rev. B (see Appendix 5). 4.21 Where the speed limit is greater than 30 mph, any entrance gates should usually be sited at least 6 metres from the edge of the carriageway to allow an entering vehicle to stop clear of the carriageway when the gates are closed. Gates must be hung so that they do not open towards the carriageway. 4.22 Where the speed limit is 30mph or less, the gate must be hung so that they cannot open towards the footway, verge or carriageway. 4.23 The gradient of the access should not normally exceed 5% over the first 5 metres from the edge of the public road. The remainder of the access should not exceed a gradient of 12.5% .Steeper accesses can lead to problems with parking, traction in winter and control of drainage. 4.24 Where the access crosses a footway, it is important to have intervisibility between drivers and pedestrians, particularly small children. In these circumstances there should normally be visibility between a driver’s viewpoint (1.05m above carriageway level) 2.4 metres back in to the access to an object 0.6 metre above the footway and 2.4m on either side, along the back of the footway. Access Construction 4.25 The access shall be surfaced with a bituminous material for the first 5 metres from the edge of the carriageway or back of any local road widening; other material may be considered. Reference should be made the standard details in Appendix 5. For clarity, Unbound Roads (Type 1) shall not be accepted as an appropriate adoptable standard road. This remains the case even in circumstances where the road will not be adopted. 4.26 Standard detail SD 08/002 Rev. B (see Appendix 5) will normally be used where there are more than two new properties serviced from a single access off a double track road. 4.27 Standard detail SD 08/004 Rev. B (see Appendix 5) will normally be used where the access joins a single track road. Page 113
Page 114
44 4.28 Standard detail SD 08/005 Rev. B (see Appendix 5) shows an access across a footway. 4.29 Standard detail SD 08/006 Rev. B (see Appendix 5) shows a service bay and may be required by the Roads Authority on faster double track roads. 4.30 Road Opening Permits must be obtained before any work is carried out in forming accesses. 4.31 Accesses must be constructed in accordance with the Roads Authority specification; on satisfactory completion the area within the road corridor will become part of the public road. Parking Provision 4.32 Argyll and Bute Councils parking standards are detailed Table A8 of this document Any variations to the parking standards must be evidence based and subject to approval. 4.33 Each car parking space should normally measure no less than 2.5 metres by 5 metres. 4.34 Integral garages will not be counted towards parking provision. Free standing garages of at least 6m x 3m within 30m of the dwelling can be counted unless there is a site specific reason not to. Car ports will generally be counted as spaces. Private Accesses – Commensurate Improvements 4.35 Where there is an existing access serving a small number of properties it may be acceptable to allow additional properties to be constructed without the requirement for major upgrade works. The main principle behind any agreement by the Roads Authority will always be road safety. Example: An existing private access serving two dwellings, the Roads Authority may allow up to a further three dwellings; the maximum permitted dwellings serviced by this type of access will be five. Dependent on the local environment commensurate improvements may include: improvements to the junction layout; visibility splays; surfacing of junction; passing places; turning head at the end of the private access drainage; surface condition of the private access. 4.36 Where an existing private access served six dwellings and an application was submitted for another dwelling, the Roads Authority may consider permitting this on the condition that no further development is allowed. In the case where further development was confirmed to be prohibited or the land remaining was undevelopable, it may be considered unreasonable for the Roads Authority to Page 114
Page 115
45 ask for a road to adoptable standard. Notwithstanding this, improvements may still be requested on the grounds of road safety improvements. Any further application would be subject to a road to adoptable standard. 4.37 A “road to adoptable standard” is for the Roads Authority to define. The variation may include road widths or construction depth, for example, commensurate to the scale of the development, however; Unbound roads (Type 1) shall not be accepted as an appropriate adoptable standard road. Page 115
Page 116
46 5.0 Small Housing Developments (for use for 6 to 10 dwellings) The following clauses must be referred to by developers proposing to reduce standards for proposed developments between 6 to 10 dwellings. A. In normal circumstance the road must be constructed as per the normal processes outlined in Section 2 of this document or otherwise as per the National Roads Development Guide. An RCC will be required, and a Road Bond will be required as appropriate. B. Where there is a desire or requirement for the proposed road to be adopted but there are justifiable technical or planning reasons that wouldn’t allow fully compliant road infrastructure to be developed: i. A reduced road standard may be acceptable. ii. Any deviations from standard road construction must not compromise road safety. In this regard reduced visibility splays will not be acceptable. iii. Any other proposed departure from standards must be submitted to the Roads Authority for consideration. Early engagement is encouraged. iv. Any agreement to a departure from standard must take into consideration the local roads environment. v. Financial considerations will not be considered as a justifiable technical reason to vary standards. Note: an RCC will be required and a Road Bond will be required as appropriate. C. Where the developer does not wish the road to be adopted as the proposal is unable to meet the principles set out above, then the following may be acceptable, subject to agreement with the Planning Authority: i. As noted above, road safety must not be compromised, even where the proposed road is not to be adopted. ii. The access shall be surfaced with a bituminous material for the first 5 metres from the edge of the adopted carriageway or back of any local road widening. The construction depth shall be as per the detail below (construction may be revised subject to appropriate CBR values being met): iii. The first 10m shall be 5.5m wide at the junction, thereafter the width may be 3.7m with intervisible passing places. A turning area at or near the end of Page 116
Page 117
47 the road as per the details below must be provided. The maximum length of road shall not exceed 150 linear metres. iv. The remainder of the road can be a bound surface or other material as approved, however; Unbound Roads (Type 1) will not be accepted as an appropriate standard road. The depth of construction may vary dependent on local ground conditions. As a minimum, a typical construction detail should include 200mm Type 1 sub-base and 100mm of bituminous material. Planings may be used outwith the adopted road section. v. A service bay and communal bin storage area shall be provided at or near the access. Note, refuse collection vehicles shall not drive onto private roads and, therefore, not collect bins from individual properties on private roads. vi. In rural or semi-rural locations there may not be a requirement for a system of street lighting to be installed; however, note the following: a. If a lighting system is installed on a private road, the lighting shall also remain private and will not be maintained by the Roads Authority. b. A requirement to install suitable ducting at construction phase may be required even where no proposed system of street lighting is included in the design. This is allow future upgrades while minimising costs. vii. Parking provision shall be as per the detail set out in Section 2 of this document. viii. An RCC or similarly controlled document and associated Road Bond may be required. ix. Road Opening Permits must be obtained before any work is carried out in forming accesses at the public road interface. x. Arrangements must be made providing assurance that a maintenance agreement for the road will be included as a burden on the Title Deeds for each property in perpetuity. Page 117
Page 118
48 Note: Financial considerations will not be considered as a justifiable technical reason to vary standards. 6.0 Variation on Road Standards for Specific Islands 6.1 This section is only applicable to applications sited on the Islands of Colonsay, Coll, Tiree and Jura. The exceptions provided for within this section are made primarily due to the extreme difficulties in accessing hot material from mainland quarries. 6.2 The construction standard may be varied to allow concrete or unbound (Type 1) roads to be constructed. Other material types may be considered. 6.3 The provision of footways & verges may still apply. 6.4 Where the proposed road has a carriageway of less than 5.5m width, there may be a requirement for intervisible passing places. 6.5 This variation only applies up to a maximum of five dwellings served by a single access. Subject to approval by the Roads Authority, this may be extended to developments of up to 10 dwellings for new developments. 6.6 The road will remain private and will not be adopted onto the Public List of Roads. 6.7 The access shall be surfaced with a bound material for the first 5 metres from the edge of the carriageway or back of any local road widening. The access shall be formed as per the appropriate standard detail drawing (SD/08/004/Rev.B, refer to Appendix 5). 6.8 Road Opening Consent will be required. 6.9 Notwithstanding the above, it remains the preference of the Roads Authority that new roads are constructed in-line with normal adoptable standards and subsequently adopted onto the Public List of Roads. Page 118
Page 119
49 7.0 Guidance on the Adoption of Private Roads other than via the RCC Process 7.1 The adoption of a new road is covered elsewhere within this document and the decision to adopt or not is generally made at time of application through the Roads Construction Consent process. There are, however, a number of private roads - roads which have not been added to the Public List of Roads - within Argyll and Bute. The adoption policy for the latter is covered within the Policy set out in 2012 which can be found at https://www.argyll- bute.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=257&MId=5320&Ver=4 under Item 19. 7.2 There are specific legal requirements regarding the adoption of a private road onto the Council's List of public roads. These are: i. The Road must be a road as defined by the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 Section 151. ii. In order for an application to be considered by the roads authority it must be supported by a majority of the frontagers (based on actual % of frontage not the number of frontagers) of the land along both sides of the road being offered for adoption. iii. The proposed road must meet Argyll and Bute Councils road adoption standards. 7.3 In general, the road adoption standard will be those set out in the National Roads Development Guide or their variations set out in this Technical Guidance, however, exemptions may be considered, for example street lighting may not be required depending on local environment, particularly in rural settings. 7.4 An application for road adoption must provide detail including: i. Existing road layout. ii. Proposed improvements to meet roads adoption standards including as a minimum (list not exhaustive): a. Drainage; b. Lighting; c. Roads width; d. Gradients e. Services; f. Extent of proposed adoption. iii. Evidence confirming those frontagers who support the application. Page 119
Page 120
50 8.0 Developments on existing Private Roads 8.1 While in most circumstances a new development of more than 5 dwellings will require to be served by a public road (i.e. an adopted road), there are occasions where a planning application will require the roads authority to consider further development from an existing private track or access road. 8.2 The Councils Local Development Guide, Supplementary Guidance TRAN4 provides guidance where this kind of development may be acceptable subject to the following clauses: i. the access is capable of commensurate improvements considered by the Roads Authority to be appropriate to the scale and nature of the proposed new development and that takes into account the current access issues (informed by an assessment of usage); AND the applicant can; ii. Secure ownership of the private road or access to allow for commensurate improvements to be made to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority; OR, iii. Demonstrate that an appropriate agreement has been concluded with the existing owner to allow for commensurate improvements to be made to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority. 8.3 Points (ii) and (iii) are for the Planning Authority to determine, this section deals with point (i) and the general minimum requirements which will be sought by the Roads Authority. These will normally be made in reference to road safety, sustainability, emergency and service access, economic feasibility (commensurate to the scale of the proposed development). 8.4 Unlike new developments there is no defined upper limit on the number of dwellings that may be served by an existing private access; each application will be considered on its own merits and principally based on environment, local context and predicted access requirements (for example, deliveries, and refuse collection). Where feasible, commensurate improvements may be required to allow further development. Where the required commensurate improvements are beyond what could be reasonably considered as appropriate to the scale of the development, the Roads consultee response must be a refusal. Road safety must not be compromised. 8.5 The following will be considered for any application to develop existing private access roads; note this is not an exhaustive list: i. Junction interface with the public road a. Access must be safe; b. Sightlines will be assessed on the posted speed limit, however; this may be reduced pending a traffic/speed survey and subject to suitably robust data on mean speeds; c. Formed bellmouth with radii appropriate to access requirements (e.g. deliveries); d. A service bay will, in most cases, be required. Page 120
Page 121
51 e. Where possible, the private access should be widened out to 5.5m for the first 10m. f. The access shall be surfaced with a bituminous material for the first 10 metres. g. In some cases, it may be necessary for the developer to carry out works on the public road along the frontage of the development, including carriageway widening works, footways etc. h. Junctions must be improved to ensure that no water, debris (mud, stone, gravel etc.), filth or any other offensive matter spills onto the public road. ii. Refuse collection / bin stores a. Where the private road has poor geometry or carriageway width it may not be appropriate or safe for refuse collection vehicles; b. It remains the Councils general position that RCVs will not use private access roads. c. The developer may be required to construct a bin store / collection point contiguous with the public road (via a service bay) for all properties served by the road. This may include existing dwellings. iii. Carriageway widths a. To accommodate access for service and delivery vehicles, carriageway widths should be no less than 3.5m b. In line with Fire Scotland and nation building standards guidelines, this carriageway width shall be widened out to 3.7m adjacent to low rise buildings, increasing to 4.5m where buildings are in excess of 9m high. This is to facilitate the deployment of firefighting equipment. iv. Gradients a. Must be no more than 5% over the first 10 metres from the edge of the public road; b. Away from the public road interface, maximum gradients must not exceed 8%. The gradient on the approach to the public road must also take cognisance of the horizontal alignment; further measures may be required to prevent runaway vehicles crossing onto the public road at speed, for example, introduce a series of measures to slow vehicles down on the approach to the public road. v. Drainage a. Positive surface water drainage and/or SUDS may be required; vi. General Road layout a. Where the private access interfaces with a single track adopted road network, it may be acceptable for the private road to also be single track. b. Where a. applies, there may be a requirement for localised widening, including corner widening, to ensure safe access for larger vehicles. Page 121
Page 122
52 c. Where this is the case, intervisible passing places will be required. Inclusive of the carriageway width, passing places at their widest point shall be no less than 5.5m wide. d. On single track private roads, intervisible passing places to be provided at 100 metre centres (maximum distance). vii. Turning head / areas; a. Turning arrangements appropriate to predicted use will be required to minimise or remove entirely reversing manoeuvres in the interest of road safety. viii. Dwelling accesses a. For new developments, no access shall be constructed within 25m of the junction with the public road network. b. Within the private road network, accesses should be located a minimum of 25 metres away from the nearest adjacent junction. ix. Other Road Safety: a. Where there are no footways then verges must be of sufficient quality to provide good, safe step-offs. b. The development may require to provide a walked route assessment or similar for the section of private road from the development to its interface with the public road. c. At the junction with the public road a safe pick up point / drop off point must be provided. 8.6 Arrangements must be made providing assurance that a maintenance agreement for the road will be included as a burden on the Title Deeds for each property in perpetuity. It may not be possible to apply this retrospectively to existing properties, where this is the case, the burden of the maintenance of the whole private road length must be placed on the new development. If this cannot be done, the Roads Consultee response must be a refusal. 8.7 Further to the above requirements, it may also be a requirement that servitude or wayleave arrangements are in place to allow access for public utilities. 8.8 The above requirements may be extrapolated to cover commercial and industrial developments. This may lead to increases in minimum standards; for example, an increased radii at the public road to incorporate swept paths for HGVs. 8.9 The Applicant will submit a plan providing detail of the proposed commensurate improvements for written approval by Roads, prior to the Planning Decision Notice being issued. The Roads consultee response will normally be deferred until agreement has been reached. 8.10 Drawings showing the junction (at the interface with the public road) sightlines within the site edged red. If the land is not under the Applicant’s control then a Section 75 Legal Agreement shall be required. 8.11 No work shall commence on site until all of the commensurate improvements have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Roads Authority. Page 122
Page 123
53 Glossary of Terms Adopted Road The extent of the road which is added to the Public List of Roads. For new roads this should be agreed at RCC stage. Carriageway Where the public right of way which includes use by vehicle. Cycleway Public right of passage by pedal cycle contiguous with the carriageway. Normally forms part of the adopted road corridor where the carriageway is adopted Cyclepath Public right of passage by pedal cycle which is remote from the carriageway. Normally not adopted. Footpath Public right of passage which is remote from the carriageway. Normally not adopted. Footway Public right of passage contiguous with the carriageway. Normally forms part of the adopted road corridor where the carriageway is adopted Frontage The length of land where the road corridor abuts neighbouring land, property or buildings. Frontager In relation to a road or proposed road, means the owner of any land fronting or abutting it. Frontage Access Where there is direct vehicular access from a property to an adopted road. Private Road Means any road other than a public road which the public may have a right of access over. Private Access An access which the public are not normally expected to have a right of access over. Proposed or prospective adopted road A road built under RCC which is expected to be adopted upon satisfactory completion; pending 12 month or other specified maintenance period. Public Road Means a road which a roads authority have a duty to maintain and which has been added to the Pubic List of Roads. Road Corridor The sum parts of the road; carriageway, footways, verges, ditches, structures or any other relevant item. Traffic Includes pedestrians, vehicles and animals. Verge Grassed margin contiguous with the carriageway or footways within the adopted road corridor. Page 123
Page 124
54 Appendix 1 – Calculation of Road Bond Page 124
Page 125
55 SCHEDULE OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR ESTIMATING AMOUNT OF ROAD BOND 2020 Item Price (£) per 1m of road Remarks 7.3m 6.0m 5.5m 3.5m 2.0m Carriageway (flexible) Full Construction (Stages 1, 2 and 3) 1,049 885 812 518 - Stage Construction Stage 1: Construction up to and including sub- base, allowing for removal of up to 100mm unsuitable material and replacement with imported fill. Stages 2 and 3 only 920 751 691 440 - Stage 2: Construction from sub-base upwards including kerbs but excluding surface course. Stage 3 only 151 131 118 76 - Stage 3: Surface Course only. Shared Surface (Block Paving) - - 735 467 - Includes for removal of up to 50mm unsuitable material and replacement with imported fill. Soft Verge (grassed) - - - - 24 Footway (flexible) - - - - 221 Includes provision of heel kerb (1 no.) Footpath (flexible) Includes provision of edge kerbs (2 no.) Footway and Footpath prices include for removal of up to 50mm unsuitable material and replacement with imported fill. Increased widths to be calculated pro-rata. Lighting 76 72 72 72 72 Drainage Manhole depths not exceeding 1.5m Gullies at 20m ctrs 223 223 223 223 - Includes for manhole at 80m centres Gullies at 40m ctrs 172 172 172 172 - Includes for manhole at 120m centres. Turning “T” (flexible) Residential Dimensions 7471 Cost is for that area additional to the normal road width. It does not include footways and is a lump sum. (Block Paving) Residential Dimensions 8246 Turning “O” (flexible) Residential Dimensions 24067 7(Block Paving) Residential Dimensions 28528 Notes: 1. These figures already include an allowance for inflation over a three year period (the minimum duration of a construction consent). 2. The costs are based on the Council doing all the work. Obviously it is more costly to take over someone else’s job and complete it; to compensate for this the following procedure should be adopted: a. Add 25% where the estimated cost is less than £10,000; b. Add 15% where the estimated cost is between £10,000 and £25,000; c. Add 10% where the estimated cost is between £25,000 and £50,000. 3. Where the bond has to cover such items as major structures, or substantial amounts of excavation or fill, full details should be sent to Roads HQ who will carry out the estimate. Elaborate SUDS schemes will need to be considered in their own merit and should be priced individually. Page 125
Page 126
56 Appendix 2 – Roads Construction Consent Forms Page 126
Page 127
57 APPLICATION TO ROADS AUTHORITY FOR CONSTRUCTION CONSENT TO CONSTRUCT OR EXTEND A ROAD To be completed in accordance with the provisions of the Road & Infrastructure Services Roads Development Technical Guidance by any person wishing to construct or extend a road irrespective of whether or not it is to be subsequently maintained by the Roads Authority. 1 I/We (insert full name and address of applicant) Postcode apply under Section 21 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for Construction Consent for the (state nature of operation e.g. new construction or extension of existing road) at (insert address of site) of which I am/we* are (state interest in land, e.g. owner, tenant) all in conformity with the plans, detailed drawings and specification submitted herewith and doqueted and signed as relative hereto. 2 I/we* hereby declare that no other party has an interest in the land. The attached form CC2 details all other parties having an interest in the land* Signed (applicant) Name Date *delete as appropriate for office use only Reference number ………/……… Work commenced ………………………………….. Received ……………………………………… Work completed …………………………………….. Objections ……………………………………. Start of maintenance ………………………………… Objections cleared ……………………………. Adopted as public …………………………………… CC Granted …………………………………… CONSTRUCTION CONSENT APPLICATION CC1 Page 127
Page 128
58 Reference number ………/…………….. for office use only DOCQUETS OF SERVICE 1 I/We certify that on (insert date) day of 20 a notice of the lodging of this application has been served by the applicant upon the undernoted proprietors being the owners of all lands or heritages fronting, abutting or comprehended in the proposed new road or extension of the existing road and further certify that such notice contained an intimation that plans and other relevant particulars could be examined at the office located at Postcode and that objections to the applicant should be lodged with the Roads Authority within Twenty-eight days from the date of the notice. Signed (Applicant of agent) Name Address Postcode Date List of proprietors referred to Name Address Docquets of ServiceCC2 Page 128
Page 129
59 Reference number …………………….. for office use only 1 Notice for service on owner of land fronting, abutting or comprehended in new road or extension of existing road) Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 Notice under Section 21 (2) of application for Construction Consent Proposed Road Construction at a. Take notice that application is being made to b. by c. For construction consent to d. If you wish to make representations about the application you should make them in writing not later than e. To the Roads Authority f. Signed On behalf of Date a. Insert address or location of proposed road construction b. Insert name of authority c. Insert name of applicant d. Insert description of proposed road construction e. Insert date 28 days later than the date on which the notice is served f. Insert appropriate address at which the application is being lodged Notice of ServiceCC3 Page 129
Page 130
60 Reference number …CC2/01………………….. CONSTRUCTION CONSENT TO CONSTRUCT OR EXTEND A ROAD Construction Consent by…Argyll & Bute Council (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Council’)…… as to the construction/extension of roads in connection with the proposed development, The Council, acting under and by virtue of Section 21 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 hereby grant construction consent as follows The Council Grant authority to for roadworks in connection with in accordance with a. the plans submitted to and approved by the Council which plans are docqueted and signed by the Roads Authority as relative hereto b. the particulars set forth in the schedule annexed and signed as relative hereto and c. the relative provisions of the said Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, on the following conditions(s): i. All works are to be completed within a period of …3… years …0… months from the date of this Consent. ii. Construction of roads shall not be commenced until you have provided the Council with Security for an amount to meet the cost of constructing/completing the construction of the road(s) in accordance with the Construction Consent, in terms of the “security for Private Roadworks (Scotland) Regulations 1985. iii. All details, specifications etc., are to be in accordance with the Councils “Roads Development Technical Guidance” unless otherwise stated. Signed (on behalf of the Roads Authority) Date Schedule referred to Roads Description Development at Length CONSTRUCTION CONSENT CC4 Page 130
Page 131
61 Reference number …………………….. for office use only AGREEMENT TO TAKE OVER FOOTPATH(S) ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT (to be completed only in respect of footpath(s) which will subsequently be maintained by the Roads Authority) Agreement in terms of Section 18 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 between 1 (hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) and 2 of 3 (herinafter referred to as “the developer”) Whereby the footpath(s) constructed by the Developer in accordance with Construction Consent number ……/…… Granted by the Council on 4 As set forth in the Schedule annexed and signed as relative hereto will, following their satisfactory completion, be added to the Council’s list of public roads. Provided that, should the developer fail to complete the said footpath(s) to the satisfaction of the Council within a period of 5 from the date of this Agreement, the Council may itself complete the footpath(s) and recover from the Developer such expenses as are reasonably incurred in so doing. Signed (on behalf of the Roads Authority) Date Signed (on behalf of the Roads Authority) Date Schedule referred to: Footpath Description (this may be done by reference to a plan) Length Notes 1. Insert name of authority 2. Insert name of applicant 3. Insert address of applicant 4. Insert date construction consent granted 5. Insert period for completion Footpath Agreement CC5 Page 131
Page 132
62 APPLICATION BY A DEVELOPER FOR THE ADDITION OF ROAD(S) AND/OR FOOTPATH(S) TO THE ROADS AUTHORITY’S LIST OF PUBLIC ROADS I/We (insert name of applicant) of (insert name of applicant) apply 1* under section 16(2) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, in respect of the road(s) listed in Schedule A annexed and constructed in accordance with Construction Consent number …/… Granted to me/us* on and/or 2* under section 18(1) of the roads (Scotland)( Act 1984, in respect of the footpath(s)* listed in Schedule B and the Agreement annexed and constructed and constructed in accordance with Agreement number FA/…./…. dated For the addition to the Roads Authority’s list of public roads of the said road(s)* and/or footpath(s)* all as shown in colour on the plan(2)* submitted herewith and docqueted and signed as relative hereto Signed (applicant) Date *delete as appropriate Schedule A referred to: Roads Description (this may be done by reference to a plan) Length Schedule B referred to: Footpath Description (this may be done by reference to a plan) Length for office use only Reference number CC/………/……… Adoption Inspection …………………………….. Received ……………………………………… Added to List ……………………………………. Adoption CertificateCC6 Page 132
Page 133
63 Reference number …CC/3/1………………….. We, Name of Bank etc. Guarantee Finance CONSIDERING THAT Developer Has been granted Construction Consent Ref. …………………… no. dated . …………………… By the . …………………… (enter council name) (hereinafter referred to as the Council) as local Roads Authority in terms of Section 21 of the Roads (Scotland) Act, 1984 for the construction of a private road(s) or part thereof in connection with Development all as is more fully detailed in the said Construction Consent and the plans and Schedule relative thereto, considering further that the estimated cost of constructing the said private road(s) or part thereof in accordance with the said Construction Consent and others is Sum of Money And that the said (Developer) Has requested us to grant security for such sum to the said Council by means of a bond in terms of the Security for Private Roads Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985, do hereby as cautioners and sureties bind and oblige ourselves and our successors to pay to the said Council and its successors or assignees, on receiving from the said Council a demand in writing, such sum not exceeding Sum of Money Which the said Council states in the said demand to be the costs incurred by it in construction, or rectifying defects, in the said private roads(s) or part thereof in accordance with the Regulation 13 of the said 1985 Regulations: and we consent to the registration hereof for prevention and execution: IN WITNESS WHEREOF Road Bond CC7 Page 133
Page 134
64 Instructions: Construction of private road(s) shall not commence until you have provided the Council with financial security for an amount of £………………………….. being sufficient to meet the cost of construction/completing the construction of the road(s) in accordance with the Construction Consent, in terms of the “Security for Private Roadworks (Scotland) Regulations 1985”. The Road Bond should be signed by an authorised signatory on behalf of the guarantor (who is normally the bank, building society or insurance society) and the signature should be witnessed by two witnesses. Please note that you should advise me of the date that the bond was signed. To enable you to lodge your security I enclose the following documents. a. One copy of form CC7 to be completed and returned to this office with your security. b. One copy of the “Cautionary Obligation” in favour of …………………………………… (enter council name). If you intend to lodge your security in the form of a bond you may use this document. c. One copy of “Directions for Signing Deeds” incorporating a signing schedule which you are required to complete and return with the bond. d. One copy of guidance notes for developers. Road Bond CC7 Road Bond Road Bond cc7 Page 134
Page 135
65 Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 Security for Private Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985 Guidance notes for developers In terms of Section 17 of the Roads (Scotland) Act, 1984 and the Security for Private Roadworks (Scotland) Regulations 1985 (S.I. 2080) you, as a developer, are required to make financial provision with the Council, as Local Roads Authority in order to safeguard the completion of housing development roads which are the subject of a Construction Consent. Such Provision, as required by the Regulations, may be the form of a Road Bond or deposit and this will serve to protect prospective house purchasers from having to bring incomplete roads up to adoptable standards. You are unable to commence building works adjacent to any road permitted by a Construction Consent until you have met the requirements to the above regulations which came into effect on 1 April 1986. In terms of Regulation 6, the security shall be an amount to meet the cost of constructing or completing the construction of the said roads. Also to calculate the amount of that security by objecting estimating and negotiation. In terms of Regulation 5, that security shall be either a bond in favour of the Council or a cash deposit of a sum equating to that security. Such bond or deposit shall be lodged with the Council at the office where your construction consent was issued. In terms of Regulation 16, any person who carried out building works in contraction of these regulations, shall be guilty of an offence. It would, therefore, be in your interests to make early contact with the Roads Authority, who will be able to advise you fully on these procedures. Copies for form CC7 should be completed and returned with the security. Copies of the regulations are also available for inspection at the appropriate office. Road Bond CC7 Page 135
Page 136
66 DIRECTIONS FOR SIGNING DEEDS Before signing please read carefully Every party to the deed must sign on the (insert page) ………….including the inventory and plan, if any, with his or her usual signature where his or her usual signature where his or her initials are marked in pencil. Each Witness to the execution of the deed required to sign on the (insert page) ……… at the pencil mark X, adding after his or her signature the word “Witness”. Two witnesses are required to the signature, of each party, but provided parties sign at the same time, the same persons may witness all the signatures and only require to sign once. The witnesses must be above fourteen years of age. They should know the parties which signatures they are witnessing personally or at last have credible information as to their identity. No person interested in the deed should act as a witness, and one spouse should not be a witness to signature of the other. The parties must not insert any blanks in the Deed. When the Deed is signed the subjoined Schedule should be filled up in BLOCK LETTERS and returned along with the Deed. The schedule may be filled up by anyone. A female witness should state in the Schedule whether she should be styles Mrs, Mr or Miss. SCHEDULE to be filled up and returned Name of party signing Place where signed Date of signing Full Name (including middle names, if any). Occupation, and Address of First Witness Full Name (including middle names, if any). Occupation, and Address of Second Witness PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS Road Bond CC7 Page 136
Page 137
67 Reference number …………………….. Project Description of roads Location and other details Soils - CBR % Chainage Limits to Source document(s) date date Traffic Information - ADT At opening year % commercial Source document(s) date date Design 1 – way AADF commercial initial final Life yrs(n) Damage factor n/2 MSA (Cum total) Technical reference(s) Thickness of layers in possible construction – (Clause no) mm Flexible Rigid Surface course Binder Slab Upper Base Depth Lower Base = Sub-base Capping layer Total Designed by date Checked by date Carriageway Design Certificate CC8 Page 137
Page 138
68 Reference number …………………….. for office use only Developer Scheme Check number Date Checked Result* OK Meeting arranged for …../…../….. Letter sent on …../…../….. after above meeting Letter sent on …../…../….. without meeting Submitted Drawings *delete as appropriate Construction Consent ChecklistCC9 Page 138
Page 139
69 CC1 n/a yes no Completed correctly? Signed by Applicant , not agent? CC2 n/a yes no Required? Completely correct? Associated drawings provided? Signatures of all notifiable parties? CC4 n/a yes no Required? (are there any adoptable footpaths?) Safety Audit n/a yes no Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Street Lighting Specification n/a yes no 2 (number) copies included? Docqueted, signed and dated? Geotechnical Information n/a yes no Factual ground investigation report Interpretative report CBR positions relevant to roads? CBRs at correct/adequate spacing (25m)? Capping layer required? If yes, 600/350/combination Report from Coal Authority/Mining Consultant? Report from British Geological Society? Structures n/a yes no Any structures involved? Design Certificates (certificate No.) Check certificates (certificate No.) 1 (no) velograph and 3 (no) paper prints of all drawings? Docqueted, signed and dated? Layout Plan n/a yes no Location Plan (1:1250 or 1:1200) included? Proposed road to be adopted shown coloured? Scale 1:500, 1:200 for Shared Surface? Centre, building and kerb lines shown? All curve radii shown? All corner radii shown? Minimum curve size ok? Curve widening required? Setting-out information adequate? Turning areas of correct dimensions? Page 139
Page 140
70 Shared Surface transitions dimensioned ? continued over Layout Plan (continued) n/a yes no Drop kerb vehicle access shown? Drop kerb pedestrian crossings shown? Cycle track shown? Cycle lanes? Provision for buses? Traffic calming, appropriate spacing for road hierarchy Legislation? Signing? Lining? Visibility splays shown? Cut and fill shown? Carriageway and footway widths shown? Resident parking adequate? Visitor parking adequate? Parking bays correctly sited and grouped? (outwith visibility splays etc) Courtyard parking behind footway crossing? Parking bays dimensioned? Road type and width OK for number of houses? Road hierarchy satisfied for house totals? Driveway gradients OK? (not >10%) Areas of different carriageway construction shown? Driveway width, and angle OK for carriageway width? PU Service access off narrow (3.5m) sections? Drainage n/a yes no All crossfalls, superelevation and cambers shown? (blockwork to have 2.5% crossfall) Gullies at correct spacing? Drainage system and discharge points shown? Gully tails shown? Double gullies at low points? Double gullies with individual tails? Gullies at TPs and not unction corners? Gullies just upstream of TP at junctions? Gullies at traffic calming? Gully at point of removal of adverse camber? Pipes 150mm minimum? Adjacent areas likely to drain into roads? If so, have land drains been included? (NB Land drains to connect to SW system via silt traps) Drainage of irregular areas adequate? Are non-adoptable area adequately drained? (NB if not, might issue onto public roads) Pipes and culverts under road hydrological study? Pipes and culverts under road hydraulic design? Gullies off driveways where possible? Landscaping OK? Page 140
Page 141
71 Long Section n/a yes no Vertical alignment details shown? Gradients OK? Vertical curve lengths correct? SW drain gradients shown and correct? Manhole positions shown? Substrata details to 1.00m below formation? Chainages shown? Proposed and existing levels shown? Typical Sections and Details Carriageways and Footway Section n/a yes no Carriageway construction OK? Footways construction OK? Footway chippings included and detailed? Crossfalls detailed? Kerb type specified and correct? Kerb upstand shown and correct? Kerb log correct? Kerb log mortar bed shown and correct? Heel kerb correct and with 50mm upstand? Capping layer shown and correct? Materials fully specified? (Specification clauses appendices) Shared Surface and service Verge Section n/a yes no Carriageway construction OK? Crossfalls detailed? Kerb type specified and correct? Kerb upstand shown and correct? Kerb log correct? Kerb log mortar bed shown and correct? Continuous demarcation of service strip shown and detailed? Materials fully specified? (Specification clauses) Blockwork colour shown and OK? Is shared surface steep enough to justify a bedding of bituminous sand? Rumble strip shown and correct? Ramp shown and correct? Bollards included and correct? Footway Section n/a yes no Width if adoptable? Footpath construction OK? Crossfall detailed? Edging correct and flush? Foundation correct? Materials fully specified? (Specification clauses) Drainage included and correct? If so, shown on plan? Page 141
Page 142
72 Gully/Silt/Manhole Cover an Frame Detail n/a yes no Size and grade of cover and frame shown? 25mm mortar bed shown? Services cross-section OK Footway crossing with verge OK Footway crossing without verge OK Pedestrian crossing point OK CDM Safety file required before adoption Page 142
Page 143
73 Reference number …………………….. for office use only FORM OF COMPLETION AND INSPECTION CERTIFICATE (as prescribed in the IEE Regulations for Electrical Installation) (1) (see notes Page 4) Details of the Installation New Alteration to existing Addition to existing Client: Address: Design I/We being the person(s) responsible (as indicated by my/our signatures below), for the Design of electrical installation, particulars of which are described on page 3 of this form CERTIFY that the said work for which I/we have been responsible is to the best of my/our knowledge and belief in accordance with the Regulations for Electrical Installations published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, (current edition) except for the departures, if any stated in this Certificate. The extent of liability of the Signatory is limited to the work described above a the subject to this Certificate. For the Design of the installation: Name (Block Letters): Position For and on behalf of Address (2) Signature (3) Date Lighting Completion and Inspection Certificate CC10 Page 143
Page 144
74 Construction I/We being the person(s) responsible (as indicated by my/our signatures below) for the Construction of the electrical installation, particulars of which are described on page 3 of this form CERTIFY that the said work for which I/we have been responsible is to the best of my/our knowledge and belief in accordance with the Regulations for Electrical Installations published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, (current edition) except for the departures, if any stated in this certificate. The extent of liability for the Signatory is limited to the work described as the subject to this Certificate For the Construction of the installation: Name (Block Letters) Position For and on behalf of Address (2) Signature (3) Date Inspection and Test I/We being the person(s) responsible (as indicated by my/our signatures below) for the Inspection and Test of the electrical installation, particulars of which are described on page 3 of this form CERTIFY that the said work for the which I/we have been responsible is to the best of my/our knowledge and belief in accordance with the Regulations for Electrical Installations published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, (current edition) except for the departures, is any stated in this Certificate. The extent of liability for the Signatory is limited to the work described as the subject to this Certificate For the Inspection and test of the installation: Name (Block Letters) Position For and on behalf of Address I recommend that this installation be further inspected and tested after an interval of not more that 6 years. (2) Signature (3) Date Page 144
Page 145
75 Explanatory Notes 1 This document is intended for the initial certification of a new installation or of an alteration or addition to an existing installation and of an inspection. An original is to be given to the Client. The Duplicate should be retained by the Contractor. 2 The signatures appended are those of the Competent persons authorised by the companies executing the work of design, construction and inspection and testing respectively. A signatory authorises to certify more than one category of work should sign in each of the appropriate places. 3 Date to be inserted. 4 Where particulars of the installation recorded herein constitute a sufficient schedule for the purpose of Regulation 514-09-01 further drawings/schedules need not be provided. For other installations the additional drawings/schedules listed below apply. 5 The page numbers of each sheet should be indicated together with the total number of sheets involved. 6 The designer shall prepare Page 3(Particulars of the Installation) and subsequent pages for each Highway Distribution unit or Terminal Pillar. 7 The electrician shall complete this page. It can be used on its own for an existing installation which had not altered (LMC). (4) Schedule of Additional Records Drawing/Schedule Description Page 145
Page 146
76 Particulars of the Installation (Delete or complete items as appropriate) Highway Distribution Unit/Termination Pillar (6) Pillar No Supply Column No Location Type of Installation New/Alteration/to existing installation Type of Earthing (312-03) TN-C TN-S TN-C-S TT IT (indicate in the box) Earth Electrode Location Resistance ohms (only as required) Characteristics of the supply at the origin of the installation (313-01) No of phases ascertained by enquiry determined by calculation measured Supply voltage volts Prospective short –circuit current kA Earth fault loop impedance (Ze) ohms Maximum demand Amps per phase Overcurrent protective device – Type BS Rating A Main Switch or circuit breaker (460-0-02) Type BS Rating A No of Poles if an r.c.d rated residual operating current I n mA Main equipotential bonding conductors (413-02-01/02, 547-02-01): Size mm2 Schedule of Test Results: Continuation pages Details of departures (if any) from the wiring regulations (120-04, 120-5) Comments on existing installation where applicable (743091-01) Page 146
Page 147
77 HIGHWAY DISTRIBUTION UNIT NETWORK H.D.U. No Supply Column No. Location Area SUPPLY NUMBER OF HEATER Source Optional Items SCOTTISH POWER PHASES WATTAGE E.F.L.I Earth Electrode Resistance (Lighting protection only) S.R.C. Ze (Ohms) Circuit Location Resistance Method of LIVE MAIN SWITCH P.S.C.C. No. Ohms Measurement SWITCHED Raiting kA No. Poles Voltage Type of Earthing V TN-C TN-S TN-C-S TT IT MAIN FUSE Rating Type R.C.D. MAIN EQUIPOTENIAL Operating BONDING CONDUCTOR MM Current mA Circuit Conductor Protective Device Circuit Insulation Resistance Polarity Remote Full Load Remote End Remote Comments Size (mm) Fuse MCB Rating Breaking Satisfactory M.Ohms Satisfactory EFLI Current Voltage Col No. Phase No. Ph N CPC BS No. Type in Capacity Y N Ph-E N-E Ph-N Y N Ohms A V I/We being the person(s) responsible (as indicated by my/our signatures below) for the inspection and Test of the electrical installation, particulars of which are described above. Certify that the said work which I/We have been responsible is to the best of my/our knowledge and belief in accordance with the regulations for Electrical Installations published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers,16th Edition, (BS 7671) (current edition) except for departures, if any, stated in this certificate. The extent of liability of the signatory is limited to the work described above as the subject of this Certificate. For the inspection and test of the installation: Name (in block letters): Position: G39 Authorisation Level For and on behalf of: Page 147
Page 148
78 Address: Signature: Date: (5) Page of Pages This page is intentionally blank Page 148
Page 149
79 Appendix 3 – Area Contacts Page 149
Page 150
80 Area Contacts Bute & Cowal Area Traffic & Development Officer Milton House Milton Avenue Dunoon PA23 7DU Helensburgh & Lomond Area Traffic & Development Officer Civic Centre 38 East Clyde Street Helensburgh G84 7PG Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay Area Traffic & Development Officer 1a Manse Brae Lochgilphead PA31 8RD Oban, Lorn & the Isles Area Traffic & Development Officer Jacksons Quarry Roads Depot Millpark Road Oban PA34 4NH Assistant Network & Standards Manager 1a Manse Brae Lochgilphead PA31 8RD Page 150
Page 151
81 Appendix 4 – Strategic Roads Page 151
Page 152
82 Primary Routes in Argyll Trunk Roads: A82 Glasgow to Fort William and Inverness A83 Tarbet to Campbeltown A85 Perth to Lochearnhead to Crianlarich and Tyndrum to Oban A828 Connel to Ballachulish Applications where access onto the public road network will be onto a Trunk Road should be referred to Transport Scotland for approval and may be subject to different criteria. Strategic Roads Maintained by Argyll & Bute Council as Roads Authority: A814 Dumbarton to Arrochar A815 Cairndow (A83) to Dunoon to Toward A816 Lochgilphead to Oban A818 Arden Roundabout (A82) to Helensburgh A819 Inveraray to A85 at Dalmally A885 Dunoon to Sandbank A886 Rhubodach-Kames Castle Road A844 Bute Circular Port Bannatyne A886 Colintraive to Strachur A817 Haul Road A848 Salen to Tobermory A849 Craignure to Salen B833 Rosneath Peninsula B872 Garelochhead Road B838 Church Road Arrochar U48 Shore St, Oban (Unclassified Road but serves Oban Ferry Terminal) C34 Albany St, Oban (C Class Road but serves Oban Ferry Terminal) Other routes are classified as being lightly trafficked routes. However, the higher standard of visibility requirement may be required under certain circumstances e.g. when there are very high traffic flows at certain times of the day which are not reflected in the Annual Adjusted Daily Flows. (AADF). This judgement will be made by the Roads Authority. Page 152
Page 153
83 Appendix 5 – Standard Details Page 153
Page 154
84 SD 08 001 Revision B - Forest Access Road Page 154
Page 155
85 SD 08 002 Revision B – Private Drive Way (from un-kerbed road) Page 155
Page 156
86 SD 08 003 Revision B – Typical Passing Place Detail SD 08 004 Revision B – Access from a Single Track Road (from an un-kerbed road) Page 156
Page 157
87 Page 157
Page 158
88 SD 08 005 Revision B – Driveway Access Across Public Footway SD 08 006 Revision B – Service Bay Detail Page 158
Page 159
89 Page 159
Page 160
90 Bute & Cowal Area Traffic & Development Officer Milton House Milton Avenue Dunoon PA23 7DU Helensburgh & Lomond Area Traffic & Development Officer Civic Centre 38 East Clyde Street Helensburgh G84 7PG Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay Area Traffic & Development Officer 1a Manse Brae Lochgilphead PA31 8RD Oban, Lorn & the Isles Area Traffic & Development Officer Jacksons Quarry Roads Depot Millpark Road Oban PA34 4NH Assistant Network & Standards Manager 1a Manse Brae Lochgilphead PA31 8RD Page 160
Page 161
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 ROAD SAFETY PLAN 2024-2030 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report provides Members with an overview of the Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030, which aligns with Transport Scotland’s national document Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. 1.2 The key aim of the Council’s Road Safety Plan 2024 – 2030 is to support the national aspiration to reduce fatalities and serious incidents to zero by 2050 and increase focus on the delivery of road safety improvements across the network. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended the Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee note this report and endorse the attached Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The Council has a statutory duty under the Road Traffic Act 1988, s39 in regard to road safety. This duty includes, broadly:- i. Study of accidents arising on the road network; ii. Take action to prevent accidents through the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, practical training to road users, the construction / improvement / repair / maintenance of the road and other measures to control, protect or assist the movement of all categories of traffic; iii. When constructing new roads, to take measures to reduce the likelihood of accidents. 3.2 Roads and Infrastructure Services (RIS) delivers a number of asset sustainability surface treatment schemes each year (~100 per annum) through its Capital Programme. These schemes include surface treatments to carriageway and footways, widening or carriageway, a list of the schemes carried out within 2022/23 and 2023/24 is included within Appendix 1 of the Road Safety Plan 2024-2030, which is appended to this report. In addition Page 161 Agenda Item 10
Page 162
there are a limited number of capital asset improvement works including new footways, cycleways etc. 3.3 Further to the above, the RIS team delivers its annual revenue funded maintenance programme, which includes, for example, potholing, scrub clearance, grass cutting and winter maintenance. 3.4 In addition to physical works, the RIS team also promotes and enforces control orders. This includes controls or prohibitions on parking (on and off street), speed restrictions and weight, width or length restrictions. 3.5 The Scottish Government has set out its own road safety aspirations in the Transport Scotland “Scotland Road Safety Framework to 2030”. This document contains both the longer term (by 2050) and interim (by 2030) aim to realise a national reduction is serious and fatal incidents on Scotland’s road network. 3.6 The Scottish Government’s aspiration is to reach zero fatalities or serious injuries on the network by 2050. The 2030 interim targets are:- • 50% reduction in people killed • 50% reduction in people seriously injured • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) killed • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) seriously injured 3.7 The Council’s Road Safety Plan 2024-2030 has been drafted to provide local context and aspirations but aims to support the national aspiration as outlined above. The plan also provides an overview of accident analysis and trends on the Council local road network. 3.8 The primary desire in the reduction of incidents is to prevent fatalities or serious incidents on the network and, consequently, reduce the familial and social impacts of same. There are also, however, other benefits from achieving a reduction in incidents; for example, it is estimated over the period 2018-2022 that the cost of collisions to the local economy is in the region of £121million, as reported by Transport Scotland in their 2022 report Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 - Transport Scotland. It is also worth noting that there are few short or quick diversions within Argyll and Bute area; a serious or fatal incident can lead to significantly increased journey times as roads are closed to access, impacting residents, visitors and businesses alike but also adding additional fuel and wear and tear costs to all. 3.9 The Council is responsible for a local road network length of 2,295km. This equates to approximately 4% of the national road network. Broadly, we have fewer incidents on our network as compared to the national picture but the plan sets out the Council’s support of the Scottish Government’s aspiration to further reduce this as far as practicable by 2030 and to zero fatalities or serious injuries by 2050. Page 162
Page 163
3.10 There is no defined road safety budget currently. The works carried out by the RIS team are done so under other headline budgets, as outlined above, but which nevertheless deliver road safety improvements. The Council’s own budgets have, to date, been supplemented by other external grants funding including, for example, active travel, Strategic Timber Transport Scheme and the Road Safety Infrastructure Fund. 3.11 It is hoped that by endorsing this plan, Members will bring a focus on road safety on all that RIS do, acknowledging that all road users have a part to play in reaching both the local and national aspirations. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report provides Members with an overview of the Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030, which aligns with Transport Scotland’s national document Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – N/a. 5.2 Financial – Majority of schemes or projects will continue to be funded by Revenue or Capital budgets. Other schemes will seek funding from external grants but if these are not achieved some schemes will not go ahead. 5.3 Legal – Road Traffic Act 1988, s39 imposes a duty in regard to road safety. 5.4 HR – N/a. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – May provide better protection for those with mobility issues. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – Safer roads for all users is likely to have broad positive outcomes. 5.5.3 Islands - N/a. 5.6 Climate Change – N/a. 5.7 Risk – Any distinct schemes may not be deliverable without an identified budget. 5.8 Customer Service – N/a. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – may provide better protection for all road users. Page 163
Page 164
Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Stuart Watson, Assistant Network & Standards Manager stuart.watson@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030 Page 164
Page 165
P a g e | 1 ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030 Author Stuart Watson Owner Head of Roads & Infrastructure Services Date March 2024 Version v0.4 Page 165
Page 166
P a g e | 2 Table of Contents Foreword .............................................................................................................................................................3 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................5 2.0 Strategic Partnerships and Frameworks ...........................................................................................9 3.0 Local Road Safety Strategy ............................................................................................................. 10 4.0 National Road Safety Strategy ........................................................................................................ 10 5.0 Aims and Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 10 6.0 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 11 7.0 Performance against Targets for Casualty Reduction ................................................................. 19 8.0 Safe System ....................................................................................................................................... 21 9.0 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 24 10.0 References .......................................................................................................................................... 25 11.0 Appendix 1 – Road Improvement Schemes .................................................................................. 26 Page 166
Page 167
P a g e | 3 Foreword This document is our first Road Safety Plan and aims to support the national aspiration to reduce fatalities and serious incidents to zero by 2050. We also aim to meet the 2030 interim targets, set out below, in-line with Transport Scotland’s “Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 “. The 2030 interim targets, based on a 2014-2018 baseline, are: • 50% reduction in people killed • 50% reduction in people seriously injured • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) killed • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) seriously injured As far as practicable and within the existing financial and staff resource, we will continue to collaborate with partner agencies and within the internal organisation to drive road safety improvements over the lifetime of this plan. The analysis conducted to support this plan has identified a general trend towards a reduction in the number of casualties on our network, although I recognise that at least part of this may be a direct impact of the restrictions arising during COVID- 19. While this reduction is welcome, much work has still to be done to reach the aspiration of zero fatalities or serious injuries by 2050. To achieve this, all road users have a part to play alongside roads engineers, planners, transport planners, Police Scotland and other public agencies. The Scottish Government has introduced the Road Safety Improvement Fund to aid local authorities to deliver physical road safety measures on the network. The fund is welcomed by Argyll and Bute Council and it is hoped this continues into future years, and at least the lifetime of this plan. Working together we can achieve the shared vision of making our road network safer for all users and, reducing fatalities and serious incidents to zero by 2050. We would like to offer special thanks to Aberdeenshire Council for granting permission for the use of their Road Safety Plan as a base document and to use its associated graphics. Councillor John Armour Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services Page 167
Page 168
P a g e | 4 Across Argyll and Bute Council – Local Roads 2,295km of roads are under the control of Argyll and Bute Council (~4% of Scotland’s roads) Population 86,220 (NRS 2021 Mid-Year Estimate) Between 2018-2022 1 in 8 motorcycle collisions result in a fatality and 80% are serious or fatal In the period 2018-2022 84% of driver fatalities were male £121m The cost of collisions to Argyll and Bute’s economy (local road incidents only) for the period 2018-2022. Every 12 days someone is killed or seriously injured on our local road network Page 168
Page 169
P a g e | 5 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Argyll and Bute Council has a Statutory Requirement under the Road Traffic Act 1988, s39 to investigate, design and promote engineering and educational measures, giving road safety information and training resulting from road traffic collisions to prevent further injury. Argyll and Bute Council, as part of a budget saving exercise, removed its Roads Safety Unit in 2019 (as agreed at the Council meeting held in February 2019) and no longer has this as a standalone function within the organisation, however; the Network & Standards and Roads Operations teams fulfil elements of this duty concerning design, maintenance, realignments and post-crash assessment alongside our Police Scotland partners. Effective road safety not only saves lives and prevents injuries but can also prevent the resultant emotional and psychological trauma, saving a substantial amount of public money, which in turn reduces the burden on over- stretched public services such as health and social care. 1.2 Creating safer roads infrastructure is critical for our longer-term goals (outlined in Sections 5, 7 &8). Areas of concern across our network should be identified through a robust risk assessment process. This risk assessment process has not yet been devised but will be an area of focus over the first 12 months of this plan. Mitigating measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of collisions occurring and resultant injuries or reduce their likelihood and/or severity. Although Argyll and Bute Council does not have a defined road safety budget, improvements are delivered through the roads maintenance, capital improvement and, where funding is available, from the car parking income (arising from both on and off street parking). 1.3 As part of the statutory duty, Argyll and Bute Council must: a) Prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety; b) Conduct studies into accidents arising out of the use of vehicles. In light of those studies, take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to prevent such accidents, including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, the giving of practical training to road users or any class or description of road users, the construction, improvement, maintenance or repair of roads for the maintenance of which they are responsible and other measures taken in the exercise of their powers for controlling, protecting or assisting the movement of traffic on roads, and in constructing new roads, must take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to reduce the possibilities of such accidents when the roads come into use. 1.4 Adopting the national Safe System approach (without a direct education or training output) will still allow Argyll and Bute Council to use techniques that will identify high risk locations and assist the local Network & Standards and Roads Operations teams to prioritise road safety countermeasure treatments within the roads maintenance programme, our local safety schemes, and planned road upgrades and ensure that resources are being utilised to implement the schemes that will have the greatest benefit for casualty reduction to our road users. 1.5 Argyll and Bute Council will manage elements of the statutory road safety duties through its Network & Standards and Operations teams. The Council aims to meet the following outputs: a) Develop the Council’s policies and practices in relation to road safety matters (outwith educational matters) contributing to the development and delivery of road safety policy in a local and national context, linking to the Road Safety Framework to 2030. b) Select and monitor road collision sites for remedial action. c) Supervise and conduct road collision studies, investigate innovative experimental measures for collision reduction using new technology. Page 169
Page 170
P a g e | 6 d) Review new developments to ensure they deliver required road safety within their design. In addition to this, any appropriate internally generated road schemes, alongside new developments, may require Roads Safety Audits (RSA) to be completed. The RSA function will be conducted externally. e) Supervise the collection, processing and analysis of road collision statistics for the Council. f) Consult with partner agencies, as appropriate, in relation to road safety concerns. g) Analysis of traffic and collision data, providing evidence-based engineering solutions, design schemes, prepare plans, commission work, design and evaluate innovative experimental measures for collision reduction using recent technology overseeing remedial interventions. h) Prepares reports on the results of traffic surveys and consultation exercises as they arise. i) Attend post-fatal investigations and serious road collision incidents with Police Scotland providing assessment of existing infrastructure and any remedial measures required to mitigate reoccurrence. 1.6 Argyll and Bute Council has a mix of urban, rural and island roads which are used by our residents, businesses, commuters, recreational and tourists. With many of our rural towns and villages dispersed across Argyll and Bute and with a limited public transport provision, a high proportion of our population commute to work by private vehicle. 1.7 Within this document, the figures used only represent those incidents which occurred on the “local roads” (i.e. they do not include Trunk Road or Private Road incidents). Without a training and education facility and within the limited budgets available, the Council is currently only able to focus on improvements to the network under its direct control. Table 1 Severity 2013 - 2017 2022 2018 - 2022 Area Fatal Serious All Fatal Serious All Fatal Serious All Argyll and Bute Local Roads 18 117 546 8 21 53 28 127 328 Scotland 879 14265 54102 173 1776 5621 780 9868 31928 ABC % of Scotland 2.05% 0.82% 1.01% 4.62% 1.18% 0.94% 3.59% 1.29% 1.03% 1.8 Transport Scotland’s “Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022”, Scotland has approximately 57100 km or public roads. Excluding Trunk Roads, Argyll and Bute Council is responsible for the maintenance and management of 2,295.46km of public road, approximately 4% of the national total. Taken as a national picture, there are 0.1 Casualties per km; Argyll and Bute (local roads only) reports at 0.02 Casualties per km. As a percentage, Argyll and Bute (local roads only) has ~4% of the public road network but only 0.94% of all casualties. The human cost covers an amount to reflect the pain, grief and suffering to the casualty, relatives and friends, and, for fatal casualties, the intrinsic loss of enjoyment of life over and above the consumption of goods and services. The economic cost covers loss of output due to injury and medical costs. Page 170
Page 171
P a g e | 7 The cost of a collision also includes: • the cost of damage to vehicles and property; and • the cost of police and insurance administration. Scotland analysis The figures used to calculate cost to the economy are based on GB casualty costs and the number of casualties by severity in collisions in Scotland. The average costs per collision for Great Britain and Scotland differ because of differences in the average numbers of casualties per collision, and the proportions of fatal and serious casualties in a collision. 1.9 Within Argyll and Bute, based on Table 10 Cost per collision by road type and severity in Scotland from “TS Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022” (Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 - publication - excel version of the tables.xlsx (transport.gov.scot)), it is estimated that Killed or Seriously Injured incidents cost the Argyll and Bute economy £121million over the period 2018- 22. 1.10 Note, the Department for Transport estimate the values assigned to the cost of road casualties and collisions in Great Britain, for use in cost-benefit analysis of the prevention of road casualties and collisions in road schemes. The valuation of casualty costs calculated for Great Britain for all levels of severity are based on a willingness to pay human cost approach. This is intended to encompass all aspects of the costs of casualties including both the human cost and the direct economic cost. 1.11 Throughout each recorded year, the number of casualties in each of the different road user categories fluctuate between which is the most likely to be involved in an injury collision. The baseline reference period used in this document is the period 2013-2017 (inclusive). Figure 1 2 22 76 0 3 6 1 5 29 1 17 61 0 6 11 0 10 23 3 15 89 0 2 14 1 3 18 4 21 37 0 2 7 6 10 17 0 1 13 0 0 3 0 0 7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Driver, Fatal Driver , Serious Driver , Slight Pedestrian, Fatal Pedestrian, Serious Pedestrian, Slight Vehicle or pillion passenger, Fatal Vehicle or pillion passenger, Serious Vehicle or pillion passenger, Slight NO. OF INCIDENTS YEAR AND SEVERITY Casualty Class by Severity 2013 to 2017 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Page 171
Page 172
P a g e | 8 1.12 Note, the 2020 and 2021 casualty and collision numbers were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated changes in travel; both in volume and mode of travel. Most notably, these changes included the “second lockdown,” which ran from 5 January 2021 to April 2021, and incorporated a legal requirement forbidding anyone from leaving their home except for essential purposes. Figure 2 1.13 Lastly, it should be noted that in mid-2019 Police Scotland moved to a new incident record system (“CRASH- Collision Reporting and Sharing”). Prior to the introduction of CRASH, Police Officers would use their own judgement, based on official guidance, to determine the severity of the casualty (either “slight” or “serious”). CRASH is an injury-based recording system where the officer records the most severe injury for the casualty. The system then automatically converts the injuries to a severity level from “slight” to “serious”. Since CRASH removes the uncertainty that arises from officers having to assess the severity of casualties based on their own judgement, severity information collected in this way is expected to be more accurate and consistent. However, the move to an injury-based reporting system tends to result in more casualties being classified as “serious”, which means that the number of serious and slight casualties are not comparable with earlier years. 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 23 37 36 0 5 1 0 14 26 6 15 24 0 3 9 3 7 65 17 22 1 4 5 2 3 10 5 16 14 2 1 4 1 4 6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Driver, Fatal Driver , Serious Driver , Slight Pedestrian, Fatal Pedestrian, Serious Pedestrian, Slight Vehicle or pillion passenger, Fatal Vehicle or pillion passenger, Serious Vehicle or pillion passenger, Slight NO. OF INCIDENTS YEAR AND SEVERITY Casualty Class by Severity 2018 to 2022 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Page 172
Page 173
P a g e | 9 2.0 Strategic Partnerships and Frameworks 2.1 Our Road Safety Plan aligns with the strategic objectives of both “Scotland’s Road Safety framework to 2030” outwith the training and education duties. The plan aims to contribute to the improvement of road safety for all road users. In addition, the plan will also contribute to the long-term goal set by the Scottish Government regarding casualty reduction. The Council will endeavour to collaborate with our partner organisations to evaluate the potential risks and mitigate them by means of engineering measures where appropriate. 2.2 Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire Partnership Approach to Road Safety (PARS) group which is designed to bring partners together to reduce the number of people killed or injured on the roads in Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire is supported and attended by Argyll and Bute Council Officers. 2.3 It is important that the respective roles of Government and other bodies with a road safety interest complement each other and work together to improve safety on our roads. 2.4 Argyll and Bute Council will, in partnership with other agencies, work towards modal shift from private car to use of public transport, walking and wheeling as far as practicable within a largely rural authority. We recognise that use of private car is likely to continue to be higher than urban based local authorities; however, any modal shift away from private car will lead to a reduction in congestion and promote a safer and healthier environment for all road users. 2.5 The Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire PARS group will have the following aims and objectives: • Support the delivery of the Scottish Government Road Safety Framework to 2030 across Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire through local actions and delivery. • Develop a local Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire Road Safety Strategy to drive and capture this activity. • Monitor road casualty data across Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire through analytical products and respond to emerging trends. • Support approaches based upon the road safety principles of Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Encouragement, to address local road safety issues. • Share information about local approaches to road safety through a Road Safety Communication Strategy shared consistently across the partnership. • Work in partnership communities and organisations to advance local road safety approaches or related activity taking cognisance of those living, working and visiting Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire. • Promote joint working between partners and relevant stakeholders to deliver on Road Safety activities. • Receive and share information relative to national approaches to Road Safety Page 173
Page 174
P a g e | 10 3.0 Local Road Safety Strategy 3.1 The safety of all road users is a key priority for Argyll and Bute Council. a) People • Health and Wellbeing – Casualty reductions and facilitating safe means of active travel b) Environment • Infrastructure - Mitigation of potential risk and improvements to the local roads network c) Economy • Economy and Enterprise – Impact on cost of collisions to the local community economy • Estate modernisation - Development of our local network and infrastructure 4.0 National Road Safety Strategy 4.1 In 2021, the Scottish Government produced a new “Road Safety Framework to 2030”, for improving road safety in Scotland. Their road safety vision is for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and identifies the part every one of us must play in ensuring our long-term aspiration for that Vision Zero to become a reality. We take guidance from this framework. 4.2 Their twelve strategic actions are overarching and address the following areas: • Speed • Climate • Funding • Change in Attitudes • Technology • Active & Sustainable Travel • Knowledge & Data Analysis • Enforcement • Health • Education • Infrastructure • Reduce Inequality 5.0 Aims and Objectives 5.1 Through a Safe System approach, our principal aims are to: a) Deliver safer infrastructure and implement measures to tackle potential risk on the existing transport network. All road users will be afforded equal levels of protection and that all local areas are provided with sufficient support with impartiality to ensure consistent records of casualty reduction. Page 174
Page 175
P a g e | 11 b) Deliver safety and security through the design of new infrastructure and operation of services and continuing to support active travel and ensure the safety of vulnerable road users. 5.2 In using the well-respected 5 E’s of Road Safety; Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement and Evaluation to reduce collisions on our road network. We will: a) Develop a programme of works intended to improve road safety; b) Review accident data to identify cluster sites and incidents affecting the most vulnerable road users. 5.3 Continue to collaborate with our partners to: a) Develop our existing collaborative and partner working relationships to help achieve all our strategic objectives using where possible, Technology, Innovation, Knowledge Sharing and Data Analysis. b) Help achieve national targets with respect to Climate, Health, Active and Sustainable Travel. 6.0 Data Analysis 6.1 The Council receives crash data from Police Scotland, which is then uploaded to our internal database (at time of writing WDM AMS database but moving to the online version). The following outputs have been identified through analysis of this data, to identify trends or at-risk groups, and comparisons have been made to the national datasets. It should be noted, the data period used (2018-2022) includes the years affected by the pandemic. While it is apparent that the lockdowns within 2020 and 2021 will have had an impact on traffic volumes, modes of travel and the number of incidents occurring, it remains unclear how much impact the pandemic has had on future trends. 6.2 The analysis will allow funding to be focussed on road safety schemes where its most needed. In turn, this will help both local targets and national aspirations to be met. 6.3 Incidents, and the number and type of casualties, may be caused by human nature - road user - or be influenced or impacted by the road system (e.g. geometry, speed, traffic volume, conflicts between users). To identify road system issues, Traffic & Development Officers meet with Police Scotland Officers following incidents and, where required, remedial works will be designed and added to the programme (subject to available funding). 6.4 The following will be considered within this document: a. Rural vs Urban b. Motorcyclists c. Age Groups i. Young Drivers (17-25 yo) ii. Older Drivers (65 yo+) iii. Middle Aged Drivers (circa 46-55 yo) Page 175
Page 176
P a g e | 12 d. Vulnerable Road Users i. Pedestrians ii. Cyclists iii. Children (<16 yo) Rural vs Urban 6.5 Over the period 2018 – 2022, the total number of casualties peaked in 2019 and has remained below the 2019 total through to 2022. In the year 2018 to 2020, there were no Urban fatalities, however, this rose to two in 2021 and doubled to four in 2022. Rural fatalities have remained above the 2019 (three fatal) figures through to the end of 2022, where the figure is at four fatalities. 6.6 In general, there tend to be lower speeds within urban environments and, while there are also more pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable users, any incidents are less likely to result in a fatality. Rural environments are normally subject to higher speed limits, often the National Speed Limit, and although there may be significantly lower traffic volumes, any incidents are more likely to result in a fatality. 6.7 In the most recent year of data (2022) the urban and rural fatalities are the same (four in each environment). It is possible that the lower vehicular traffic volumes during the pandemic may have encouraged faster speeds in urban areas, although this is difficult to say with any certainty at this time, the number of Serious incidents does not necessarily support this view. In 2022, there were seventeen “rural serious” incidents compared with only four “urban serious” incidents. This introduces a degree of caution to the interpretation of the fatalities in this period. 6.8 Figure 3, below, provides the data in graphical format and includes a 5-year average. Notwithstanding the rise in urban fatalities, it is encouraging to note the general trend toward fewer incidents overall within this reference period. Figure 3 0 3 9 6 4 4.41 49 16 20 17 20.6 4 42 22 19 14 20.2 0 0 0 2 4 1.2 0 7 9 4 4 4.8 6 21 17 18 10 14.4 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 5 year average NO. OF CAUALTIES ENVIRONMENT & SEVERITY Severity by Urban / Rural Split 2018 - 2022 Rural Fatal Rural Serious Rural Slight Urban Fatal Urban Serious Urban Slight Page 176
Page 177
P a g e | 13 6.9 The 5-year average for the period 2013-2017 was 109.2 casualties per annum. The 5-year average for the period 2018-2022 is 65.6 casualties per annum. The recorded casualties for both 2017 and 2018 (24 & 11 respectively) appear unusually low; however, there is a clear reducing trend. The total incidents over the 5-year reference periods were 546 for 2013-2017 and 328 for 2018-2022. As noted elsewhere, the impact of COVID-19 and associated lockdowns is difficult to fully identify at this time, but it does appear likely that it had a positive impact on the reduction in overall incidents (a reduction of approximately 40%). Motorcycles 6.10 Analysis of the most vulnerable road users (excluding pedestrians) shows a significantly higher proportion of incidents amongst motorcyclists. It is reasonably self-explanatory given the potential for high speeds and with little to no driver protection should an incident occur. Figure 4, below, provides an overview of the period 2018-2022 in which motorcycle casualties are further broken by engine size. Again, it is not unexpected that the highest category (>500CC) has the largest number of incidents. Figure 4 6.11 Most motorcycle incidents occur in the summer months (May -September), reflecting perhaps the desirability to use this alternative form of travel during better weather, with many not using motorcycles as a form of travel during the winter period. Within Argyll and Bute, given the rural nature of the routes and geometry of the roads (often attractive to motorcyclists) a significant tourism element is also likely here compared to the volume of motorcyclists that use our network. There are many benefits the motorcycles bring; including a potential reduction in congestion in towns and economic / tourist boosts, however; the same routes that make Argyll and Bute roads attractive to the “motorcycle tourists” may also introduce a higher risk. The 3 1 0 0 0 1 4 7 0 2 1 5 1 187 0 1 0 2 1 4 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 PEDAL CYCLE MOBILITY SCOOTER MOTORCYCLE - UNKNOWN CC MOTORCYCLE 50CC AND UNDER MOTORCYCLE OVER 50CC AND UP TO 125CC MOTORCYCLE OVER 125CC AND UP TO 500CC MOTORCYCLE OVER 500CC NO. OF CASUALTIES VEHICLE TYPE Casualty Class by Vehicle Type & Severity 2018-2022 Fatal Serious Slight Page 177
Page 178
P a g e | 14 combination of higher speed, limited driver protection, unfamiliarity of the network and the geometry of many our roads can lead to incidents, the majority of which either result in Serious or Fatal incidents. 6.12 Further analysis to identify age groups or other contributing factors is required. This will be conducted over the life of the plan both to identify the at-risk demographics but also changing trends. The Council will continue to make improvements to the road network, including its geometry, within available budgets and will - where cluster sites have been identified – consider engineering interventions to help drive down incidents and severity of same. Age Groups 6.13 The frequency of incidents by driver age is fairly balanced within the Argyll and Bute Council road network. The percentage spread against all brackets is between 11- 21%, however; the three age groups with the highest occurrence are young drivers (17-25 yo) , middle aged drivers (46-55yo) and older drivers (65 yo or older). These three age brackets make up 57% of the total number of incidents; just under half of these were either Fatal or Serious (26.83%) Young Drivers (17-25) 6.14 Within the reference period 2018-2022, 17.56% of all recorded incidents involved a driver under 25 years of age; approximately half of which (8.78%) were either Serious or Fatal. Middle Aged Drivers (46-55) 6.15 Within the reference period 2018-2022, 18.54% of all recorded incidents involved a driver under between 46-55 years of age; approximately a third of which (6.83%) were either Serious or Fatal. Older Drivers (over 65) 6.16 Within the reference period 2018-2022, 20.98%of all recorded incidents involved a driver under over 65 years of age; approximately half of which (11.22%) were either Serious or Fatal. This age group has both the highest number of incidents and the highest % of killed or seriously injured drivers. 6.17 Figure 5 presents the analysis outlined above graphically per age group. Page 178
Page 179
P a g e | 15 Figure 5 6.18 The Council does not have an identified resource to pursue education or training services that could focus on reducing the frequency of incidents within these age groups at this time. Information, however; can be found on the Councils website. 6.19 Figure 6, below, provides the breakdown across all driver age groups. Figure 6 2 3 6 16 11 17 18 24 20 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Under 25 46 to 55 65+ NO. OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY AGE GROUP Driver Casualty by Age & Severity (highest risk groups) - Total incidents 2018-22 Fatal Serious Slight 2 1 3 3 4 6 16 11 19 11 11 17 18 12 13 24 14 20 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Under 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 56 to 65 65+ NO. OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY AGE GROUP Driver Casualty by Age & Severity (all age groups) - Total incidents 2018-22 Fatal Serious Slight Page 179
Page 180
P a g e | 16 Vulnerable Road Users (Pedestrians, Cyclists and Children under 16) Pedestrians 6.20 Figure 7 below shows a general reducing trend in the total no. of incidents (from the peak in 2020); however, the number of fatalities has increased. On reviewing the incidents in question, the pedestrians were killed by vehicles mounting the footway following driver medical events. Figure 7 6.21 While there is a trend showing reduction from 2020 to 2022, the number of fatal casualties increased to one in 2021 with this doubling in 2022. The incident in 2021 involved a 69-year-old female who, for reasons unknown, fell on to the carriageway in front of a moving vehicle. The vehicle was unable to stop in time. Both Fatal casualties in 2022 occurred as a single incident. It appears that the driver of the vehicle suffered a medical event, which led to the vehicle being left uncontrolled. The incidents occurred within 30mph speed limits. It is unlikely road safety engineering measures could have been introduced to prevent this from happening (other than complete segregation of footway and carriageways which would not be possible within the road corridor in these locations). 6.22 Over the period 2018 – 2022, there was a total of thirty-five casualties, equating to 10.7% of all casualties. Of the thirty-five casualties, nineteen were classified as Slight, thirteen as Serious and three as Fatal. 6.23 Notwithstanding the above, the Council is preparing a road safety scheme list for future years, which will include footway improvements, that should have a positive impact on the reduction of pedestrian casualties across all severities. The schemes will be aim to: 0 0 0 1 2 0 5 3 4 1 0 1 9 5 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 NO. OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY YEAR Pedestrian Casualties by Year & Severity Fatal Serious Slight Page 180
Page 181
P a g e | 17 a. Improve road safety of vulnerable road users by raising the awareness of the presence of pedestrians (and cyclists etc.) to drivers. b. Provide better routes for walking and wheeling for everyday journeys (commuting to work, school etc.) 6.24 Improving pedestrian routes is expected to also have a beneficial impact on the use of the asset, leading to a healthier and more active populace and in line with national aspirations (for example, the Active Travel Framework). Increasing the amount of walking or wheeling for short to medium everyday journeys also has obvious environmental benefits (reduced carbon output) but may also help move communities towards a “place before movement” setting. Cyclists 6.25 Figure 8 below shows a variable pattern year on year in the reference period 2018 - 2022. Overall, the number of incidents has reduced by year 2022; however, each year in the period 2019-2021 included a fatality. Two of the fatalities were down to driver error (both involved an overtaking vehicle striking the cyclist). There were no witnesses to the third incident, but it does not appear to have involved any other vehicle. The cause of the incident remains unknown although we are unable to rule out a medical incident. Figure 8 6.26 Over the period 2018-2022, there were seventeen cyclist casualties: accounting for approximately 5.2% of the total casualties within the local network. 0 1 1 1 00 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 4 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 NO. OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY YEAR Cyclist Casualties by Year & Severity Fatal Serious Slight Page 181
Page 182
P a g e | 18 6.27 Across Scotland, in the period 2018-2022, there were 2,832 casualties (cyclists). As a proportion of this, over the same period, the casualties on the local roads network made up ~0.6%. It should be noted, however; that there are a greater number of cyclist & pedestrian incidents within urban environments than compared with rural roads. The following provides detail on the national picture (for pedal cyclists), average over the period 2018-2022: • Built-up o Killed – 3 o Seriously injured – 181 o All Severities - 485 • Non built-up o Killed – 5 o Seriously injured – 42 o All Severities - 81 6.28 While there is a greater frequency of incidents within an urban environment, a cyclist has a higher risk of being killed or seriously injured in a rural environment should an incident occur. Based on the averages above, a cyclist is ten times more likely to be killed in a rural incident than in an urban one (urban fatalities makes up ~0.6% of total urban incidents, rural fatalities make up ~6% or rural incidents). 6.29 The Council has, through its own works and through match funding with SUSTRANS, improved or constructed several cycleways over the last decade or so. A significant portion of the routes are part of the National Cycle Network, although there are a number of sections which are not directly connected to this. 6.30 As outlined within the Pedestrian section above, the Council aims to continue to improve access to walking and wheeling infrastructure. Where possible this will be segregated from vehicular traffic but it is likely that in many, if not most, cases this may not be possible to do within existing road corridors. 6.31 In addition to the above measures, the Council will include self-help training and education resources on its website. Improvements to the rate of incidents may also made due to the change in the Highway Code to allow cyclists more room when passing (as a vehicle). Children Under 16 6.32 The number of incidents peaked in years 2020 and 2021 but reduced by ~66% by 2022. It remains uncertain how much impact the various COVID-19 restrictions during 2020 & 2021 have impacted this peak. Figure 9 below provides detail on the number and severity of child casualties. The positive story over the reference period 2018-2022 is that there have been zero child fatalities. Page 182
Page 183
P a g e | 19 Figure 9 6.33 As noted under the previous headings, the provision of improved walking and wheeling routes is expected to safeguard children but should aid in keeping the number of child casualties low and, hopefully, ensure further reductions overall. 6.34 As proportion of the total Scotland child casualties, the number of casualties on the local road network equates to approximately 0.9%. 7.0 Performance against Targets for Casualty Reduction 7.1 The national target has been set against two key dates. The final aim, by 2050, is to reach zero casualties regarding killed or seriously injured severities. Interim targets have been set to 2030 (based on a 2014-2018 baseline) as below: • 50% reduction in people killed • 50% reduction in people seriously injured • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) killed • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) seriously injured 7.2 Table 2, below, provides the average number of casualties on the local roads network over the same reference period used in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 and compares this to the latest full year of recorded incidents (2022). It does appear that the Council has a steep increase in the rate of casualties; however, there is relatively small number of incidents per year and even a small increase can show a significant percentage rise. A good example of this can be seen in the “children aged 0 0 0 0 00 2 5 1 2 0 5 4 8 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 NO. OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY YEAR Child (under 16y.o.) by Year & Severity Fatal Serious Slight Page 183
Page 184
P a g e | 20 16 or under seriously injured” where an increase from 1.8 (averaged over 2014-2018) to 2 into 2022 reports an increase of 111% but the 1.8 is an average and the 0.2 increase makes no difference in reality (i.e. “1.8” children cannot be seriously injured; it would be either one or two children). Table 2 Argyll and Bute Road comparison of most recent full year of data to reference period 2014-2018 average per annum 2022 Comparison from baseline to 2022 People Killed 3 8 267% increase People Seriously injured 17.6 21 119% increase Children (aged<16) killed 0.4 0 100% decrease Children (aged<16) seriously injured 1.8 2 111% increase 7.3 Over the period 2018-2022, there were zero children killed: a welcome improvement. The two children seriously injured in 2022 were injured in the same incident. The incident involved a vehicle crossing the centreline into the opposing traffic lane and collided with a second vehicle; to date, no cause has been identified. 7.4 The Council aims to match the 2050 objective of zero killed or seriously injured on our road network. Noting the interim national target, Table 3, below, sets out the Council targets for 2030. The interim targets have been set to the nearest whole number based on the percentage reduction outlined in the National Framework. Table 3 Argyll and Bute Road Safety Targets 2014-2018 average per annum ABC Interim Targets to 2030 % Reduction People Killed 3 1 67% People Seriously injured 17.6 9 49% Children (aged<16) killed 0.4 0 100% Children (aged<16) seriously injured 1.8 1 44% 7.5 Looking at the number of casualties (not incidents) over a 10-year period, the general trend is that of a reducing number from 2013 to 2022. The years 2017 & 2018 appear to be an anomaly and it may be worthy of further investigation to identify what caused the number of casualties to reduce so dramatically and quickly. It may be something as simple as an error in the data or it may be tied to changes in how incidents were reported/recorded by Police Scotland. 7.6 Casualties increased again in 2019, prior to any COVID-19 impact. The total number of casualties reduced quite substantially in 2020 and remained level through 2021. The figure has dropped again in 2022; indeed, compared to the 2013 data, the number of casualties in 2022 has reduced by circa 63%. Figure 10 provides the year on year figures and includes the breakdown in severity. Page 184
Page 185
P a g e | 21 Figure 10 7.7 Notwithstanding the anomaly over 2017 & 2018, the statistics reflect an encouraging trend regarding the reduction of casualties on the local road network. In addition, it is worth noting the Argyll and Bute local road network (non-Trunk Road) accounts for circa 4% of the national road network whilst its proportion of casualties equates to 0.94% of the national total. 8.0 Safe System 8.1 Through its Network & Standards and Operations teams the Council aims to meet its duties under the Act. The education and training elements of the duty are captured as far as practicable through information dissemination on its website, in effect, a self-help portal available for use by the public. 8.2 The National Framework describes the road safety environment it aims to deliver – these outcomes align with the five pillars of the Safe System: • Safe Road Use • Safe Speeds • Safe Roads and Roadsides • Safe Vehicles • Post-Crash Response 8.3 Safe Road Use Safe road users should be careful, considerate, and competent. Road users decide the most sustainable way to travel. As such, drivers should pay full cognisance to: 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Slight 111 95 121 61 23 10 63 39 37 24 Serious 30 33 20 33 1 1 56 25 24 21 Fatal 3 1 4 10 0 0 3 9 8 8 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 NUMBER OF CASUALTIES SEVERITY BY YEAR Road Casualties 2013 to 2022 Fatal Serious Page 185
Page 186
P a g e | 22 • The road ahead • The road conditions (weather, the presence of other users, etc.) • The relationship between speed limits, safe driving speeds and potentially unexpected circumstances • Not driving while impaired through drink, drugs (including medicines) or fatigue • Not being distracted by in-vehicle technology (mobile phones, entertainment systems, satellite navigation systems, etc.) 8.4 The Council will aid drivers, and other road users, through the provision of guidance and other self-help information on its website. The Council will also, as far as practicable, take part in national awareness campaigns via its website and communications teams. 8.5 The Council will continue to improve carriageway, footways and cycleways to ensure good and safe routes are available in-line with budget constraints. The provision of good cycleways and footways may assist road users to make sensible modal shift, where appropriate, to other forms of transport (walking and wheeling). 8.6 Safe Speeds To maintain a consistent safe road system across Argyll and Bute Council, speed limit setting will continue to be undertaken in line with our Local and National Policy documents. It is important that speeds are set at what the environment and road user expect to achieve maximum compliance. 8.7 The Council will keep its Road Speed Limit Policy Framework under review and will aim to capture both national policy and locally driven changes. The assessment and setting of speed limits will take into consideration: • Road (and local) environment • Road geometry and engineering (including the cost of physical works for any desired improvements) • History of collisions • Composition of road users (including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users) • Existing traffic speeds (both mean and 85th%ile speeds) • Road function • The level of public anxiety • Environment impact • Traffic flows & composition • Enforceability 8.8 Safe Roads and Roadsides This is largely self-explanatory but at its core roads, particularly for improvements to existing or construction of new roads, should be designed to encourage safe and sustainable travel. The route should be predictable to the user and forgiving of errors. Often, retroactively applying this aim to our existing local roads will be challenging but improvements have been and can continue to be made to the network. Page 186
Page 187
P a g e | 23 8.9 Through its footway upgrades, provision of cycleways and encouragement of walking and wheeling, the Council aims to create a safer infrastructure for all users which will, in turn, reduce the frequency and severity of collisions and associated injuries. 8.10 The Council will continue to review crash data to identify cluster sites and incidents involving the most vulnerable groups. The assessments may also include traffic and speed surveys to identify any contributory factors. 8.11 Traffic & speed data surveys, where they identify routes or time periods where speeding occurs, will be shared with our partners Police Scotland for action as they consider appropriate. 8.12 Alongside RCI, SCRIM and accident data, the Council will also consider, as far as practicable, complaints, requests for service and submissions from Elected Members regarding the development of road safety schemes. 8.13 To ensure our roads are as intuitive as they can be for all users, signage and line markings schemes will be designed so that they are self-explaining and consistent across the local road network. Existing signing and lining will be reviewed as appropriate and in-line with available budgets to ensure they are fit for purpose. In addition to this, a reduction of sign clutter to make sure that road users do not become “sign blind” and that signs on the network are needed and clear in their message. These measures will have the added benefit of reducing driver error and stress, particularly for drivers unused to the local roads. 8.14 Safe Vehicles As far as practicable, the Council will support our national government and work with our partners to minimise the frequency and severity of collisions to road users. There is, however, limited opportunity for the Council to impact safe vehicles on the road network but will support measures when appropriate to do so. 8.15 Post-Crash Response The Traffic & Development Officers will continue to meet with Police Scotland to review potential road impacts on collisions. These on-site assessments, undertaken jointly with our Police Scotland partners, consider road geometry, signage and road markings, surface water drainage and the impact of and debris or detritus on the network. Where relevant, post-crash work is undertaken to improve the road network and reduce the likelihood of further incidents occurring. Page 187
Page 188
P a g e | 24 9.0 Summary 9.1 This is the first roads safety plan drafted in Argyll and Bute Council since the introduction of Transport Scotland’s “Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030”. Further work will be required over the coming years to ensure the plan is kept current and to assess the Councils progress on its road safety targets. As data analysis capability improves it will lead to better assessment of the network issues and ensure that schemes are shaped to deliver the desired outcomes. 9.2 In 2013, there was a casualty every 60 hours on the local road network. This reduced to one every 72 hours in 2019 but by 2022 this had widened, significantly, to one injury every 165 hours. Although it is difficult to identify any single improvement measure or impactor (for example, road improvements or COVID-19) as to why this has dropped so substantially, the trend is a welcome one and one that the Council aims to sustain. 9.3 This plan sets out measures and actions which will ensure that the Council continues to assess, inspect, maintain and improve the local network. In addition, the Council will seek to provide road safety education and training information on its website; this may take the form of direct information and / or links to external road safety websites. The combined effect of these measures will provide a safer network and allow road users to make well-informed decision about their road safety behaviours. 9.4 The Council remains committed to continuous improvements to both road network condition and road safety. 9.5 Road safety is the responsibility of everyone, from roads engineers, roads safety practitioners to the users of the road network. With commitment from all and working together our roads can made safer for everyone. Page 188
Page 189
P a g e | 25 10.0 References 10.1 Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/49893/scotlands-road-safety-framework-to- 2030.pdf 10.2 Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/53660/key-reported-road-casualties-scotland- 2022.pdfs 10.3 Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/fpxp1oxz/view-reported-road-casualties- scotland-2022-full-pdf-version-including-datasets.pdf 10.4 Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2018 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/46662/sct10192798881.pdf Page 189
Page 190
P a g e | 26 11.0 Appendix 1 – Road Improvement Schemes Treatment Descriptions Patching Removal and replacement of small localised areas of surface layers to existing levels Inlay Removal and replacement of surface over entire width , where levels fixed by kerbs etc Regulating Additional layer of bituminous surfacing to smooth out ruts and potholes , prior to new surface layer Overlay Additional bituminous surfacing layer over existing to add strength, usually Rural roads Edge Strengthening Localised widening of carriageway and verge improvements, prior to surfacing works Geo-grid Plastic and/or textile reinforcement mat between bituminous layers to resist cracking and deformation Reconstruction Excavation and replacement of several layers of full width of carriageway structure Pre-Surface Dressing Minor works to prepare existing surfaces , patching , jet-patching, edge cutting etc Surface Dressing Bitumen binder and stone chips - seals surface and improves skid resistance - over prepared surfaces Schem es F/Y Area Road Location Description of Works 2022/23 B&C A866 Rhubodach - Port Bannatyne Surface Dressing 2022/23 B&C U4 Ardmory Road Inlay 2022/23 B&C A866 Ambrismore - Ardscalpsie Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C UC24 Crichton Road Inlay 2022/23 B&C UC05 Clate Point - Kildavanan Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C C1 Bruchaig Road Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C B878 Russell St Inlays / patching 2022/23 B&C A815 Whistlefield - Invernoaden & N of Strachur Pre SD , Preparation works 2022/23 B&C UC19 Coustoun Road Colintraive Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C A8003 Glen Caladh - Bennien Mor Edge strengthening & passing places 2022/23 B&C B839 Pole Farm - Inveronich Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C C60 Argyll Road - Argyll Street - Park Road Inlay 2022/23 B&C U22 Mill Cottage - Lower Camquart Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C B828 Glen Mor Regulate + Overlay 2022/23 B&C B8042 Victoria Road Inlay 2022/23 B&C Active Travel Victoria Street - Rothesay Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Active Travel Blain Terrace Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Active Travel St Brides Road Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways A885 Argyll St - Stadium to Bencorrum Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways UC01 Ardenslate Rd Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways UC08 Bencorrum Brae Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways UC44 John St Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways UC28 Ferry Brae Footway improvements Page 190
Page 191
P a g e | 27 2023/24 B&C Capital Footways UC16 Clyde Street, Kirn Footway improvements 2023/24 B&C A866 Rhubodach Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C B881 Meikle Grenach to A844 Scalpsie Jtn Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C A815 Strachur - Sawmill to Fire Station Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C A815 Rashfield to Orchard Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C A815 Ardhallow to Cluniter House Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C A815 Cluniter Point to Pier Road - Innellan Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C A885 A815 to Bencorum Brae Surface Dressing 2023/24 B&C UC5 Glecknabae - Pipers Cave Resurface 2023/24 B&C UC5 Glecknabae - Lenihall Resurface 2023/24 B&C A886 Rhubodach Farm Overlay 2023/24 B&C U11 Castle St - Quay St to George St Inlay 2023/24 B&C A815 A886 to Strachur Fire Station Inlay 2023/24 B&C A815 Rankins Brae to Fir Brae Inlay 2023/24 B&C B8042 Argyll St-Alfred St & A815-Royal Crescent Inlay 2022/23 H&L U012 Ardencaple Drive (inc Caste Ave) Surface Dressing 2022/23 H&L U191 Loch Drive (inc Cairndhu Ave) Surface Dressing 2022/23 H&L U Roads Garelochead & Rhu Surface Dressing 2022/23 H&L A814 Cardross - Westerhill Inlay 2022/23 H&L A818 Luss Road Inlay 2022/23 H&L B833 Rockville Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 H&L U157 James Street Helensburgh Inlay 2022/23 H&L U320 William Street Helensburgh Inlay 2022/23 H&L U282 Sutherland Street Inlay 2022/23 H&L - Tarbet Roads Inlay 2022/23 H&L U118 Fraser Avenue Inlay 2022/23 H&L B833 Mambeg Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 H&L U247 School Road Kilcreagan Inlay 2022/23 H&L B872 Whistlefield Road Garelochhead Inlay 2022/23 H&L U149 Ardmore Overlay 2022/23 H&L Active Travel A814 Cardross Footways Footway improvements 2023/24 H&L Active Travel A814 Colgrain Footpath links 2023/24 H&L Active Travel Rosedale Gardens Footway improvements 2023/24 H&L Capital Footways Clynder - Straid Bheag Footway improvements 2023/24 H&L U189 Lineside walk Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U170 Kidston drive Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U081 Cumberland Avenue Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U228 Luss to A82 Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L B833 Mill Brae Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U237 Portincaple road Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U244 Red Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L U237 Darleith Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 H&L A818 Daligan bends Resurface 2023/24 H&L U101 E King, Charlotte- Henry Bell st Inlay 2023/24 H&L A814 Glen Douglas junction Resurface 2023/24 H&L A814 North of Glen Douglas Resurface 2023/24 H&L U004 Adelaide street Inlay 2023/24 H&L U247 Redguantlet Road Inlay Page 191
Page 192
P a g e | 28 2023/24 H&L U259 School road Inlay 2023/24 H&L U053 Camsail road Inlay 2023/24 H&L B833 Altnabui-Mambeg Overlay 2023/24 H&L B833 South of Pier-Mambeg Overlay 2023/24 H&L B833 Peir cottage to Mambeg house Overlay 2023/24 H&L C69 Glen Douglas at Doune Resurface 2022/23 MAK &I A816 Cairnbaan Corner Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I U71 Park Road Ardrishaig Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I U54 Glenfyne Ardrishaig Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I UC20/21 Kilmartin School Loop Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I B8025 A816 Junt. - Cross roads Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I B8024 A83 JCT - Achabraid Geogrid & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I U Class Inveraray Housing Scheme Inlay 2022/23 MAK &I U18 Drimvore - Crinan Ferry Structural Overlay / Patching 2022/23 MAK &I C38 Barmalloch Structural Overlay / Patching 2022/23 MAK &I C65 Inveraray Pier Carpark Inlay 2022/23 MAK &I C67 Lorne Street Inlay 2022/23 MAK &I B8024 Glenralloch Ph 2 Geogrid & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I - Clachan Village Loop Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I - Saddell Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I - New Peninver Housing Scheme Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I - Southend Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I U17 Gobbagrennan Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I B842 Southend Overlay - reduced 2022/23 MAK &I B843 Drumlemble Structural Overlay / Patching 2022/23 MAK &I U10 Glenbreckrie Structural Overlay / Patching 2022/23 MAK &I U18 Tangy Structural Overlay / Patching 2022/23 MAK &I U17 Calton Hill Inlay 2022/23 MAK &I A846 East Lodge - Bridgend Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I A846 Jura Three Arch Bridge to Leargybreck Pre SD Patching 2022/23 MAK &I B8016 North of Laggan Bridge - Strengthening Geogrid & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I A846 Bridgend Inlay Page 192
Page 193
P a g e | 29 2022/23 MAK &I A847 Blue Houses - Mart Bridgend Structural Patching & Drainage 2022/23 MAK &I C17 Oa Road - Cragabus Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I B8016 High Road - North of Glenegedale Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I U45 Port Wemyss Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I U27 & U54 Mansfield Inlay 2022/23 MAK &I B8086 / B8087 Colonsay - Main Loop Road Surface Dressing 2022/23 MAK &I B8086 Scalasaig - access from Ferry Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 MAK &I U48 Uragaig Road to Kiloran bay - PH 1 Structural stengthening 2022/23 MAK &I Active Travel Ardrishaig Dropped kerbs 2022/23 MAK &I Active Travel Flora Street, Bowmore Slurry seal 2023/24 MAK &I Capital Footways Bowmore Slurry seal 2023/24 MAK &I A816 Kilmartin-Carnassarie Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I B8024 South of Middle Hill -Ormsary House Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I B842 Second half - Killellen to Achnaglach . Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I C19 Between Kilkerran Rd & Fachoig Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I B879 B879 junc to Network Centre. Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I C20 Between new Bridge & Arnicle. Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I B8016 Glenegedale northwards Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I C17 Uc26 junction to S of Upper Cragabus Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I A847 West of Bridgend Surface Dressing 2023/24 MAK &I A819 Inveraray -Fish Farm Overlay 2023/24 MAK &I A816 Barrichbeyan Regulate and Surface 2023/24 MAK &I U13 Macharioch Overlay 2023/24 MAK &I B843 Revised Drumlemble-Stewarton Overlay 2023/24 MAK &I Burnbank St Burnbank St Inlay 2023/24 MAK &I Burnside St Burnside Sq to Longrow Inlay 2023/24 MAK &I Bolgam St Bolgam St Inlay 2023/24 MAK &I Castlehill Revised Castlehill - 2 sections Inlay 2023/24 MAK &I Range Rd Range Rd Inlay Page 193
Page 194
P a g e | 30 2023/24 MAK &I U33 Woodlands Dr Inlay 2023/24 MAK &I U16 Kilypole timber route Resurfacing and drainage 2022/23 OL&I - Pulpit Rock - Oban drainage , kerb and Inlay 2022/23 OL&I C29 Inverinan - Kilchrennan Surface Dressing 2022/23 OL&I - South Shian Roads Surface Dressing 2022/23 OL&I A816 Blaran Embankment & widening 2022/23 OL&I A816 Kilininver Widening & Barrier 2022/23 OL&I B845 Inveresragan Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I C63 / C28 Bridge of Orchy Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I U37 Salachail Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I - Connell Village PH2 Inlay 2022/23 OL&I U27 Airds Bay Inlay 2022/23 OL&I U57 Ulva Road Patching 2022/23 OL&I U98 Villa Road Inlay 2022/23 OL&I B845 Blarcreen - Bonawe Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I A816 Soroba Road - Argyll Sq Inlay 2022/23 OL&I U25 Muasdale Rd Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I U63 Monument Hill Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I U15 Duncraggin Road Inlay 2022/23 OL&I U56 Kerrera Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I U98 Balindoe Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I A819 Claddich Jct Edge Widening & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I - North Shian Roads Regulate & Overlay 2022/23 OL&I B8072 Coll , Cranaig Junction-Sorisdale Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I A848 Tobermory - Gulan Dubh Surface Dressing 2022/23 OL&I B8073 Burg - Kilninian Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I C46 Glenbellart Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I - Tiree various locations. Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I B8035 Tiroran Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I C48 Carsaig Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I U14 Grasspoint Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I U6 Croig Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I - Tobermory Village Inlay 2022/23 OL&I C47 Glengorm Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I B8073 Calgary Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I B8035 Knock Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I B8073 Ulva - Torloisk Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I A849 /A848 Craignure - Tobermory Pre S/D patching 2022/23 OL&I B8071/2/3 Coll Roads Regulate & overlay 2022/23 OL&I Active Travel Kenmore Cottages - Bonawe Footway improvements 2022/23 OL&I Active Travel Bunessan - Mull Footway improvements 2023/24 OL&I Capital Footways Oban - Dunollie Various Kerb replacement and surfacing 2023/24 OL&I Capital Footways Oban - Miller Road Slab replacement 2023/24 OL&I C31 Ardanaesaig Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I B845 Taychreggan Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I U37 Glen Creran Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I U134 Loch Creran Road Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I A848 Ardnacross to Gulan Dubh Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I A849 Salen to Glen Forsa Surface Dressing Page 194
Page 195
P a g e | 31 2023/24 OL&I C47 Glen Gorm from B8073 Northwards Surface Dressing 2023/24 OL&I A816 Loch Nan Druimnean Overlay 2023/24 OL&I A816 Arduanie Overlay Overlay 2023/24 OL&I B8003 Cattery to Church Overlay 2023/24 OL&I B844 Clachandubh Farm Overlay 2023/24 OL&I B845 Barcaldine to Bonawe Overlay 2023/24 OL&I C25 Queens Brae Inlay 2023/24 OL&I C33 Lerags Road Overlay 2023/24 OL&I U004 Croft Road Inlay 2023/24 OL&I U10 Ardmaddy Road Overlay 2023/24 OL&I A816 Kilninver C/W extension, realigned VSF 2023/24 OL&I U74 Eorabus Overlay 2023/24 OL&I C45 Hill Road Overlay 2023/24 OL&I U70 Caliach Road Overlay 2023/24 OL&I C49 Ardtun (inc Knockvologan) Overlay 2023/24 OL&I B8035 Gruline - Knock Overlay 2023/24 OL&I U14 Grasspoint Overlay 2023/24 OL&I U009 Main Street, Dervaig Inlay 2023/24 OL&I B8073 Tobermory to Dervaig Overlay Page 195
Page 196
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 197
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2019 - PAVEMENT, DOUBLE & DROPPED KERB PARKING STANDARDS - UPDATE REPORT 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting held on 21 March 2024 considered a report which provided Members with an update regarding pavement, double and dropped kerb parking under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Members at that meeting requested additional information which this further report provides. 1.2 The key aim of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is to improve accessibility, particularly for the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and children). The prohibitions on pavement parking and parking at dropped footways are intended to ensure access for walkers and wheelers without being impeded by parked vehicles and to prevent these groups of more vulnerable road users from being forced to traverse amongst vehicular traffic within the live carriageway. RECOMMENDATIONS i. It is recommended that Members agree the introduction of the enforcement of the prohibitions set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, in relation to pavement parking, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking, to commence once the associated back-office system is upgraded, before the end of 2024. ii. It is recommended that Members agree to the creation of two new warden posts; one based in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands, and one based in Helensburgh and Lomond, to support both the enforcement of the new prohibitions but also to enhance the capacity to enforce restrictions under the DPE regime. Page 197 Agenda Item 11
Page 198
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2019 - PAVEMENT, DOUBLE & DROPPED KERB PARKING STANDARDS – UPDATE REPORT 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 This report provides Members with an update report as requested at the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting held on 21 March 2024 in relation to changes resulting from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that Members agree that enforcement of the prohibitions set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, in relation to pavement parking, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking, can commence once the associated back- office system is upgraded. 3.2 Further, it is recommended that Members agree to the creation of two new warden posts; one based in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands, and one based in Helensburgh and Lomond, to support both the enforcement of the new prohibitions but also to enhance the capacity to enforce restrictions under the DPE regime. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 A report on the pavement, double and dropped kerb parking prohibition, as legislated under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, was presented to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting held on 21 March 2024 Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 - Pavement, Double and Dropped Kerb Parking Standards - March 2024. The Committee noted the changes in legislation and requested that a subsequent report would be provided to the Committee with further information (including legislative framework and enforcement options), also outlining any additional resource which may be required to discharge the new powers. This report provides an update on this subject. Page 198
Page 199
Prohibitions and Exceptions 4.2 For ease of reference, the legislation provides power to roads/traffic authorities to carry out enforcement on the following (note, the legislation provides the Power to enforce but does not impose a Duty on local authorities): i. Pavement parking prohibition (s50 of the Act) a. A “pavement” in the Act is a footway or footpath as defined within the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, s151(2). b. A motor vehicle is parked on a pavement if: i. It is stationary and one or more of its wheels (or any part) is on any part of the pavement. ii. A stationary vehicle is considered parked whether the driver is in attendance and whether or not the engine is running. ii. Double parking prohibition (s54 of the Act) a. A parked vehicle is double parked where no part of the vehicle is within 500mm of the edge of the carriageway. b. A stationary vehicle will be double parked whether or not the driver is in attendance and whether or not the engine is running but not if this is due to traffic or other circumstances beyond the driver’s control. iii. Dropped footway parking prohibition (s56 of the Act) a. Dropped footway is where the kerbs have been lowered to meet the level of carriageway or the carriageway has been raised to meet the level of the footway; where this has been done to facilitate pedestrians or cyclists to cross the carriageway. b. This does not apply to dropped kerbs which form the access to driveway or garage (whether for commercial or residential properties). 4.3 The Act and the associated guidance documents (principally the Pavement, Double & Dropped Kerb Parking Standards Guidance – Enforcement Chapters, appended to the report) also sets out exceptions to the prohibitions. 4.4 In the case of footway parking and double parking, the same exceptions apply and are detailed within Chapter 2 of the Enforcement Chapters. Broadly, the exceptions include emergency services, road or public utility maintenance, and delivery services. The Committee should note that there are no exceptions applied to Blue Badge holders under the new provisions. 4.5 The exceptions for the dropped footway parking prohibition are more limited than the above. However, broadly, the prohibition does not apply where the footway has been dropped for the purpose of vehicle access or in the case of emergency response. Page 199
Page 200
4.6 The key aim of the Act overall is to improve accessibility, particularly for the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and children). The prohibitions on pavement parking and parking at dropped footways are intended to ensure access for walkers and wheelers without being impeded by parked vehicles and to prevent this group of road users from being forced to traverse amongst vehicular traffic within the live carriageway. 4.7 The aim set out above is expected to improve the road safety for our most vulnerable road users, but it should also be noted that footways are not typically constructed to the same standards as carriageways (for example, generally recently constructed carriageways have a construction depth of 350-450mm whereas footways have a construction depth of 210mm – many older carriageways and footways will have significantly less construction thickness, with many footways having insignificant strength to withstand vehicle overrun). 4.8 Vehicles parked on footways can lead to the deformation of the footway and the formation of defects; both of which affect the ”ride quality” for the user and potentially increase liability to the Council should trips or falls occur. In addition to this, vehicle loading on footways can increase the burden on already pressured budgets due to the increase in maintenance requirement (for example, kerb damage, rutting, potholes). In some situations permitted footway parking, where sufficiently constructed footways exist, can provide a useful shared resource as detailed in the photo in Appendix 1 attached). Enforcement 4.9 Enforcement of breaches would be carried out in a similar manner to the enforcement regime in respect to Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE). The Council currently has a team of six Amenity Wardens (“parking wardens”) who enforce the restrictions under DPE as permitted under the Road Traffic Act 1991. The remit of the warden team would extend to include the restrictions outlined earlier but under the powers outlined in Section 59 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. The Amenity Wardens are based in local areas where they carry out their main duties, however are often deployed where demands are greatest. 4.10 The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides additional powers, beyond that permitted under the 1991 Act. This includes the following: i. If a vehicle drives away before a warden can affix a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), then the PCN can be issued via post. ii. If a PCN is interfered with or removed (other than by the local authority or the registered keeper/person in charge of the vehicle) then the person doing so is guilty of an offence. iii. Enforcement on private roads where there is a public right of passage, and the footway or footpath is compliant with the definition under s151 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. iv. Enforcement of parking on verges but only where the verge is between a footway and a carriageway. Page 200
Page 201
4.11 A PCN may only be issued under one of the Acts, not both. For example, if a vehicle parked on a footway but also on a double yellow line then only one PCN could be issued. In this example, it is recommended that the PCN would be issued under the 1991 Act (i.e. for parking in contravention of the double yellow markings). 4.12 Further to the above, the 2019 Act provides for circumstances where the PCN is not payable or is to be refunded. This includes the example set out above but also contains other circumstances including where the keeper of the vehicle is subject to criminal proceedings, or a fixed penalty notice under the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. 4.13 The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 sets out the amount of the penalty charge. This has mirrored the charge for PCNs under the 1991 Act and are as set out in Table 1 below. Table 1 Paid within 14 Days (50% discount) Paid between 15 days and service of Notice to Owner Paid between issue of Notice to Owner and service of charge certificate Paid after service of charge certificate (50% uplift) £50 £100 £100 £150 4.14 The appeals process broadly mirrors the DPE regime. The following provides a brief overview of the process but further detail can be found under Chapter 9 of the Enforcement Chapters. i. First appeal may be submitted to the local authority within the payment period. This must include any available evidence in support of the appeal. ii. The local authority must consider the appeal against the specified grounds. It may then waive the PCN or issue a notice of rejection. The notice of rejection must set out the reasons for the same and advise that the appellant may, if they so wish, appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland or otherwise pay the penalty charge. 4.15 The Councils back-office parking system provider, Imperial Parking Enforcement Solutions, are currently upgrading their software to allow PCNs to be issued under the 2019 Act. Once the upgrade is complete, and subject to Member agreement, breaches in the new prohibitions can be enforced by the Council’s warden team. Accounts 4.16 Income raised from the issue of PCNs under the 2019 Act are retained within the local authority. The Act requires that any surplus derived from this can only be used to fund a restricted list of activities, mirroring broadly the requirements for on-street parking surplus income as outlined within s55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA84). These activities include the following (ii to iv are derived from the s55(4) b-d of the RTRA84): Page 201
Page 202
i. of facilitating the local authority’s local transport strategy ii. meeting all or any part of the cost of the provision and maintenance by the local authority of off-street parking accommodation, whether in the open or under cover iii. the making to other local authorities, . . . or to other persons of contributions towards the cost of the provision and maintenance by them, in the area of the local authority or elsewhere, of off- street parking accommodation, whether in the open or under cover iv. if it appears to the local authority that the provision in their area of further off-street parking accommodation is unnecessary or undesirable, the following purposes: a. meeting costs incurred, whether by the local authority or by some other person, in the provision or operation of, or of facilities for, public passenger transport services, and b. the purposes of a road improvement project in the local authority’s area 4.17 The local authority is required to prepare a statement each financial year showing income and expenditure and how any surplus budget in the account has been applied. It should be noted that this is also done each year for off and on street parking and PCN income under the 1991 Act. Resource 4.18 Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) was introduced in Argyll and Bute in June 2014. The application to the Scottish Government for authorisation to operate DPE within Argyll and Bute noted that the enforcement staff would include one Parking Manager and eight f.t.e. wardens. Of the eight wardens, six were new posts wholly focussed on DPE and two equated to ~20% of the nine existing Environmental Wardens time for parking duties. In practice the level of parking enforcement carried out by the 9 Environmental Wardens was well below 20% of their duties due to other demands, the 20% being a figure used in the initial scoping of DPE. 4.19 The reduction in the Environmental Warden staff from nine to four has removed the theoretical capacity for the two wardens (f.t.e) in delivery of the parking enforcement regime. At present the parking team is comprised of wardens as below: • 2 x OLI wardens – based out of JQ, Oban • 2 x H&L wardens – based out of Blackhill Depot, Helensburgh • 1 x B&C warden – based out of Victoria Road, Dunoon • 1 x MAKI warden – based out of JQ, Oban Page 202
Page 203
4.20 Since the implementation of DPE in 2014, there has been a year-on-year increase in demand for a warden presence across Argyll and Bute, focussed on “hot-spots” such as Ganavan Sands, Oban generally, Campbeltown, Helensburgh town centre, Luss and Arrochar, and Dunoon and Rothesay. The demand comes from numerous sources including Elected Members, members of the public, Police Scotland and other organisations (for example bus companies where parking is obstructing junctions or corners and causing difficulties for buses to gain access). The demand driven by places such as Luss means that due to the current level of staffing, other areas are at times deprived of a regular warden presence (in the case of Luss, Helensburgh and the Rosneath peninsula are unable to be enforced. Campbeltown, partly due to the travel time from warden bases, also has limited enforcement. 4.21 As the number of on-street restrictions are increased and as more car parks are brought under a control order, it can be more challenging to meet this demand within the current resource levels. The impact of enforcing the prohibitions set out with in the 2019 Act are difficult to predict but members of the public have submitted requests and queries regarding this already. It is clear there will be an additional demand, however, and this will be difficult to meet within current resource levels. 4.22 As part of the ongoing RIS review a number of efficiencies have been identified in terms of operating the Parking Wardens and these efficiencies are anticipated to create capacity within the parking team allowing a more comprehensive parking enforcement regime across the council area. However, in order to provide more resilience, extend the times of enforcement to meet the demand, cover weekends and public holidays and increase the ability to deal with more complex parking matters such as abandoned boats, trailers etc. from car parks and occasionally on street it is proposed that a further 2 wardens are recruited on a cost neutral basis as set out below: 4.23 Based on pre-COVID-19 levels, there was, on average 6,500 PCNs issued per annum. This equated to approximately 1,100 PCNs per warden per annum. It should be noted that Parking Wardens are not set targets and their primary focus is to help to keep traffic free flowing safely rather than generate income. 4.24 Prior to April 2023, the charge of for PCNs had not increased for 20 years. The previous charge levels were £60 per PCN, reducing to £30 if paid within 14 days. The majority of PCNs were paid at the lower rate and this equated to an average PCN payment of £30.05. From 2023, however, the Scottish Government agreed to increase the level of PCNs to the figures outlined in Table 1. The increase provides the lower payment (if paid within 14 days) at £50 per PCN. Based on the average number of PCNs per annum and the difference between the lower new figure and the previous average payment, this alone could generate as much as £129,675 per annum. With the current financial issues facing families and communities such as fuel costs etc, it is expected that the increased charge will encourage drivers to think carefully about where they park and not to incur the costly PCN charge, officers are of the opinion this will impact the number of PCNs issued with some drivers being more compliant and, as such, the £129,675 per annum is at the high end on estimated income, however; even with a 30% decrease in the number Page 203
Page 204
of PCNs issues, the new higher charge would still increase income by £32,175. 4.25 The salary grade for the Amenity Wardens is LGE5. At the top of the grade (3 years in post) the cost to the Council (including Employers National Insurance and Superannuation contributions) is £30,824. There are other costs associated with the service, for example, vehicles and fuel, back-office system and staff and enforcement equipment but to cover the cost of a warden post, a warden need only issue 645 PCNs per annum; this is only 58% of the average annual PCNs issued per warden and takes no account of the potential increase in PCNs should Members agree that the new prohibitions are enforced. 4.26 In addition to the increased income expected, as detailed in para 4.23, it is anticipated that any new warden(s) would also issue ~1,100 PCNs per annum and should, in theory, generate a net surplus to the Council. Taking this alongside the potential increase highlighted in para. 4.23 and considering that the new prohibitions will create a level of enforcement demand; Officers are of the view that the increase in resource should be a neutral cost to the Council. 4.27 To ensure a cost-effective and broad cover over the Argyll and Bute area, Officers recommend that the following arrangements are progressed: i. The warden covering MAKI (based in Jackson Quarry, Oban) is relocated to cover OLI. ii. A new post is created based within MAKI to allow regular presence in Inveraray, Lochgilphead, Tarbert and Campbeltown as well as covering Islay as appropriate. iii. A new post is created within H&L, primarily focussed on enforcement along the loch-sides of Loch Lomond and Loch Long (at present primarily Luss and Glen Loin 2, Arrochar). iv. The new posts will include arrangements to ensure coverage on public holidays and re-deployment, as practicable, to provide warden cover in other areas. v. The arrangements will be reviewed following a full 12 months of enforcement with a view to considering any further expansion in the warden resource. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 This report provides Members with an update report as requested at the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting held on 21 March 2024. 5.2 It is recommended that Members agree to the introduction of the enforcement of the parking prohibitions under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 before the end of 2024. 5.3 It is recommended that Member agree to the creation of two new warden posts, one based in MAKI the second based in H&L. Page 204
Page 205
6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy – May require process documents to be drafted but the Enforcement Chapters provide a good baseline for doing so, including several process flows. 6.2 Financial – Cost of upgrading the back office system and two additional posts, but should be cost neutral overall. 6.3 Legal – Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides local authorities the Power to enforce the prohibition but does not impose a Duty. 6.4 HR – Potential increase in resource, expected to be cost neutral. 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – may provide better protection for those with mobility issues. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – n/a. 6.5.3 Islands - n/a. 6.6 Climate Change – n/a. 6.7 Risk – Not implementing the prohibition within Argyll and Bute may cause reputational damage to the Council. 6.8 Customer Service – The prohibitions may drive requests for service. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – May provide increased safety for children. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services Jim.Smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Stuart Watson, Assistant Network & Standards Manager Stuart.Watson@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Photo showing regulated footway parking Appendix 2 – Pavement, Double and Dropped Kerb Parking Standards Guidance - Enforcement Chapters Page 205
Page 206
Appendix 1 - Photo showing regulated footway parking Example of permitted parking where a Traffic Regulation Order is in place allowing parking with one wheel ‘on the kerb’. Note this is an example of parking arrangements outside of Argyll and Bute Page 206
Page 207
transport.gov.scot 1 | P a g e Pavement, Double & Dropped Kerb Parking Standards Guidance Enforcement Chapters Page 207
Page 208
2 | P a g e CONTENTS 1. Introduction, Purpose & Legislation • Pre-Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 legislation • Provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 2. Pavement Parking & Exceptions 3. Double Parking & Exceptions 4. Dropped Footway Parking & Exceptions 5. Enforcement of the Parking Prohibitions • Enforcement • Local Authorities without Decriminalised Parking Enforcement 6. Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) • Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for the parking prohibitions • Information to be included in PCNs 7. Enforcement Orders & Charge Certificates 8. Roles and responsibilities • Parking Attendants • Training • Equipment • Uniforms 9. Representations and Appeals • Representations • Response to representations • Transport Appeals Panel of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland 10. Accounts • Keeping and publication of accounts • Surplus from enforcement Page 208
Page 209
3 | P a g e CHAPTER 1 Introduction The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (“the Act”) was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 10th October 2019, receiving Royal Assent on 15th November 2019. The Act provides local authorities with powers to enforce the new National parking prohibitions introduced by the Act. The new prohibitions place restrictions on pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs at known crossing points. This guidance has been developed in association with the Parking Standards Group which was set up by Transport Scotland in 2018 as an advisory group for the purpose of designing the new parking prohibitions. This group includes representatives from a wide range of stakeholders including local authorities, COSLA, SPT, Living Streets Scotland, Cycling Scotland and the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland (MACS). This guidance is designed to be the second of two documents and gives advice on the types of issue local authorities should consider when issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for the enforcement of the new parking prohibitions. The first guidance document was issued to the Parking Standards Group in December 2022 along with Ministerial Directions and The Pavement Parking Prohibition (Exemption Orders Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2022. This gave guidance on the areas local authorities need to consider if they wish to exempt areas of pavement from the parking prohibitions. In due course both of these documents will be amalgamated into one document. Purpose The key aim of the Act is to improve accessibility, particularly for vulnerable road users, by allowing walkers and wheelers the ability to use pavements and dropped kerbs without being impeded by parked vehicles. Provision was made in the Act for Ministers to issue written guidance to local authorities following consultation with such persons as they consider appropriate. Both “Parking Standards” publications set out Ministerial guidance to local authorities to aid consistent operation and enforcement of the pavement parking, double parking and dropped kerb parking prohibitions. The Act states that a local authority must have regard to any written guidance issued by Scottish Ministers about the exercise of functions conferred on them by the Act. It also states that Scottish Ministers must publish any such guidance in such a manner as they consider appropriate as soon as reasonably practicable after it is given. Page 209
Page 210
4 | P a g e Ministerial guidance 68 Ministerial guidance (1) The Scottish Ministers may, following consultation with such persons as they consider appropriate, issue written guidance in relation to the exercise of functions conferred on a local authority (whether as a local authority or as a traffic authority) by virtue of this Part. (2) A local authority must have regard to any written guidance given by the Scottish Ministers about the exercise of functions conferred on it (whether as a local authority or as a traffic authority) by virtue of this Part. (3) The Scottish Ministers must publish any such guidance in such manner as they consider appropriate as soon as reasonably practicable after it is given. Figure 1 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 Pre-Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 Legislation Parking in Scotland is regulated by primary and secondary legislation, including the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, the Road Traffic Act 1991, the Road Traffic Act 1988 as well as Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) made by roads authorities. Because of the wealth of legislation, there was often confusion as to what was prohibited and who was responsible for enforcement in certain areas. For example, it was illegal to drive on a pavement but not illegal to park there unless causing an obstruction. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 included national prohibitions on pavement, dropped kerb & double parking in order to clarify this confusion and make it clear that you can be subject to a PCN for these types of inconsiderate parking offences. Page 210
Page 211
5 | P a g e CHAPTER 2 Pavement Parking The Act includes provision to restrict the parking of a vehicle on “a pavement”. A “pavement" means a footway or footpath. This is commonly referred to as a ban on parking on the “pavement” or “footway” and this national ban covers all of Scotland. The Act also makes provision for local authorities to apply exemptions to areas of footway if certain criteria are met. Local authorities cannot put in place blanket exemptions and must consider each street on its individual merits while considering it in the context of the immediate area. The powers to make Exemption Orders are set out in section 51 of the Act, supported by regulations made under Section 52 of the Act which govern the process for making such orders. The measures within the Act do not take precedence over existing Traffic Regulation Orders. For example, a delivery vehicle cannot make use of a 20 minute exemption to park on a pavement to unload where an existing double yellow line TRO is already in place. In addition to the possibility of making Exemption Orders, there are also some exceptions to the parking prohibitions set out in the Act as detailed below. Pavement Parking Exceptions It was recognised through the development of the Act that there may be circumstances in which it is necessary or expedient for motor vehicles being used by certain bodies, or in certain circumstances, to park on the pavement. Therefore, the Act provides that the motor vehicles and trailers being used as described below in figure 2 are excepted from the restriction: 55 Exceptions to pavement parking prohibition and double parking prohibition (1) This section sets out exceptions to the pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition. (2) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where the motor vehicle— (a )is being used— (12) (i) for police purposes, including for the purposes of the National Crime Agency, (ii) for ambulance purposes or for the purpose of providing a response to an emergency at the request of the Scottish Ambulance Service Board, (iii) for or in connection with the exercise of any function of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service or Her Majesty’s Coastguard, or (iv) for naval, military or air force purposes, (b) the achievement of the purposes, or the exercise of the function, would be likely to be hindered if the vehicle were not parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), and Page 211
Page 212
6 | P a g e (c) no part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded). (3) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where the motor vehicle— (a) is being used for or in connection with— (i) the undertaking of works in roads, (ii) the removal of an obstruction to traffic, (iii) the collection of waste by or on behalf of a local authority, (iv) postal services (within the meaning of section 125(1) of the Postal Services Act 2000), (b) cannot reasonably be so used without being parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), (c) is so parked for no longer than is necessary for that use, and (d) no part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded). (4) In subsection (3)(a)(i), “works in roads” includes— (a) road works within the meaning given by section 107(3) of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, (b) works for roads purposes within the meaning given by section 145(2) of that Act, (c) major works for roads purposes with the meaning given by section 145(3) of that Act, (d) cleaning, placing, removing or adjusting by or on behalf of a roads authority (within the meaning given by section 151(1) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984) of any equipment or structure which is placed on or over a road. (5) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where— (a) the motor vehicle is being used by a registered medical practitioner, registered nurse or registered midwife for or in connection with the provision of urgent or emergency health care, (b) the provision of the care would be likely to be hindered if the vehicle were not parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), (c) the vehicle is so parked for no longer than is reasonable in connection with the provision of the care, and (d) no part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded). (6) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where— Page 212
Page 213
7 | P a g e (a) the motor vehicle is, in the course of business— (i) being used for the purpose of delivering goods to, or collecting goods from, any premises, or (ii) being loaded from or unloaded to any premises, (b) the delivery, collection, loading or unloading cannot reasonably be carried out without the vehicle being parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), (c) no part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded), (d) the vehicle is so parked for no longer than is necessary for the delivery, collection, loading or unloading and in any event for no more than a continuous period of 20 minutes. (7) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where the motor vehicle is parked wholly within a parking place that is— (a )authorised by order under section 32(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, or (b) designated by order under section 45 of that Act. (8) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where the motor vehicle is parked in accordance with permission given by a constable (within the meaning given by section 99(1) of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012) in uniform. (9) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where— (a) the person has parked the motor vehicle for the purpose of saving life or responding to another similar emergency, (b) the achievement of that purpose would be likely to be hindered if the vehicle were not parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), and (c) the vehicle is so parked for no longer than is necessary for that purpose. (10) The pavement parking prohibition and the double parking prohibition do not apply where— (a) the person has parked the motor vehicle for the purpose of providing assistance at an accident or breakdown, (b) the assistance could not be safely or reasonably provided if the vehicle were not parked on a pavement or, as the case may be, as mentioned in section 54(1), (c) the vehicle is so parked for no longer than is necessary for that purpose, and (d) no part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded). (11) In this section, “carriageway” has the meaning given by section 51(6). Page 213
Page 214
8 | P a g e (12) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify this section. Figure 2 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 In respect of the exceptions above we have had previous discussions with local authorities on how they should enforce these and wish to provide some clarity on the common issues raised below: ‘No part of the vehicle is within 1.5 metres of the pavement edge which is furthest away from the centre of the carriageway (however that edge is bounded)’ In order to be clear that a vehicle isn’t within the 1.5 metres mentioned above it would be good practice for local authorities to equip all enforcement officers with a suitable measuring device such as a measuring tape or clearly marked foldable measuring chart to ensure that the minimum distance has been contravened. Photographic evidence of this could be recorded if a local authority felt it was necessary for clarity of the contravention. ‘The vehicle is so parked for no longer than is necessary for the delivery, collection, loading or unloading and in any event for no more than a continuous period of 20 minutes.’ Although generally we would not expect an observation period to be required in respect of a pavement parking violation, this one exception may require a period of monitoring before a PCN is issued. If a delivery/collection is being actively undertaken and only in the exceptional circumstances where no other parking area is reasonably practicable, then a delivery driver may park partially on the pavement for no longer than 20 minutes to undertake that task. A distance of 1.5 metres of pavement must also be left clear so that pedestrians can pass by on the pavement. If an active delivery/collection is observed that meets the above exception regulations, an enforcement officer will wish to ensure that the 20 minute time limit is not being exceeded. Page 214
Page 215
9 | P a g e CHAPTER 3 Double Parking The Act includes provision to restrict parking on the carriageway otherwise than adjacent to the edge of the carriageway. This parking is commonly referred to as double parking. Within the Act a vehicle is classed as double parked if no part of the vehicle is within 50 centimetres of the edge of the carriageway. Double parking is restricted across Scotland although, as with the pavement parking restriction, certain specified motor vehicles being used in the specified manner will be excepted from the double parking restriction. Please see below an extract from the Act which details the double parking prohibition: 54 Double parking prohibition (1) A person must not park a motor vehicle on a carriageway in such a way that no part of the vehicle is within 50 centimetres of the edge of a carriageway (in this Part, this prohibition is referred to as the “double parking prohibition”). (2) For the purposes of the double parking prohibition, a stationary motor vehicle is parked whether or not— (a) the driver of the vehicle is in attendance at the vehicle, (b) the engine of the vehicle is running. (3) But a motor vehicle is not parked for those purposes if it is stationary— (a) due to the necessities of traffic, or (b) otherwise as a result of circumstances beyond the driver’s control. (4) The double parking prohibition is subject to the exceptions set out in section 55. (5) In subsection (1)— “carriageway” has the meaning given by section 51(6), “edge of a carriageway” means— (a) where the edge of the carriageway is marked by a painted solid white line, the edge of the painted line furthest from the centre of the carriageway, (b) where the edge of the carriageway is not marked by a painted solid white line and is bounded by a kerb, the edge of the kerb closest to the centre of the carriageway, (c) in any other case, where the surface of the carriageway meets the verge of the carriageway, “motor vehicle” has the meaning given by section 185(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, except that section 189 of that Act (exception for certain pedestrian controlled vehicles and electrically assisted pedal cycles) applies as it applies for the purposes of that Act. Figure 3 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 Page 215
Page 216
10 | P a g e Double Parking Exceptions As with the pavement parking prohibition, the same exceptions also apply to the double parking prohibition. Details of the exceptions can be found in Chapter 2 of this document. Page 216
Page 217
11 | P a g e CHAPTER 4 Dropped Footway Parking The Act includes provision to restrict parking at dropped kerbs at known crossing points. The policy restricts a vehicle being parked on a carriageway adjacent to a footway where, for the purpose of assisting pedestrians or cyclists to cross the carriageway, the footway has been lowered to meet the level of carriageway, or the carriageway has been raised to meet the level of the footway. This does not apply to dropped kerbs which form the entrance to a driveway or a garage whether on commercial or residential premises. The following extract details the dropped footway parking prohibition. 56 Dropped footway parking prohibition (1) A person must not park a motor vehicle on a carriageway adjacent to a footway where, for the purpose of assisting pedestrians or cyclists to cross the carriageway— (a) the footway has been lowered to meet the level of the carriageway, or (b) the carriageway has been raised to meet the level of the footway. (2)In this Part, the prohibition in subsection (1) is referred to as the “dropped footway parking prohibition”. (3)In this section and section 57— “carriageway” has the meaning given by section 51(6), “footway” has the meaning given by section 50(4), “motor vehicle” has the meaning given by section 54(5). Figure 4 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 Dropped Footway Parking Exceptions Similarly to the pavement parking and double parking prohibitions, there are also exceptions to the dropped footway parking prohibition. It is acknowledged that there may be circumstances in which it is necessary for motor vehicles being used in certain circumstances, to park adjacent to a dropped kerb. It should also be noted that parking next to a drop kerb in front of the access to a driveway that is not a known crossing point is also permitted. The Act therefore ensures the prohibition does not apply in the circumstances described below: 57 Exceptions to dropped footway parking prohibition (1) This section sets out exceptions to the dropped footway parking prohibition. (2) The dropped footway parking prohibition does not apply where the footway has been lowered or the carriageway has been raised as described in section 56(1) for the purpose of access to a driveway or to a garage (whether on commercial or residential premises). (3) The dropped footway parking prohibition does not apply where— Page 217
Page 218
12 | P a g e (a) the person has parked the motor vehicle for the purpose of saving life or responding to another similar emergency, (b) the achievement of that purpose would be likely to be hindered if the vehicle were not parked as mentioned in section 56(1), (c) the vehicle is so parked for no longer than is necessary for that purpose. Figure 5 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 Page 218
Page 219
13 | P a g e CHAPTER 5 Enforcement of the Parking Prohibitions Enforcement The Act allows Scottish Ministers to make provision in connection with the enforcement of the parking prohibitions. The detail of the procedure is set out in Regulations made under the Act. Section 59 states: 59 Enforcement of parking prohibitions (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations, following consultation with such persons as they consider appropriate, make provision for or in connection with the enforcement of the pavement parking prohibition, the double parking prohibition and the dropped footway parking prohibition. (2) Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular, make provision for or about— (a) the approval by the Scottish Ministers of devices to be used in connection with the detection of a contravention of a prohibition, (b) the notification of a penalty charge, including the form, content and method of notification, the timing and manner of payment of a penalty charge, (d) reviews and appeals (including grounds of review or appeal) in connection with the imposition of penalty charges, (e) the manner in which a penalty charge may be enforced, (f) steps that may be taken following the cancellation of a penalty charge, which may include the issuing of another penalty charge in respect of the same contravention. (3) Regulations under subsection (1) may not confer power to stop motor vehicles. (4) Regulations under subsection (1) may include provision— (a) creating criminal offences to be triable summarily and punishable with a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or such lower amount as may be prescribed by the regulations, (b) securing that a penalty charge is not required to be paid, or is to be refunded, where the conduct in respect of which the penalty charge is imposed is the subject of— (i)criminal proceedings, (ii)a fixed penalty notice (within the meaning of section 52(1) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988), (iii)a penalty charge notice issued under section 66(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1991 (as applied by an order under paragraph 1 or 2 of schedule 3 of the Act, (c) securing that a record produced by an approved device is sufficient evidence of the fact recorded in the record in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations. Figure 6 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 This chapter examines in more detail the process provided to enable local authorities to enforce the parking prohibitions on roads in their area, which is similar to the Page 219
Page 220
14 | P a g e existing enforcement regime in respect of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE). Who is Liable to Pay a Penalty Charge Notice The enforcement process is set out in The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 and the relevant sections are shown below and details who a penalty charge is payable by: Figure 7 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Steps an Enforcement Officer Must Take The extract below from the Regulations details the steps an authorised Enforcement Officer must take when issuing a PCN: Person by whom a penalty charge is to be paid 3.—(1) A penalty charge is payable by a person other than the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle in the circumstances specified in paragraphs (2) to (5). (2) Where the relevant vehicle is not registered in terms of section 21 (registration of vehicles) of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994(b), a penalty charge is payable by the person by whom the relevant vehicle was used or kept at the time of the contravention. (3) Where the registered keeper sold or transferred the relevant vehicle before the time of the contravention, a penalty charge is payable by the person by whom the relevant vehicle was used or kept at the time of the contravention. (4) Where at the time of the contravention— (a) the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle was a vehicle hire firm, and (b) the relevant vehicle was hired to a person under a hiring agreement with the vehicle hire firm, a penalty charge is payable by the person hiring the relevant vehicle. (5) Where at the time of the contravention the relevant vehicle was used or kept by a person who was a vehicle trader and that vehicle trader was not the registered keeper, a penalty charge is payable by that person. (6) In this regulation— “hiring agreement” means an agreement for the hire of a vehicle— (a) under the terms of which the vehicle is let to the hirer for a fixed period of any duration (whether or not that period is capable of extension by agreement between the parties or otherwise), (b) which contains such particulars as may for the time being be prescribed for the purpose of section 66 (hired vehicles) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988(a), and (c) which is not a hire-purchase agreement within the meaning given to that term by section 189(1) (definitions) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974(b), “vehicle trader” has the same meaning as in regulation 3(1) (interpretation) of the Road Vehicle (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002(c). Page 220
Page 221
15 | P a g e Penalty charge notices: notification by authorised enforcement officer 4.—(1) Where an authorised enforcement officer has reason to believe that a penalty charge is payable in respect of a contravention, that officer may give notification of the penalty charge by— (a) fixing a penalty charge notice to the relevant vehicle, or (b) giving a penalty charge notice to the person appearing to the authorised enforcement officer to be in charge of the relevant vehicle. (2) A penalty charge notice given under this regulation must contain the information set out in paragraph 2 of the schedule. Figure 8 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Interference With a Penalty Charge Notice and When a Charge is Not Payable The extract below from the Regulations details the steps a local authority can take if someone has removed or interfered with a PCN fixed to a vehicle and circumstances where a charge is not payable or is to be refunded: Figure 9 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Removal of, or interference with, a penalty charge notice 7.—(1) A penalty charge notice fixed to a vehicle in accordance with regulation 4(1)(a) must not be removed or interfered with except by or under the authority of— (a) the registered keeper or person in charge of the vehicle, or (b) the local authority. (2) A person who contravenes paragraph (1) is— (a) guilty of an offence, and (b) liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale. Circumstances in which a charge is not payable or is to be refunded 8.—(1) No penalty charge is payable in relation to a contravention where the conduct in respect of which the penalty charge is imposed is the subject of— (a) criminal proceedings, (b) a fixed penalty notice (within the meaning of section 52(1) (fixed penalty notices) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988), or (c) a penalty charge notice issued under section 66(1) (parking penalties in London) of the Road Traffic Act 1991(a) (as applied by an order under paragraph 1 or 2 of schedule 3 of that Act). (2) Where, despite paragraph (1)— (a) a penalty charge is paid in respect of a contravention, and (b) the conduct in respect of which the penalty charge is imposed is the subject of proceedings or a notice as mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) to (c), the local authority must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the circumstances in subparagraph (b) come to its notice, refund the amount of the penalty charge which has been paid. Page 221
Page 222
16 | P a g e Local Authorities Without Decriminalised Parking Enforcement The Act allows local authorities to enter into arrangements with others, whether that be other local authorities or third party companies, to enforce the parking prohibitions on the local authority’s behalf. Section 64 states: 64 Arrangements in connection with enforcement A local authority may enter into arrangements with any person for the exercise by that person of any function conferred on the local authority by or under section 58(2), 59(1), 61(1), 62(1) or 63(1). Figure 11 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 It is up to each local authority to decide what the best method is for enforcing the parking prohibitions. Below are some examples of how a local authority can undertake enforcement: In-House A local authority may wish to carry out in-house enforcement of the parking prohibitions. This option may suit local authorities who have existing parking attendants employed to manage their off-street car parks. Outsourcing A local authority may wish to outsource enforcement to a third party while keeping in mind any decisions throughout the enforcement process that the local authority would prefer to keep internal. Shared Service There are a number of local authorities in Scotland that have expertise and vast experience of processing PCNs. Some of these authorities may have sufficient resources available to accommodate additional demand should a local authority wish to share services with a neighbouring local authority. Mixed Approach This is an option for local authorities who may wish to outsource the back office required for processing a PCN to the private sector while the enforcement of the parking prohibitions is kept in-house. Page 222
Page 223
17 | P a g e . Enforcement of the Trunk Road Network Scottish Ministers do not have powers to undertake any type of enforcement in relation to parking matters and are therefore reliant on a partnership with local authorities to ensure that parking measures are enforced on trunk roads. Local authorities are able to enforce the new parking prohibitions on areas of trunk road which do not fall under their direct remit as roads authority but are in the local authority area. This type of enforcement would only normally occur in built up areas where a trunk road passes through a city, town or village. This type of collaboration is already common place where local authorities have DPE powers and enforce existing Traffic Regulation Orders on part of the trunk road network. Enforcement on Private Roads In addition to the section above on enforcement of the trunk road network, local authorities may also wish to note that the pavement parking prohibition applies to 'pavements' and the prohibition can be enforced by the local authority in their area. Pavement means footpath or footway as defined in section 151(2) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. That section refers to footways and footpaths over which there is a public right of passage which differs to the definition of a public road. As the prohibition applies to pavements over which there is a public right of passage by foot only, in particular circumstances this may apply to a private road. Enforcement on verges Local authorities may wish to note, that in circumstances where a pavement is associated with a carriageway and there is a verge between the carriageway and the pavement, it is possible to issue a PCN for parking on that verge. This is not the case where there is no pavement associated with the carriageway. As an example the car pictured below could be subject to enforcement action as they have parked on the verge between a pavement and the carriageway that the pavement is associated with: Page 223
Page 224
18 | P a g e Page 224
Page 225
19 | P a g e CHAPTER 6 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) The Act allows Scottish Ministers to make provision in connection with the imposition of penalty charges, setting the amounts of those charges and provide for surcharges and discounts. The detail of these charges is set out in the Regulations made under the Act. Section 58 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 enables all 32 local authorities to issue a PCN for a contravention of the parking prohibitions, whether they operate DPE regimes or not. Section 58 states: 58 Imposition of Penalty Charges (1) Where a person parks a motor vehicle in contravention of the pavement parking prohibition, the double parking prohibition or the dropped footway parking prohibition, a penalty charge is payable in respect of the contravention. (2)Where a local authority considers that a penalty charge is payable under subsection (1) in respect of a contravention occurring in its area, it may issue a notice imposing a penalty charge (a “penalty charge notice”) in accordance with regulations under section 59(1). (3)A penalty charge notice may be issued under subsection (2) only on the basis of— (a)conduct observed by an authorised enforcement officer, or (b)a record produced by an approved device. (4)A penalty charge imposed under subsection (2) is payable— (a)by the registered keeper of the motor vehicle, or (b)in such circumstances, following consultation with such persons as they consider appropriate, as may be specified in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers, by such other person as may be so specified. (5)The Scottish Ministers may by regulations, following consultation with such persons as they consider appropriate, make provision for or in connection with the amount that may be imposed as a penalty charge, which may include provision for discounts and surcharges. Figure 12 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 This chapter examines in more detail the level of PCN for a contravention of the parking prohibitions as well as any discounts and surcharges. Two flow charts appear in the annexes to this document which shows the procedures that should be followed when a PCN is issued by an enforcement officer (Annex B) or issuing an Enforcement Notice via the post when the issuing of a PCN has been started but the officer is unable to complete the process (Annex C). Page 225
Page 226
20 | P a g e Enforcement Notice Via Post When PCN Issue Not Possible The regulations allow for an Enforcement Notice to be issued via post in certain circumstances where the issuing of a PCN has been started but could not be finished. For example, if an Enforcement Officer has started to draft a ticket for pavement parking but the vehicle is moved before the issuing of the PCN is complete, the local authority have the option of issuing an Enforcement Notice via the post should they wish. It would be prudent for Enforcement Notices to be issued via recorded delivery in light of the fact that this will be the first contact the vehicle owner had received in respect of the contravention. More information and the wording of the regulations is covered in Chapter 7 below. Penalty Charge Notice Levels The PCN levels, discounts and surcharges are set out in The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 and the relevant sections are shown below. It should be noted that this is a set level that must be charged for the three new parking prohibitions: Amount of penalty charge 2.—(1) The penalty charge payable in respect of a contravention is £100. (2) If a penalty charge is paid before the end of a period of 14 days beginning with the date on which notice of a penalty charge is given under regulation 4 or served under regulation 5, the penalty charge is reduced by 50 percent. (3) Where a charge certificate is served under regulation 9(2), the penalty charge is increased by 50 percent. Figure 13 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 The extract above from the Regulations details the PCN levels for a contravention of the parking prohibitions. The table below sets out the discount a member of the public would receive if they paid a PCN within 14 days and the surcharges if paid late. Paid within 14 Days Paid between 15 days and service of Notice to Owner Paid between issue of Notice to Owner and service of charge certificate Paid after service of charge certificate £50 £100 £100 £150 Table 1 Page 226
Page 227
21 | P a g e Number of PCNs to be Issued Per Calendar Day A local authority may wish to only issue one PCN per calendar day, if the vehicle remains in the same location. In instances where a vehicle has parked illegally and received a PCN, then moved to a separate location and parked illegally again, a local authority may consider issuing more than one PCN per calendar day. Information to be Included in PCNs The below Schedule details the information to be included in PCNs where the authorised enforcement officer has affixed the PCN to a vehicle or handed to the driver of the vehicle. Where they have attempted to issue a PCN but have been prevented from doing so or the vehicle has driven away, the local authority may issue an Enforcement Notice without issuing a PCN or applying a discount period. This is covered in more detail in Chapter 7 below: SCHEDULE – Information to be included in notices Meaning of “regulatory matters” 1. In this schedule “the regulatory matters” means— (a) the name of the local authority, (b) the registration mark of the vehicle involved in the alleged contravention, (c) the date on and the time at which the alleged contravention occurred, (d) the amount of the penalty charge, and (e) the manner in which the penalty charge must be paid. Information to be included in a penalty charge notice given under regulation 4 2. A penalty charge notice given under regulation 4 must— (a) specify the date on which the notice is given, (b) include the regulatory matters, (c) specify the grounds on which the authorised enforcement officer issuing the notice believes that a penalty charge is payable, (d) state that the penalty charge must be paid within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the alleged contravention occurred, (e) state that if the penalty charge is paid before the end of a period of 14 days beginning with the date of notice being given of the penalty charge, the penalty charge will be reduced by 50 percent, (f) state that if the penalty charge is not paid within the period of 28 days referred to in subparagraph (d), an enforcement notice under regulation 6 may be served by the local authority on the registered keeper of the vehicle or such other person as mentioned in regulation 3, Page 227
Page 228
22 | P a g e Figure 14 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Photographic Evidence The need for photographic evidence is not a requirement included within The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023. However, a local authority may wish to take photographic evidence of a contravention of the parking prohibitions contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Contravention Codes Transport Scotland advise all local authorities to use the following contravention codes for the new parking prohibitions in order to ensure consistency across all local authority areas. We have also included suggested W codes for any warning notices that local authorities may wish to issue. Code Suffixes Description 100 Parked on a pavement 101 Parked adjacent to dropped kerb at a known crossing point. 102 Parked where no part of the vehicle is within 50 centimetres of the edge of the carriageway. W100 Warning notice - Parked on a pavement. W101 Warning notice - Parked adjacent to dropped kerb at a known crossing point. W102 Warning notice - Parked where no part of the vehicle is within 50 (g) state that a person on whom an enforcement notice under regulation 6 is served may, in accordance with these Regulations, make representations to the local authority against the decision to serve that notice and, if those representations are rejected, appeal to the First tier Tribunal, (h) state that if, before an enforcement notice under regulation 6 is served, representations against the penalty charge are received at such postal or e-mail address as may be specified in the notice given under regulation 4, those representations will be considered by the local authority, and (i) state that if an enforcement notice under regulation 6 is served despite the representations mentioned in sub-paragraph (h) having been made, representations against the decision to serve the enforcement notice must be made in the form and manner and within the timescale specified in the notice served under regulation 6. Page 228
Page 229
23 | P a g e centimetres of the edge of the carriageway. Table 2 Page 229
Page 230
24 | P a g e CHAPTER 7 Enforcement Notice & Charge Certificates Enforcement Notice An Enforcement Notice can be served in a number of circumstances such as, when a PCN has not been paid (covered under Regulation 6), or where the serving of a PCN wasn’t possible after the process of serving the PCN had begun (covered under Regulation 5). We will take each of these circumstances in turn and look at what the regulations say regarding when an Enforcement Notice should be issued and what should be included in such a notice. The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 lays out in full when an Enforcement Notice can be issued and what should appear on such a notice. Where Payment is Not Made Following a PCN Being Issued to a Vehicle or Driver Where a PCN has been issued and not paid, the procedure for serving an Enforcement Notice is laid out below: Figure 15 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 An Enforcement Notice must contain the information as laid out in the Schedule below: Enforcement notices: service where payment is not made following notification under regulation 4 6.—(1) This regulation applies where— (a) notification of a penalty charge has been given under regulation 4, and (b) the period of 28 days specified in the notice as the period within which the penalty charge is to be paid has expired without that charge being paid. (2) Where this regulation applies, an enforcement notice may be served on— (a) the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle, or (b) a person by whom the penalty charge is payable under regulation 3. (3) An enforcement notice served under this regulation must contain the information set out in paragraph 4 of the schedule. Information to be included in an enforcement notice served under regulation 6 4. An enforcement notice served under regulation 6 must— (a) specify the date of the notice, which must be the date on which it is posted, Page 230
Page 231
25 | P a g e Figure 16 – Extract from the Schedule to The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Where an Enforcement Officer Has Started the Process of Issuing a PCN But Was Unable to Complete the Serving of That PCN Where the serving of a PCN had started but the Enforcement Officer was unable to serve the PCN, the local authority may decide to issue an Enforcement Notice by post to the keeper of the vehicle. We would recommend that this is done via recorded delivery given this is the first time the keeper will have been notified of the infringement. The procedure for serving an Enforcement Notice under these circumstances is laid out in the regulations shown below: (b) include the regulatory matters, (c) specify the date on which the penalty charge notice was given under regulation 4, (d) specify the grounds on which the authorised enforcement officer who gave the penalty charge notice under regulation 4 believed that a penalty charge was payable, (e) state that the penalty charge must be paid within the payment period, unless representations have been made under regulation 10(1), (f) state that representations may be made, on any of the grounds specified in regulation 10(4), to the local authority against the decision to serve the enforcement notice, but that representations made outside the payment period may be disregarded, (g) specify the form in which representations must be made and the manner in which they must be submitted, (h) state the amount of the increased charge which may be payable if, before the end of the relevant period determined under regulation 9(3)— (i) the penalty charge is not paid, or (ii) no representations have been made in accordance with regulation 10(1), (i) state that if representations made under regulation 10(1) are rejected, an appeal may be made to the First- tier Tribunal against the decision to serve an enforcement notice on any of the grounds specified in regulation 10(4). Enforcement notices: service where notification under regulation 4 is not completed 5.—(1) This regulation applies where— (a) an authorised enforcement officer attempted to give a penalty charge notice in accordance with regulation 4 but was prevented from doing so by any person, or (b) an authorised enforcement officer had begun to prepare a penalty charge notice to be given in accordance with regulation 4, but the relevant vehicle was driven away from the place where it was stationary before the officer had finished preparing the notice or had given it in accordance with regulation 4. (2) For the purposes of paragraph 1(b), an authorised enforcement officer who observes conduct which appears to constitute a contravention is not because of that observation to be taken to have begun to prepare a penalty charge notice. Page 231
Page 232
26 | P a g e Figure 17 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 An Enforcement Notice must contain the information as laid out in the Schedule below: Figure 18 – Extract from the Schedule to The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 (3) Where this regulation applies, an enforcement notice may be served on— (a) the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle, or (b) a person by whom the penalty charge is payable under regulation 3. (4) An enforcement notice served under this regulation must contain the information set out in paragraph 3 of the schedule. (5) An enforcement notice served in accordance with this regulation must be served before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the contravention date. Information to be included in an enforcement notice served under regulation 5 3. An enforcement notice served under regulation 5 must— (a) specify the date of the notice, which must be the date on which it is posted, (b) include the regulatory matters, (c) specify the grounds on which the local authority believes that a penalty charge is payable, (d) state that the penalty charge must be paid within the payment period, unless representations have been made under regulation 10(1), (e) state that if the penalty charge is paid before the end of a period of 14 days beginning with the date of service of the enforcement notice, the penalty charge will be reduced by 50 percent, (f) state that the enforcement notice is being served by post for whichever of the following reasons applies— (i) because an authorised enforcement officer attempted to serve a penalty charge notice by affixing it to the vehicle or giving it to the person in charge of the vehicle in accordance with regulation 4 but was prevented from doing so by some person, (ii) because an authorised enforcement officer had begun to prepare a penalty charge notice for service in accordance with regulation 4 but the vehicle was driven away from the place in which it was stationary before the authorised enforcement officer had finished preparing the penalty charge notice or had served it in accordance with that regulation, (g) state that representations may be made, on any of the grounds specified in regulation 10(4), to the local authority against the decision to serve the enforcement notice, but that representations made outside the payment period may be disregarded, (h) specify the form in which representations must be made and the manner in which they must be submitted, (i) state the amount of the increased charge which may be payable if, before the end of the relevant period determined under regulation 9(3)— (i) the penalty charge is not paid, or (ii) no representations have been made in accordance with regulation 10(1), (j) state that if representations made under regulation 10(1) are rejected, an appeal may be made to the First- tier Tribunal against the decision to serve an enforcement notice on any of the grounds specified in regulation 10(4). Page 232
Page 233
27 | P a g e Charge Certificates Where an Enforcement Notice has previously been issued and no payment has been received, the local authority may issue a Charge Certificate. The level of fine increases from £100 to £150 at this stage. The circumstances of when a Charge Certificate can be issued is laid out in the regulations and shown below: Figure 19 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 Charge certificates 9.—(1) This regulation applies where— (a) an enforcement notice is served on a person, and (b) the penalty charge to which it relates is not paid before the end of the relevant period. (2) Where this regulation applies, the local authority that served the enforcement notice may serve on that person a statement (a “charge certificate”) to the effect that the penalty charge to which the notice relates is increased by 50 percent. (3) The “relevant period” for the purposes of paragraph (1) means— (a) where a notice of rejection is served under regulation 11(3) but no appeal is made under regulation 12, the period of 28 days beginning with the date of service of the notice of rejection, (b) where there has been an unsuccessful appeal against the service of an enforcement notice to the First-tier Tribunal and no subsequent application for review, or review, of the First tier Tribunal’s decision or appeal to the Upper Tribunal, the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the decision of the First-tier Tribunal is sent ©the appellant, (c) where an application for review of the decision of the First-tier Tribunal in an appeal against the service of an enforcement notice has been rejected and there has been no subsequent appeal to the Upper Tribunal, the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the decision rejecting the application for review is sent to the applicant, (d) where there has been an unsuccessful review of the decision of the First-tier Tribunal in an appeal against the service of an enforcement notice and no subsequent appeal to the Upper Tribunal, the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the decision refusing the review is sent to the applicant, (e) where there has been an unsuccessful appeal against the service of an enforcement notice to the Upper Tribunal, the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the decision of the Upper Tribunal is sent to the appellant, (f) where an appeal to either the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal is withdrawn, the period of 14 days beginning with the date on which it is withdrawn, (g) where no representations are made under regulation 10(1) within the payment period, that period. (4) If representations are received by a local authority after the payment period and taken account of under regulation 10(3), the local authority must cancel a charge certificate served under paragraph (2). (5) Where in relation to an enforcement notice— (a) the relevant period for the purposes of paragraph (1) has expired, and (b) the increased charge for which the charge certificate provides is not paid before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the date on which the certificate is served, the local authority may recover the increased charge as if it were payable under an extract registered decree arbitral bearing a warrant for execution issued by the sheriff for any sheriffdom. Page 233
Page 234
28 | P a g e CHAPTER 8 Roles and Responsibilities Parking Attendants Under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, local authorities are responsible for considering any representations against PCNs. Consistently high enforcement standards should keep the number of representations at a minimum. Local authorities should make it clear to parking attendants that their job is to enforce the parking prohibitions fairly with a view to achieving high levels of compliance. This means that local authorities need to ensure that parking attendants, whether employed or contracted, are: • Competent and willing; • Supervised effectively; and • Properly trained and clearly instructed about their conduct. Training Local authorities should ensure that all parking attendants, including supervisors and managers are properly trained to enforce the parking prohibitions fairly, accurately and consistently. This requirement applies whether the parking attendants are employed by the local authority or through a third party. As part of the training, it is recommended that local authorities should make sure that parking attendants understand all the primary and secondary legislation associated with the parking prohibitions. This includes understanding the detail of the pavement parking, double parking and dropped kerb parking legislation as well as any exemptions and exceptions to the prohibitions. Local authorities should ensure that the training given to parking attendants equips them with the interpersonal, conflict resolution and communication skills needed to perform their jobs effectively and without undue stress or personal danger. Parking attendants should undergo regular refresher training. Training will be based on existing qualifications, but local authorities should look to supplement these with further training relevant to local needs and policies. The following training list may be useful for parking attendants and third parties: • Introduction to the role and duties of parking attendants; • Understanding the objectives of the new parking prohibitions and how the system works in practice; • The different type of parking prohibition contraventions; • The PCN level for contraventions of the parking prohibitions; • Exceptions to the parking prohibitions; • Exemptions orders promoted by the local authority; • Use of hand-held computers; Page 234
Page 235
29 | P a g e • The vehicle registration system, including foreign and diplomatic registrations; • Requirements concerning parking attendants’ uniforms; • Dealing with the general public, including conflict management and aggressive motorists; • The need to operate within the law and, in particular, not to break traffic regulations whilst enforcing them; and • The adjudication service, including the preparation of witness statements. Equipment Hand-held Devices Parking attendants typically use a hand-held device to issue PCNs. However, to ensure business continuity, they should still be able to write them by hand if necessary. Each local authority will be best placed to decide how they issue PCNs for contraventions of the parking prohibitions in their area. Body Cameras Local authorities may wish to consider using body cameras to provide additional evidence of a parking contravention and service of the PCN. Local authorities may also wish to consider the use of body cameras for health and safety reasons and for training purposes. The footage captured may also be used as secondary evidence for adjudication purposes. Digital Cameras In addition to body cameras, local authorities may wish to take photographs from digital cameras to help reduce the potential for appeals. They reduce the likelihood of an appeal and if an appeal is held, they improve the speed and quality of justice. The cameras may be particularly useful in cases where, for example, a vehicle is not parked correctly within a marked bay for an Exemption Order or one or more of its wheels contravenes the parking legislation. They can also be useful to rebut claims that a PCN was not attached to a vehicle. Uniforms The uniform should be readily distinguishable from those worn by the police, and clearly show: • That the wearer is engaged in parking enforcement; • The name of the local authority/authorities on whose behalf the enforcement officer is acting; and • A personal identity number Page 235
Page 236
30 | P a g e When undertaking enforcement action, a parking attendant must be clearly identifiable and in full uniform. For local authorities with DPE powers, it is expected that existing uniforms would be utilised. Page 236
Page 237
31 | P a g e CHAPTER 9 Representations and Appeals The Act allows Scottish Ministers to make provision in connection with the enforcement of the parking prohibitions. The detail of the procedure is set out in the Regulations made under the Act. This chapter examines in more detail the grounds for representation that can be made to a local authority, what a local authority must consider in the response to any representations received and information about when a member of the public can lodge an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Representations In the first instance, if a recipient of a PCN wishes to appeal, they may do so by submitting formal written representations to the local authority that issued the PCN. If the local authority rejects the representations, it must issue a Notice of Rejection. The extract below from the Regulations details the specific grounds a recipient can make representations to the local authority about if they feel that a PCN for one of the new parking prohibitions has been issued in error: Representations against an enforcement notice 10.—(1) The recipient of an enforcement notice may make representations within the payment period to the local authority against the decision to serve that notice on any of the grounds specified in paragraph (4). (2) Where representations are made under paragraph (1), the recipient of the enforcement notice must include any available evidence relevant to the specified ground relied upon. (3) The local authority may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, take account of representations made under paragraph (1) which are received by them after the end of the payment period. (4) The specified grounds are— (a) that the alleged contravention did not occur, (b) that the penalty charge exceeds the amount payable in the circumstances of the case, (c) that the penalty charge— (i) is payable by a person other than the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle, and (ii) is instead payable by a person specified in regulation 3, (d) that the recipient— (i) never was the registered keeper of the relevant vehicle, or (ii) became the registered keeper after the alleged contravention occurred, (e) that at the time that the alleged contravention occurred, the relevant vehicle was in the control of a person who did not have the consent of the registered keeper, (f) that the conduct in respect of which the penalty charge is imposed is the subject of proceedings or a notice as mentioned in regulation 8(1)(a) to (c), (g) that the enforcement notice should not have been served because— Page 237
Page 238
32 | P a g e Figure 20 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 A person responsible for the vehicle (usually the keeper of the vehicle) may appeal the issuing of a PCN following its receipt, or if a notice to the registered keeper has been served, or when formal representation has been rejected by the local authority. In this case, the recipient may appeal against the Enforcement Notice to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. It is important that local authorities resolve any appeals with the registered keeper of the vehicle at the earliest possible stage and should always give representations a fair and impartial consideration. It is also important that good quality data is readily available to staff who are considering any appeals to PCNs. This means that parking staff have access to all appropriate information, including: • A copy of the original PCN data; • Any photographic evidence; • Parking attendant’s notes; • Up to date keeper details; • Any relevant TROs or Exemption Orders; • Equipment maintenance records; • Records of the condition of lines and signs; and • Any other similar information which could be helpful. (i) the penalty charge has been paid in full, or (ii) in the circumstances specified in regulation 2(2), the reduced penalty charge has been paid before the end of the period of 14 days specified in that regulation, (h) that, in the case of an enforcement notice which is served under regulation 5(1)(a), no person prevented an authorised enforcement officer from— (i) fixing a penalty charge notice to the relevant vehicle, or (ii) handing such a notice to the person appearing to the officer to be in charge of the relevant vehicle, (i) that, in the case of an enforcement notice which is served under regulation 5(1)(b), an authorised enforcement officer had not begun to prepare a penalty charge notice when the relevant vehicle was driven away, (j) that, whether or not any of the grounds specified in paragraph (4)(a) to (i) apply, there are compelling reasons why, in the particular circumstances of the case, the local authority should cancel the penalty charge and refund any sum paid to it on account of the penalty charge. (5) Where the ground mentioned in paragraph (4)(c) is relied on in any representations made under paragraph (1), those representations must (if the information is known by the recipient) include a statement of the name and address of the person who is considered by the recipient of the penalty charge notice to be responsible for payment of the penalty charge. Page 238
Page 239
33 | P a g e Where necessary, local authorities may find it appropriate to check the conditions of signs and lines on-site, as there can often be appeals on the basis of a lack of signage or faded road markings. Local authorities should act fairly and proportionately when exercising their powers under Section 10(6) (j) of the Regulations to cancel a PCN, if deemed to be appropriate based on the circumstances of the case. Response to Representations The extract below from the Regulations details what a local authority should consider when responding to any representations: Response to representations 11.—(1) Where representations are made to a local authority under regulation 10(1) within the payment period, or taken account of by the local authority under regulation 10(3), it must— (a) consider those representations and any supporting evidence provided, (b) serve on the person by whom the representations were made a notice under paragraph (2) or, as the case may be, paragraph (3). (2) Where a local authority accepts that at least one of the grounds specified in regulation 10(4) is established, it must— (a) cancel the enforcement notice, (b) serve a notice on the person by whom the representations were made— (i) stating that the enforcement notice has been cancelled, (ii) explaining the local authority’s decision, and its reasons for that decision, on each of the grounds on which representations were made, 7 (c) refund any penalty charge paid in relation to the cancelled enforcement notice. (3) Where a local authority is satisfied that none of the grounds on which representations are made is established, it must serve on the person by whom those representations were made a notice of rejection. (4) The notice of rejection must— (a) state the reasons for the local authority’s decision on each ground on which representations were made, (b) state that an appeal against the decision to serve an enforcement notice may be made to the First-tier Tribunal within the appeal period, or such longer period as the First-tier Tribunal may allow, (c) state the grounds upon which an appeal may be made (being the same grounds as are specified in regulation 10(4)), (d) describe in general terms the manner and form for making an appeal, (e) state that the First-tier Tribunal has power to make an award of expenses, (f) state that unless, before the end of the appeal period— (i) the penalty charge is paid, or (ii) an appeal is made to the First-tier Tribunal against the decision to serve an enforcement notice, the local authority may issue a charge certificate under regulation 9(2) (and describe the effect of that regulation were it to do so). Page 239
Page 240
34 | P a g e Figure 21 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 If a local authority accepts one of the grounds of representations, they must cancel the Enforcement Notice, send a notice to the person who made the representation, advising that the Enforcement Notice has been cancelled, explaining the local authority’s decision and refund any monies paid. If a local authority feels that none of the grounds of representation are met, they must issue a notice of rejection. The notice of rejection must contain the information detailed in 4 (a) to (f) from the extract above. Local authorities can apply discretion to late representations and it is advisory that where a vehicle owner provides a valid reason for the delay and has strong grounds for representations, then discretion should be applied. The need for cancellation policies to cover the use of discretion is recommended. When a motorist accepts that the contravention did occur, but argues that the PCN should be cancelled on grounds of extenuating circumstances, individual local authorities will have the choice of exercising discretion. (5) The cancellation of an enforcement notice under this regulation does not prevent the local authority from serving a new enforcement notice on another person (other than the person on whom the original enforcement notice was served). (6) Regulation 5 applies in relation to a notice served under paragraph (5) as if— (a) for paragraph (5) there were substituted— “(5) An enforcement notice given in accordance with this regulation must be served before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which notification of cancellation of an enforcement notice is given under regulation 11(2).”, (b) for sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (6) there were substituted— “(a) within 14 days of the date on which notification of cancellation of an enforcement notice is given, a local authority has made a request to the Secretary of State for the supply of relevant information.”, and (c) in paragraph (6)(b), the reference to paragraph (5) were a reference to that paragraph as modified by sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph. (7) In this regulation and regulation 12— “the appeal period” means the period of 28 days beginning with the date of service of the notice of rejection. Page 240
Page 241
35 | P a g e Appeals to the First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland The extract below details when a member of the public can appeal to the FTT: Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal 12. A person on whom an enforcement notice has been served may, on any of the grounds set out in regulation 10(4) and before the end of the appeal period, or such longer period as the First tier Tribunal may allow, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal against the decision to serve an enforcement notice if— (a) that person has made representations to the local authority under regulation 10(1), and (b) that person has received from the local authority a notice of rejection under regulation 11(3). Figure 22 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 The recipient of the Notice of Rejection may appeal to the First-tier tribunal for Scotland and must do within 28 days of the date of receipt of the Notice of Rejection. An appeal may be made on any of the grounds which may form the basis of representations made to the local authority and the local authority must have issued the notice of rejection as per the regulations before an appeal can be lodged. Further details on how to appeal a PCN to the FTT can be found at: https://generalregulatorychamber.scot/home/transportappeals/before-you-appeal The Rules of Procedure for the First-tier Tribunal and information on decisions, review of decisions and the consideration of applications for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal can be found within The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Parking and Bus Lane Appeals (Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2020. Page 241
Page 242
36 | P a g e CHAPTER 10 Accounts Keeping and Publication of Accounts The Act allows Scottish Ministers to make provision in connection with the keeping and publication of accounts in relation to the enforcement of the parking prohibitions. The detail of the procedure is set out in the Regulations made under the Act. Section 66 states: 66. Accounts The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make provision for or about— (a) the keeping of accounts by local authorities in connection with their functions under this Part, (b) the purposes for which a surplus in such an account may be applied, and (c) the publication of a statement of account, and the manner in which it must be published. Figure 23 – Extract from The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 This chapter examines in more detail the keeping of accounts by local authorities, what any surplus made can be applied to and the publication of a statement of account. Accounts and application of surplus 13.—(1) A local authority must— (a) prepare a statement of account showing, for each financial year— (i) their income and expenditure in connection with their functions under Part 6 of the Act, (ii) how any surplus in such an account has been applied, (b) publish the statement of account, in such manner as is required by proper accounting practices, in the annual accounts of the authority for the financial year, (c) send a copy of the statement of account to the Scottish Ministers. (2) A statement of account prepared under this regulation must be— (a) based on adequate accounting records, and (b) in such form as is required by proper accounting practices. (3) A local authority may apply any surplus in the account only for the purposes— (a) of facilitating the local authority’s local transport strategy, (b) specified in section 55(4)(b) to (d) (financial provisions relating to designation orders) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(a). (4) In this regulation— “adequate accounting records” has the meaning given in regulation 6 (accounting records and control systems) of the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014(b), Page 242
Page 243
37 | P a g e “local transport strategy” has the meaning given in section 82(1) (interpretation) of the Transport Scotland Act 2001(c), “proper accounting practices” has the meaning given in section 12(2) (proper accounting practices) of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003(d), “surplus” means the amount of money (if any) by which the gross amount received by the local authority in charges under Part 6 of the Act for a financial year exceeds the expenditure incurred by the local authority during that year in connection with their functions under that Part. Figure 24 – Extract from The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 In relation to the statement of accounts, local authorities will be expected to provide their annual statement to the Road Policy Team in Transport Scotland by September/October to enable the Scottish Ministers to produce their annual report by the end of the calendar year. This will tie in with the current DPE reporting schedule. That will allow Transport Scotland to collate all enforcement information for the parking prohibitions and DPE to produce a comprehensive report covering all types of PCNs. As noted in the extract above, a local authority may apply any surplus for the purposes of facilitating the local authority’s local transport strategy or the transport related purposes specified in sections 55 (4)(b) to (d) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Not all local authorities in Scotland have a local transport strategy, therefore in those instances the local authority may only use the surplus for the transport related purposes detailed in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Regular and consistent reporting allows for transparency and should assist the public in understanding the enforcement process. Monitoring also helps us to evaluate and identify where there is a need for improvement in the legislation and regulations. Specifically in relation to the parking prohibitions, the information that local authorities will be required to provide for the statement of account should include: • The number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued by each local authority, these should be broken down by pavement parking, double parking or parking at dropped kerbs; • Breakdown of income and expenditure costs in the enforcement of the new parking prohibitions; • Set up costs for local authorities; • Total surplus or deficit for enforcement of the parking prohibitions; and • Details on how any financial surplus has been spent. The information provided by all local authorities will be used for an annual report, which will be published by Scottish Ministers. A template has been provided below and this will be issued to all local authorities in due course for completion before the end of 2024 and thereafter annually. Page 243
Page 244
38 | P a g e Annex A Template of Statement of Accounts TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2019 – PARKING PROHIBITIONS – INCOME AND EXPENDITURE – 202X/XX Local Authority: No. of tickets issued for 202X/XX No. of Penalty Charge Notices for Pavement Parking No. of Penalty Charge Notices for Double Parking No. of Penalty Charge Notices for Parking at Dropped Kerbs Income and Expenditure (£) Income generated from PCNs Expenditure from enforcing the parking prohibitions Information on what surplus income was used for (if applicable) Figure 25 Page 244
Page 245
39 | P a g e Annex B – PCN Issued by Enforcement Officer Page 245
Page 246
40 | P a g e Annex C – PCN issued via Post Page 246
Page 247
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 20 JUNE 2024 PUBLIC CONVENIENCE DOOR ACCESS CONTROL PROJECT UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Council had previously agreed as part of a budget exercise to introduce charging at 16 high footfall public conveniences. This project has progressed over the past few months and at the time of writing there are nine sites where the charging system has been installed. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the progress of the project. 1.2 There have been a number of implementation issues experienced during the install process and there remain 7 locations to be fitted plus 2 possible additional sites as outlined within this report. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS Members are asked to: 2.1 Note the update provided within this report. 2.2 Consider whether it would be appropriate to defer the remaining site installations until after the summer season to ensure we have further detail on the reliability of the installations. Note that any delay should not impact on the budgeted income target as it is anticipated that this should be achieved from the current sites that are operational. 2.3 Agree that the Rothesay Victoriana and Moir Street/Riverside facilities which have now returned to the Council should be categorised as high use and quotes sought for charging installations at these sites. 3.0 DETAIL Background 3.1 The Council had previously agreed to allocate £100,000 to a door access control project to install charging infrastructure at 16 high footfall public Page 247 Agenda Item 12
Page 248
conveniences on the basis of offsetting some of the costs of providing 60 public conveniences across Argyll and Bute. The provision of public conveniences is a non-statutory service for which the Council receives no specific Grant Aided Expenditure Allocation (GAE) from the Scottish Government. 3.2 To help identify high footfall PCs we had previously purchased a dozen counting devices with the intention of rotating these across the estate. The counters provided figures of such a huge variance that the data could not be considered to be accurate, and it was therefore not robust enough to form part of any decision making process. As an alternative, officers utilised the knowledge and expertise of local operatives who are familiar with the PCs in their area (materials used; requirements for cleaning; complaints; damage etc.). This was a straightforward way to establish footfall into three broad categories – high; medium; low. 3.3 A procurement exercise progressed and a single return was received from Healthmatics, who are a sector-leading provider of access systems for toilets, parks, recreation grounds and public buildings across the UK 3.4 That return was significantly higher than the budget so additional funding was sought and approved from Crown Estate monies. £200,000 was allocated at the October 2022 meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee, giving a total project budget of £300,000. The total contract value is £270,000, however the Oban North Pier scheme was quoted as a full install but is only a retrofit of a contactless payment option onto the existing system, so a small saving will be made there. 3.5 The contract was awarded to Healthmatics. Due to the geographic spread of sites the contract was awarded on a phased basis, with the original intention that the full programme be delivered between September and December 2023. The mobilisation period between contract award and works on site was much longer than we would have liked. Installations 3.6 The contractor mobilised to site at the end of September 2023. There were a number of issues with the delivery of the infrastructure works which prevented the activation of the installed systems before Christmas and delayed the roll-out of the full programme. The issues included the contractor initially delivering the wrong doors and subsequently there were issues with the supporting software. 3.7 Defects and snagging issues were worked through in January 2024 and the Phase One sites were activated on a rolling basis at the end of January and beginning of February. System issues 3.8 Over the weekend of 17th February customers were paying but were unable to access the facilities. Council staff on site and staff in the project team came in over that weekend to set the systems to free and open each site up to ensure customers could gain access. Due to the significance of the issues the system Page 248
Page 249
was completely deactivated at all sites to eliminate any further inconvenience to the public. 3.9 Following these issues we urgently engaged with the contractor and asked them to investigate the issues and provide a reactivation plan. 3.10 The contractor advised that the overarching issues were as a result of an unintended software update to the cellular modems which control the doors on each site. This seems to have resulted in communication being lost to the online portal because it caused a loss of data connection. The contractor visited each site and cleared this fault, and locked the routers to a long term support version which they advise means there will be no more of these issues. Reactivation 3.11 Given the scale of the issues, we reactivated the systems on a phased approach, site by site initially, and closely monitored their operation to ensure that we were confident that the system was reliable. The reactivation dates are noted in the below table: Site Date Ardrishaig 26 March Lochgilphead 2 April Glenmorag 16 April Sandbank 16 April Helensburgh 29 April Inveraray 29 April Colintraive 30 April Tighnabruaich 30 April Port Bannatyne 30 April 3.12 At the time of writing this report (12 June) since reactivation the systems are operating as expected 92.5% of the time. There have been isolated incidents recorded on 1.5% of operating days and the systems have had to be deactivated because of problems on 5.9% of operating days (the latter being across four sites – Ardrishaig, Port Bannatyne, Lochgilphead and Inveraray where the systems were temporarily deactivated.) At the time of writing this report eight of the nine sites are operating and the one site which is not is being attended to by the contractor. The contractor has been responsive to any issues which have arisen since reactivation. Income 3.13 We do not yet have figures for cash collected across all sites as at the time of writing this report it has not all been banked/processed. Across the sites (four) that the cash has been banked, the Council has taken in £3,398. The contactless payments have generated £7,135 as at 30th May. Once the system has operated reliably for a season across all sites we will be able to show income per site and model possible future income. Page 249
Page 250
3.14 The Oban North Pier site has an existing cash charging system which generated £10,418 last year. In addition we have honesty boxes at a number of other sites, which raised £1,486 in the same period. Next steps 3.15 The remaining sites identified for installations are: Area Site Lorn Oban North Pier (contactless retrofit) Ganavan Islay Bowmore Port Ellen Bridgend Mull Fionnphort Bute Chapel Hill (held over from Phase One) 3.16 We have asked the contractor to provide a new programme for these installations. Members may wish to take a view on the timing of the next phase given the issues experienced in the first phase. It may be prudent to allow the first phase sites to run for the season at least to have a greater amount of data to assess the overall reliability of the system. 3.17 Since the original list was developed, two sites have come back to the Council from third parties – Moir Street (the Riverside in Dunoon) and the Rothesay Victoriana. These are both clearly well used facilities and in addition to the agreed Phase Two sites we have asked the contractor for a quote to install the systems at these sites. In the case of Rothesay Victoriana, any proposal would need to be sensitive to the building’s listed status and be appropriate and in keeping with the setting. In addition to charging for access to the toilets we can also look at a charging system for the showers. It is expected that, these additional schemes would be able to be delivered from available funds. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 The door access control project is progressing. There have been a number of issues with the installations which the project team has worked through with the contractor. Presently the new systems are operating at over 90% reliability. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – the Council has an existing position to charge for access to high use public conveniences (PCs). Page 250
Page 251
5.2 Financial – there is an income target of £70,000 against PCs and given the initial set of income figures from the nine active sites it is expected that this figure should be achieved as long as the system continues to operate reliably. 5.3 Legal – none known. 5.4 HR – operatives use PCs for welfare purposes – access cards have been arranged and one is placed in each relevant vehicle. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – none known. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – the system has a cash payment option. 6.5.3 Islands – none known. 5.6 Climate Change – none known. 5.7 Risk – there is a reputational risk if the system fails and customers cannot gain access. This is being closely monitored. 5.8 Customer Service – the project team are responding to any customer complaints/queries. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – the system has a cash payment option. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity: Councillor John Armour June 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Mark Calder, Project Manager mark.calder@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 251
Page 252
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 253
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE 20 JUNE 2024 REVIEW OF ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 In 2023 the Executive Leadership Team agreed that a full review of the Roads and Infrastructure Service should be undertaken and after a procurement exercise Consultants “PeopleToo” were appointed to undertake the review. 1.2 The consultants adopted a 4 Stage Change Process and they issued their finalised report to Officers at the end of April. The report represents the output from Stage 1 of the process and identifies opportunities for service improvements and delivery of savings. 1.3 Stage 1 of the 4 Stage Change Process is about challenging the ‘As Is’ service delivery arrangements to develop new thinking and opportunities. The next steps for management and staff are to take the findings and recommendations from Stage 1 and subject them in Stage 2 to due diligence to ensure the assumptions made align with evidenced delivery constraints. 1.4 This report sets out the 10 key findings from the review alongside a summary by service stream of the conclusions reached following the review work undertaken. The list of service specific recommendations are appended to this report at Appendix 1. RIS Management have considered the recommendations and have RAG rated them based on what they assess to be deliverable and also noted whether the opportunity is deliverable in the short, medium or long-term. 1.5 Officers are ready to move onto the next stages of the Change Process and this will require significant additional work. At the same time, given the nature of its work, RIS must continue delivering its current day-to-day services and therefore it is recommended that further external support is sought for the delivery of Stages 2, 3 and 4. The external support will provide challenge and direction to ensure that the planned change is delivered in terms of both actions and overall long term approaches to working that support effective service delivery. It is estimated that the external support could cost up to £150,000, however, this should be considered as a Spend-to-Save investment as the savings that will be delivered are anticipated to be far in excess of this. 1.6 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee: Page 253 Agenda Item 13
Page 254
a) Note the findings and service specific recommendations at Stage 1 of the 4 Stage Change Process. b) Recommend to Council to approve that officers move onto Stages 2, 3 and 4 of the Review and approve up to £150,000 of funding from the Strathclyde Pension Fund Gain Earmarking set aside for Spend-to-Save or Transformation which will be used to bring in external support. c) Note the officers will bring a progress report to Members later this year with anticipated opportunities and savings to be identified that can feed into budget considerations for 2025-26 onwards. Page 254
Page 255
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE 20 JUNE 2024 REVIEW OF ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 In 2023 the Executive Leadership Team agreed that a full review of the Roads and Infrastructure Service should be undertaken and after a procurement exercise Consultants “PeopleToo” were appointed to undertake the review. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee: a) Note the findings and service specific recommendations at Stage 1 of the 4 Stage Change Process. b) Recommend to Council to approve that officers move onto Stages 2, 3 and 4 of the Review and approve up to £150,000 of funding from the Strathclyde Pension Fund Gain Earmarking set aside for Spend-to-Save or Transformation which will be used to bring in external support. c) Note the officers will bring a progress report to Members later this year with anticipated opportunities and savings to be identified that can feed into budget considerations for 2025-26 onwards. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 Background to the Review 4.1.1 The Roads and Infrastructure Service (RIS) delivers a huge range of services used by mainland and island communities every day. It manages Argyll and Bute’s local authority roads, bridges and marine infrastructure to enable the safe and convenient movement of people and goods across our geographically diverse area; and as part of doing this, manages the efficient use of vehicles and plant equipment. The Service has responsibility for managing open spaces, cemeteries, street cleaning, flood prevention, refuse collection and waste management in line with a changing landscape of legislation and local authority requirements. The Service also provides home-to-school transport, and supports a number of public transport routes and ferry services. 4.1.2 As an indication of what this means for the scale of demand on the service: Page 255
Page 256
• Around 650 staff • million bin uplifts a year • 900 bridges, 4 ferries, 39 ports and harbours and 4% of Scotland’s road network (2,300 km of adopted roads) maintained • 10,000+ km streets swept, 32+million square metres of grass cut, and 14,000 light units maintained per year • Around 3,000 school pupils transported to school every day • 130 cemeteries and 1 crematorium • Around 500 council vehicles managed • 5 landfill sites and 98 civic amenity/bring sites run • 57 public toilets provided • 110+ car parks provided • 28 electric vehicle charging points provided to date • £40million revenue budget and £20-£30million capital budget. 4.1.3 The scale of demand on RIS, and the challenges of delivering its services in Argyll and Bute, make it difficult for staff to deliver consistently high performing services without an effective operating model matched to short and longer term challenges. This can lead to public and Councillor dissatisfaction which can be demoralizing for employees working hard to support our communities. 4.1.4 Given the points above, in 2023 the Executive Leadership Team agreed that a full review of the Roads and Infrastructure Service should be undertaken to develop an operating model and working practices that support employees in meeting service demands and so develop customer satisfaction; and to identify options for savings and/or income generation to support the Council in meeting future years budget gaps. 4.1.5 A procurement exercise was undertaken, with Consultants PeopleToo appointed to undertake the review. The Project Initiation meeting took place on 14 June 2023 which set out the scope and methodology for the Review. 4.1.6 There were 11 service streams within the scope of the Review, as noted below: • Bereavement Services; • Environmental Warden Service; • Parking Services (Inc. enforcement activities); • Marine Operations; • Passenger Transport Services; • Fleet Services; • Waste Collections and Environmental Services, (Inc. grounds maintenance activities, street cleansing and the cleaning of public conveniences); • Waste Disposal Services (Inc. the PPP Contract); • Infrastructure Design Service; • Road Services; and • Customer Relations and Business Support Activities in the service. 4.1.7 A RIS Review Project Board was established and this met fortnightly to monitor Page 256
Page 257
progress with the review. The Board was chaired by the Executive Director Kirsty Flanagan with Vice Chair Executive Director Douglas Hendry. 4.2 Review Process 4.2.1 The Consultants noted that it is an ambitious commitment to transform all services delivered by RIS at the same time and to achieve this level of change it needs to be done in a four stage change process set out below to make sure that the change is well planned and deliverable. The 4 Stage Change Process 4.2.2 The starting point for the Review was for the Council to provide core data for each service that covered the following: • The policies and strategies against which each service is delivered. • The metrics of assets to be managed and maintained. • The service standards to be delivered for each service. • The resources current being deployed to manage and maintain assets. • How the resources are currently organised, this is known as the current operating model (COM). • The arrangements for business support and delivering customer relations. • The costs being incurred to deliver the services (including income being achieved) to then benchmark the costs as value for money (VFM). 4.2.3 This data was then used as the basis for structured interviews with managers and technical staff in services, the business support officer in RIS, and managers from Finance and HR to test current service delivery arrangements Stage 1: Develop a high- level understanding of the “As Is” delivery model for each service against a suite of industry comparators and the draft vision of “what good looks like” . Stage 2: Test the outputs and findings of the high- level modelling through on-site due diligence to ensure that assumptions are aligned to delivery constraints Stage 3: Develop refined Target Operating Model based on Stage 1 and Stage 2 that delivers to the new service vision. Stage 4: Develop agreed series of actions to transform the service. Page 257
Page 258
against the profile of what a good service should look like. 4.2.4 The diagram below outlines the agreed methodology for the appraisal and benchmarking of services: 4.2.5 It should be noted, that the data gathering element of the review was resource intensive and the timescale of the review was delayed due to the storm event in October 2023, which resulted in many staff being diverted from the review to the storm recovery work. 4.2.6 The outcome for each service stream was an opportunities statement (set of recommendations) for each service confirming opportunities for: • Increased productivity through amended work practices and service redesign (streamlining and restructuring) • Innovation in line with best practice • Greater commercialisation • Better integration of frontline services and the back office through workflow re-design and better systems integration • Participatory budgeting • Further development of the mixed economy if it can be evidenced to offer better VFM. 4.2.7 The Consultants issued their finalised report to Officers at the end of April. The report represents the output from Stage 1 of the process and identifies opportunities for service improvements and delivery of savings. The review findings and the conclusions on each service stream outlined in paragraphs 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 are from the consultants’ report and whilst some of the comments are difficult reading for both officers and Members, it is important to be transparent and focus on the opportunities that this review provides. 4.2.8 Stage 1 of the 4 Stage Change Process is about challenging the ‘As Is’ service Page 258
Page 259
delivery arrangements to develop new thinking and opportunities. The next steps for management and staff are to take the findings and recommendations from Stage 1 and subject them in Stage 2 to due diligence to ensure the assumptions made align with evidenced delivery constraints. 4.3 Review Findings 4.3.1 There are 10 key findings from the Review, summarised below:- 1. There is no complete, or agreed, data sets for each service against which the services are then managed. 2. Some services areas performing well against comparators – marine operations, passenger transport and infrastructure design. 3. Some service areas not performing as well as they could be against comparators – fleet services, environmental services, and road services. 4. The organisation design for Roads and Infrastructure Services requires refocus to provide clarity on roles and responsibilities. 5. There is a lack of clarity on the IT system architecture in Roads and Infrastructure Services, in conjunction poor adoption/role on existing systems resulting in manual processes and poor management information. 6. There is a lack of customer centricity enshrined within all service delivery arrangements. 7. There is no comprehensive performance framework with a suite of KPI’s for each service, raising concerns whether current performance data be trusted. 8. There is no clear strategic direction for all services supported by key policies and processes, agreed operating models leading to inefficient operational practices. 9. There are significant areas of value leakage through duplicated functions, confusing operating models, and no structured evaluation and learning. 10. There are opportunities for productivity gains and greater commercialisation to deliver savings. 4.3.2 Outlined below is a summary by service stream of the conclusions reached following the review work undertaken. Bereavement Services: The current service delivery arrangements have been benchmarked as tightly managed in relation to costs with there being an opportunity for greater commercialisation through re-introducing the lunch time cremation slot, developing secondary income streams, developing the Page 259
Page 260
woodland burial offer and requiring funeral directors to pay in advance for services by credit card. Environmental Warden Service: Priorities for the service need to be re-set based on actual service requests received to reflect the reduced resources. This should be in conjunction with the development of a new policy for the investigation and prosecution of fly tipping. When the opportunity arises through a vacancy a warden post should be created to specifically serve MAKI. Parking Service: There is a need to develop a Council wide approach to the development and approval of TRO’s based on the model adopted in Oban to better manage traffic flow and parking across Argyll and Bute. Amenity Wardens need to be freed up from cash collection duties to allow deployment on parking enforcement in Luss, Arrochar, Inveraray and Campbeltown, followed by further locations. Marine Operations: The current service delivery arrangements have been benchmarked as VFM and decreasing costs will involve developing a new operating model for piers and harbours including harmonisation of terms and conditions of service; and through greater commercialisation including revision of fees and charges for the ferry service and the insourcing of concessionary arrangement for pontoons. Passenger Transport: The current service delivery arrangements have been benchmarked as VFM and decreasing costs will not be achieved through outsourcing because the local market of providers is low but by reducing service demand. Fleet Services: The service has been evidenced as performing below a high performing service and the fundamental issue for the Council is the level of commercial risk it has appetite for, and this involves the Council assessing the capacity and capability of RIS for the following: • To restructure the service to implement the revised inspection and servicing frequencies? • To deliver the increased productivity levels? • To manage more effectively negligence and abuse of vehicles? • To secure external works and deliver it within commercial constraints? Waste Collections and Environmental Services: The services have been evidenced as performing below a high performing service based on the following: • The comparator Target Operating Model (TOM) has been modelled on best industry practice rather than existing RIS deployment arrangements to test this current. • The ‘As Is’ current operational model is not delivering to normal best practice productivities. • The ‘As Is’ current operational model for grounds and street cleaning demonstrates the grounds service ‘over performing’ against industry norms and the street cleaning service performing in line with industry norms. The current performance for grounds maintenance needs to be Page 260
Page 261
further appraised in Stage 2 of the Change Process based on a more robust data set. • The ‘As Is’ waste collection service is significantly underperforming against industry norms. Waste Disposal Services: An options appraisal should be carried out of the options for insourcing the waste disposal activities delivered through the PPP contract, either to be directly managed by RIS or by a LATCo, to confirm he preferred option. The Council does not have the following capacity and competency to insource and then manage waste disposal arrangements and therefore should create a budget to retain external support for the following: • Project leadership and management of the insourcing • Operational management competency for multiple waste disposal sites • Technical waste disposal expertise • Legislative compliance expertise • Commercial waste expertise. The service need to be clear on the future design of waste collection and waste disposal arrangements, which should be informed by surveying of participation in recycling services with a focus on improving recycling across the area. Infrastructure Design: The Infrastructure Design service is being delivered against sound principles and to build on this the hourly rates for Infrastructure Design should be set after benchmarking of market rates to evidence VFM and should include management and overhead costs. Road Services: The current service delivery arrangements could not be fully appraised or benchmarked because the core data to do this could not be provided. However, a provisional review was carried out based on the engagement that took place and the current delivery arrangements over Network & Standards and Operations are considered dysfunctional and it is therefore recommended that a single integrated road service should be created to drive the fundamental transformation of road services to include: • A policy and strategy re-set to provide clear direction for the delivery of road services. • A review of the asset data base for roads to ensure the completeness of data to then be used for the development of programmes for cyclical maintenance, planned maintenance and capital improvement schemes. • Developing a new target operating model for operational road services (safety and NSWRA inspections, reactive maintenance, planned maintenance, capital improvement schemes, gulley cleansing and street lighting) based on best industry practice productivity levels. • Reconfiguration of the WDM system to be able to deliver output data in line with best industry practice; and then have it managed by a person with proven knowledge and expertise of such systems. • Adopting a new model for costing and budgeting for planned maintenance and capital improvement schemes based on a costed Page 261
Page 262
resource model required to deliver specified quantities of work to standard. Customer Relations & Business Support: The review work completed will inform the transformation of current admin activities and incorporation into the proposed Business Support Hub, this is proposed to be done through a ‘Hot House’ change process. 4.3.3 The list of service specific recommendations are appended to this report at Appendix 1. RIS Management have considered the recommendations and have RAG rated them based on what they assess to be deliverable and also noted whether the opportunity is deliverable in the short, medium or long-term. Stage 2 of the change process will carry out further testing and due diligence on all the recommendations and it should be noted that some may have policy implications which will require engagement with Members. 4.3.4 There are a number of the recommendations set out by the Consultants that the Service are in the process of implementing or have already been implemented. 4.3.5 In addition to the service specific recommendations the consultants have suggested that a new organisational design is key to the implementation of change in RIS, as an opportunity to redefine management and supervisory roles and responsibilities in line with best industry practice. 4.4 Next Steps 4.4.1 As noted in paragraph 4.2.8, Stage 1 of the 4 Stage Change Process is about challenging the ‘As Is’ service delivery arrangements to develop new thinking and opportunities. The next steps for management and staff are to take the findings and recommendations from Stage 1 and subject them in Stage 2 to due diligence to ensure the assumptions made align with evidenced delivery constraints. 4.4.2 Officers are ready to move onto the next stages of the Change process and this will require significant additional work. At the same time, given the nature of its work, RIS must continue delivering its current day-to-day services and therefore it is recommended that further external support is sought for the delivery of Stages 2, 3 and 4. The external support will provide challenge and direction to ensure that the planned change is delivered in terms of both actions and overall long term approaches to working that support effective service delivery. It is estimated that the external support could cost up to £150,000, however, this should be considered as a Spend-to-Save investment as the savings that will be delivered are anticipated to be far in excess of this, indeed a saving of £200,000 has already been committed to within 2024-25 with further meaningful savings in future years. 4.4.3. It is anticipated that some opportunities and savings will be available to be considered as part of the budget setting process for 2025-26, with further opportunities and savings deliverable in future years. Page 262
Page 263
5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 In 2023 the Executive Leadership Team agreed that a full review of the Roads and Infrastructure Service should be undertaken and after a procurement exercise Consultants “PeopleToo” were appointed to undertake the review. 5.2 The consultants adopted a 4 Stage Change Process and they issued their finalised report to Officers at the end of April. This report represents the output from Stage 1 of the process and identifies opportunities for service improvements and delivery of savings. 5.3 Officers are ready to move onto the next stages of the Change process and are recommending that further external support is sought for the delivery of Stages 2, 3 and 4 to provide challenge and direction to ensure that the planned change is delivered. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy – Any policy issues will be picked up as part of Stage 2 due diligence. 6.2 Financial – There are a number of recommendations from the Consultant that could result in savings for the Council or equally require financial input and this will be tested further via Stage 2 of the process of the Review and brought forward to Members at an appropriate stage. Members are recommended to approve up to £150,000 of funding from the Strathclyde Pension Fund Gain Earmarking set aside for Spend-to-Save or Transformation which will be used to bring in external support. 6.3 Legal – There may be some legal aspects which require checking should any of the recommendations proposed be taken forward and implemented – this will be picked up in stage 2 of the Review process. 6.4 HR – Trade Unions have been informed of the outputs from Stage 1 of the review. There are potential HR implications which will be explored further at Stage 2 of the review. 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities – Will be considered as the Review progresses, Stage 1 is about high level opportunities to be further explored at Stage 2. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – Will be considered as the Review progresses, Stage 1 is about high level opportunities to be further explored at Stage 2. 6.5.3 Islands – Will be considered as the Review progresses, Stage 1 is about high level opportunities to be further explored at Stage 2. 6.6 Climate Change – Will be considered as the Review progresses, Stage 1 is about high level opportunities to be further explored at Stage 2. Page 263
Page 264
6.7 Risk – There will be risks with some of the recommendations, these will be explored at Stage 2. There is also a risk that the review will not be progressed at pace or the planned change will not be delivered without external support. 6.8 Customer Service – There are a number of recommendations from the Consultant’s findings that will improve customer service in respect of the delivery of the Roads and infrastructure Service. 6.9 Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None arising directly from this report. Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Councillor John Armour, Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services 10 June 2024 APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Service Specific Recommendations Page 264
Page 265
RIS Service Review Stage 1 Recommendations Relatively easy to deliver with limited resource input Complete Complete Deliverable with medium resource input Short Delivery anticipated 6 - 9 months Deliverable but more complex with higher resource input Medium Delivery anticipated 12 - 24 months Considered undeliverable Long Delivery anticipated to be greater than 24 months Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 1.1 Bereavement Services The priority for the marketing of the crematorium to funeral directors should be to those in West Dumbartonshire that are not currently using the crematorium. Med 1.2 Bereavement Services Currently the crematorium is not offering the lunchtime service slot (12.15 to 13.15) because of staff shortages, and it is recommended that the service promptly reintroduce the slot as planned. Complete 1.3 Bereavement Services Following the re-introduction of the lunchtime slot the service should explore the demand with funeral directors for an eight daily slot for direct cremations. Complete 1.4 Bereavement Services The service needs to research the other income streams being operated by its’ competitor crematoria to extend the offer at the Cardross Crematorium to move towards increased income from these secondary income streams. Med 1.5 Bereavement Services It is recommended that all funeral directors should be required to pay in advance by credit card for all cremations. Short 1.6 Bereavement Services The managers of the service need to continue to press for the investment to deliver all 5 prioritised investment schemes for additional cemeteries capacity. Long 1.7 Bereavement Services Further investigation should be done of alternative internment options, e.g., exploring further woodland burials with the Park Authority. Med 1.8 Bereavement Services (Environmental Warden Service) Priorities for the service need to be re-set based on actual service requests received to reflect the reduce resources. This should be in conjunction with the development of a new policy for the investigation and prosecution of fly tipping. Med 1.9 Bereavement Services (Environmental Warden Service) When the opportunity arises through a vacancy a warden post should be created to specifically serve MAKI. Complete The current RAG rating and timescales are the current best assessment. These may be adjusted as further due diligence is progressed and worked through To manage and maintain Argyll and Bute’s roads, bridges and marine infrastructure to enable the safe and convenient movement of people and goods across a geographically diverse area. This is delivered by the efficient use of vehicles and plant equipment. The Service has responsibility for managing open spaces, cemeteries, street cleaning, flood prevention, refuse collection and waste management in line with a changing landscape of legislation and local authority requirements. The Service provides home-to-school transport, supports a number of public transport routes and ferry services. The principal purpose of the Service is: Key Timescale Page 265
Page 266
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 2.1 Environmental Warden Service A report being taken to the four Area Committees to outline the current capacity of the team of Environmental Wardens in terms of the number and profile of service requests received for the service and the resources available to respond to these service request, with the consequent limited capacity for new work priorities. Med 2.2 Environmental Warden Service This should also include a commitment to create a warden post to specifically serve MAKI when a vacancy arises, and clear confirmation of the interim arrangements until the permanent solution. Complete 2.3 Environmental Warden Service The management of the service believe there is an untapped demand for pest control service to both residents and commercial businesses because of the limited competition in Argyll and Bute. However, responding to this commercial opportunity should be done through a business plan developed on a commercial basis. Med 2.4 Environmental Warden Service To reflect the resources now available in the warden service it is recommended that the Council should develop a new policy for the investigation and prosecution of fly tipping. Med 2.5 Environmental Warden Service The Council should define service response times for all core warden activities. Long 2.6 Environmental Warden Service A template for minimum evidence requirements must be agreed between the Warden Service and Legal Services. If the evidence requirements have been met the principle should be that a prosecution will progress. Med 3.1 Marine Operations Developing a lobbying plan with the Scottish Government to ensure the continuation of the supplementary grant that supports the ferry services. Complete 3.2 Marine Operations Development of the ferry service, vessel capacity and timetable based on the economic development plans for the islands. Med 3.3 Marine Operations Develop new operating model for the operation of piers and harbours to reflect the formal agreement with CalMac. Short 3.4 Marine Operations ABC to build or source new tied accommodation to house marine staff where needed to help with the recruitment and retention of staff. Long 3.5 Marine Operations Continue harmonisation of staff terms and conditions through negotiation so that overtime payments are managed, and attractiveness of salary packages can be enhanced. Long 3.6 Marine Operations 2 tier pricing has been explored in the past for residents and visitors, but this should be revisited so that income can be increased. Med 3.7 Marine Operations Increase tariffs for commercial vehicles recognising that the capacity of current vessels prohibits carrying non-commercial capacity. Complete 3.8 Marine Operations Insource current concessionary arrangements for pontoon management to optimise the commercial opportunities for the Council. Long 3.9 Marine Operations Carry out an assessment of each harbour asset to evaluate potential for development of land and buildings to either produce capital receipts or to generate new income. Long 4.1 Parking Services ABC designate the primary use of the off-street car parks and re-set tariffs accordingly. Med Page 266
Page 267
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 4.2 Parking Services Re-setting the purpose of TRO’s with Members and the Community Councils and then revisits the locations that would benefit from revised or new TRO’s, e.g., Helensburgh, Inverary, Campbeltown, etc. Med 4.3 Parking Services ABC to reconsider the governance arrangements for agreeing new TRO’s to have consistency across Argyll & Bute. Med 4.4 Parking Services Refocusing Amenity Wardens’ duties primarily on parking enforcement to extend activities to Campbeltown, Luss, Arrochar, etc. Med 4.5 Parking Services The 15-minute tariff should not be retained for all ABC car parks at the next review of car park fees and should reflect industry best practice of a minimum parking duration of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Med 4.6 Parking Services The deployment of the Parking Wardens should be more closely targeted to the streets that evidence the highest levels of non-compliance with TRO’s. Complete 4.7 Parking Services ABC should annually benchmark both public and private sector EV charger tariffs to ensure fees and charges are set in the market context. Complete 4.8 Parking Services The current proposal to merge Amenity Wardens and Environmental Wardens is not supported. n/a 5.1 Passenger Transport Services Develop an SLA which outlines the roles and responsibilities of Education and Passenger Transport. Med 5.2 Passenger Transport Services Develop a new role for training and compliance to enhance current training against national standards. Med 5.3 Passenger Transport Services Review and revise the policy against which HTST is provided, to include determining the future policy criteria for qualifying for HTST. Med 5.4 Passenger Transport Services Further development of the ITT offer for ASN pupils in conjunction with the Education Service. Med 5.5 Passenger Transport Services Address the inconsistencies in inspection of safe walking routes by N&S. Short 5.6 Passenger Transport Services Revisit the current mileage for parents providing HTST to £0.65 per mile to target an increase of parents providing transport. Med 5.7 Passenger Transport Services Develop a business case for the procurement of a transport management system the means to resolve the current data security risks that the service has holding date on a MS Access database. Short 5.8 Passenger Transport Services Route mapping should be more frequently reviewed by introducing an annual review programme. Long 5.9 Passenger Transport Services Undertake more market engagement to confirm the preferred basis for local companies to tender for work. Med 5.10 Passenger Transport Services Sufficient budget should be provided to fully find ASN transport with this having no additional cost impact but would more accurately reflect the true costs of providing the service. Long 5.11 Passenger Transport Services A costing exercise should be done in the context of the local market for the spot hire of HTST vehicles by schools. This should then be used to re-set charges. Long 5.12 Passenger Transport Services Undertaking a joint review with the Education Service of the options for the future ASN pupil offer. Med 5.13 Passenger Transport Services Explore if there is any potential for partnership working with community transport providers and the local health board to explore opportunities to provide non- emergency passenger transport. Med Page 267
Page 268
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 6.1 Fleet Services Amend the frequencies of vehicle inspections and servicing to increase the spare mechanic capacity in the workshops, to be used for external trading. Based on industry standard frequencies and times for inspections and servicing the Council could reduce recharges to services by circa £400k, achieved by reducing the workforce for vehicle maintenance or selling the spare capacity to external parties. Short 6.2 Fleet Services The management of FS should be required to produce a three-year business plan to set out fully costed proposals for the development of external business utilising the identified spare capacity. Med 6.3 Fleet Services Increasing productivity of the mechanics to bring inspection and servicing times in line with good industry practice. Med 6.4 Fleet Services The recruitment process to replace the Performance Fleet Manager and Procurement Technical Offer needs to planned to ensure their replacements are in place and the O’Licence has been transferred before their retirement on 29/002024. Short 6.5 Fleet Services A sliding matrix for determining annual maintenance charges needs to be developed and introduced. Med 6.6 Fleet Services The roles and responsibilities between Council services and Fleet for transport need to be fundamentally re-set; and then consolidated in a new SLA. Med 6.7 Fleet Services Develop a new performance framework for the service to evidence performance and VFM; and then reconfigure the Tranman system to produce the required performance reports. Long 6.8 Fleet Services Confirming that decisions on spot hires are made by services and costs charged to their budgets. Short 6.9 Fleet Services Develop a new protocol for management of tyres by services and produce a monthly report to confirm compliance. Med 6.10 Fleet Services Work with finance to smooth the interface between Tranman and creditor system, this should also involve review the structure of codes used for external trading. Long 6.11 Fleet Services Drivers of Council vehicles and their supervisors need retraining in vehicle checks and then services held accountable for vehicle checks. Short 6.12 Fleet Services Negligence and abuse costs are over £200k per annum and should be reduced through re-training drivers and then active management of incidents by service managers. Med 7.1 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop a robust asset management data base for the grounds maintenance activities, street cleansing activities and for the cleansing of public conveniences, to ensure the work requirements can be accurately measured, operational resources can be designed, and a clear budget envelope agreed. Long 7.2 Waste Collections and Environmental Services The management and supervision staffing structure should be restructured in line with the proposed organisation re-design to support the transformation of the services and then to improve reporting lines, provide ownership and responsibility for all aspects of service delivery and budgets including staffing, plant and vehicles. Long Page 268
Page 269
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 7.3 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop a new services specification for each service based on clear outputs for RIS to deliver (including for decarbonisation) within a budget envelope sustainable within the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). Long 7.4 Waste Collections and Environmental Services For waste collections fundamentally review current policy and operational requirements against current performance and the resource base confirmed in the Council’s MTFS. Med 7.5 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop a new performance framework for environmental services that includes service responses times, rectification times, stretch targets and formalised reporting arrangements. Med 7.6 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop a new target operating model with appropriate technical and commercial support to progress the service change along stages 2 to 4 of the recommended service transformation process to deliver the new service specifications and performance framework requirements. Long 7.7 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop a five-year business plan for environmental services that includes proposals for the re-investment of savings from a new TOM against the Council’s strategic priorities. Long 7.8 Waste Collections and Environmental Services Develop all the workflows between RIS and Customer Services to optimise the workflows from the customers perspective in line with the data hub and hot house proposals. Med 8.1 Waste Disposal The Council should review best practice for data gathering for waste disposal to ensure the future robustness of date reported as part of its’ statutory requirements and to meet the future performance management arrangements for waste disposal. Short 8.2 Waste Disposal The waste team need to be resourced to develop a programme of selective surveying of participation in recycling services and off the materials being presented for collection, based on the rounds delivering the lowest tonnage. Resources then need to identified to deliver the survey programme. This survey results being critical to the future design of waste collection services and waste disposal arrangements. Med 8.3 Waste Disposal With an annual spend of over £11m on waste disposal the Council should fund the staffing required to properly reconcile waste and recyclates collected on rounds, tipped off at waste transfer stations against the tonnage of waste reported as processed by contractors. This being essential for full financial control of expenditure. Med 8.4 Waste Disposal A performance framework for waste disposal based on best industry practice needs to be developed and implemented, to report against agreed stretch targets monthly and quarterly, to better evidence performance and VFM. Long 8.5 Waste Disposal Future data gathering arrangements need to be determined and then implemented once the new performance framework has been designed. The resources for future data gathering will need to be resourced. Long 8.6 Waste Disposal With Finance monthly budgetary monitoring and reporting arrangements should be redesigned to more accurately report actual spend on waste disposal against net budgeted spend, including actively tracking of income being generated by the sale of recyclates. Long Page 269
Page 270
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 8.7 Waste Disposal With the support of the external advisors the Council should undertake an options appraisal for insourcing the waste disposal activities delivered through the PPP contract, either to be directly managed by RIS or by a LATCo, to confirm the preferred option. Med 8.8 Waste Disposal A review of the waste service to confirm the appropriate operating model that drives behavioural change and delivers improved VFM is required to ensure that the current resources are correctly aligned. Med 8.9 Waste Disposal Development of a detailed project plan for the Helensburgh transfer station project to cover all phases of the project: Complete 8.9.1 Waste Disposal Development of an options appraisal to confirm the preferred site to include consultation with the Council’s Planning Service. Short 8.9.2 Waste Disposal Provisional design work for the facility on the preferred site to include agreeing the design specification, conducting of all necessary site investigations, provisional consultation with statutory consultees, and a level of design work to allow the robust costing of the project. Short 8.9.3 Waste Disposal Development of an outline business case (OBC) for the project to include the proposed design for the facility and operational arrangements to allow for the detailing of capital requirements (including design and project management fees) for the project and a five-year projection of revenue costs taking account of any reconfiguration of waste services. The OBC should be subject to senior management and Member approval to secure agreement to the next phase of the project. Med 8.9.4 Waste Disposal Development of a planning application in line with the OBC. Short 8.9.5 Waste Disposal On securing planning approval development of the final business case (FBC) for the project based on the planning approval to include a full refresh of capital and revenue costs and due diligence of the proposed operating arrangements. Med 8.9.6 Waste Disposal Tendering of the construction works, evaluation of tenders and award of contract. Med 8.9.7 Waste Disposal Management of the construction phase works the agreed construction timeline and budget. Med 8.9.8 Waste Disposal Planning for the operation of the facility including the development of all the health and safety and operational policies and procedures, securing any necessary licences and permits, recruiting the required staff, etc. Long 9.1 Customer Relations and Business Support A fundamental review needs to be carried out of all processes relating to services requests, complaints, and FOI’s following the establishment of services response times for all service activities. The purpose being to minimise the number of staff involve to resolve the customer contact. Med 9.2 Customer Relations and Business Support The process for managing service requests then needs fundamental review with direct responsibility for reviewing in-boxes passing to Team Leaders, Assistant Team Leaders and Supervisors. Closing of service requests against set service response times and communications with customer must be with Team Leaders, Assistant Team Leaders and Supervisors. Med 9.3 Customer Relations and Business Support The issue with Council services giving their prompt approval to events needs to be resolved. Short Page 270
Page 271
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 9.4 Customer Relations and Business Support Training to be carried out to enable all Supervisors in the collation of timesheet data so that Admin Offices are only then entering data. Complete 9.5 Customer Relations and Business Support Access rights to enter information on the Council website regarding service disruptions, nominated staff for the Area Offices should receive training in writing and posting website information to then have access rights reinstated. Short 9.6 Customer Relations and Business Support The Council should put in place a cash collection and banking contract for income from parking, toilets and other marine operations. Short 9.7 Customer Relations and Business Support All service-related phone calls, specifically service requests must go through Customer Services to ensure they are recorded on Oracle and then managed against set service response times. Complete 9.8 Customer Relations and Business Support It is recommended that the person carrying out a depot inspection should enter the detail/output of the inspections into the required system. Short 9.9 Customer Relations and Business Support Team Leader, Assistant Team Leaders and Supervisors to undertake further training in the use of core Council systems to reduce the requirement for assistance from administration staff. Competence in the use of core Council systems must be a fundamental competency for management and supervisor roles in RIS. Med 9.10 Customer Relations and Business Support The on-line application form for permits needs to be reviewed in respect to the information required to negate the need for local contractors to visit Admin Team offices to provide the detail required. Med 9.11 Customer Relations and Business Support Following the reconfiguration of the WDM and ELM systems to be able to produce service output reports against set service response times and set work programmes the current process for dealing with service request should be revised with Supervisors being required to proactively update customers by email on works running beyond set response times or work completion dates and to close service request. This will also require the integration of ELM with Oracle. Long 9.12 Customer Relations and Business Support The remaining obstacles to enable all staff to be on My View (to enter their own expense claims) need to be resolved to negate this admin requirement. Short 10.1 Infrastructure Design Recommendation DI1: It is recommended that the following practice should be adopted for setting fees for the Design Infrastructure Team: 10.1.1 Infrastructure Design a) The hourly rates for Infrastructure Design should be set after benchmarking of market rates to evidence VFM and should include management and overhead costs. The annual benchmarking of hourly rates is recommended so that the service is brought fully in line with best practice because it evidences VFM. Short 10.1.2 Infrastructure Design b) For external clients 17% should also be included for profit. Short 10.1.3 Infrastructure Design c) There should be a single hourly rate for all ABC work. Short Page 271
Page 272
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 10.2 Infrastructure Design Recommendation DI2: The Council should consider ceasing the practice of setting the Infrastructure savings to be delivered through the increase of hourly fee rates because this simply increases the costs of delivering schemes and inspection works. Short 10.3 Infrastructure Design Recommendation DI3: It is recommended that the part time Administrative Assistant post should be formally transferred to the Design Infrastructure Service and then the costs of the post should be recovered as a percentage of the fees charged by the service. This being in line with standard commercial practice and reflects the full costs of providing the service. Complete 10.4 Infrastructure Design Recommendation DI4: A project plan should be developed and agreed by the Head of Service and Executive Director for the following: 10.4.1 Infrastructure Design a) The development of a programme for the required drainage inspections (if this does not already exist). n/a 10.4.2 Infrastructure Design b) Completion of the required drainage inspections against the adopted work programme. n/a 10.4.3 Infrastructure Design c) Updating of the Flood Plan against an agreed deadline. Long 10.5 Infrastructure Design Recommendation DI5: The service should develop a simple monthly performance report that confirms the number of bridge and drainage inspections completed against the programmed number of inspections. The report should also included any mitigation action to be taken to complete missed inspections. Complete 11.1 Roads Recommendation RS1: To drive the transformation of road services it is recommend that all road activities should be transferred into an integrated roads service and management and supervision aligned with the organisational design proposed for RIS, Contained in Appendix 1. Long Page 272
Page 273
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 11.2 Roads Recommendation RS2: The Council should undertake a policy and strategy re-set for road services to assist more precisely set the direction for the services, the setting of investment priorities and the suite of KPI’s to evidence following benchmarking of VFM. This should include the policies and strategies detailed below: Med 11.3 Roads Recommendation RS3: A fundamental review should be undertaken of the asset data base for Roads to identify the gaps in data and then the development of a work programme to capture the missing data so that the service going forward is managed against a robust asset data base. This includes the asset register for gulleys that needs to brought up to date to properly inform the development of the annual plan for gulley cleansing. Med 11.4 Roads Recommendation RS4: Once the asset register for gulleys has been updated a new target operating model for gulley cleansing needs to be developed and implemented. After implementation the target operating model must be sustained and diluted backfilling other services. Med 11.5 Roads Recommendation RS5: That a comprehension performance framework for Road services be developed in conjunction with the fundamental review of the asset data base for Roads that includes service response times, a suite of KPI’s overing all Road services, and annual stretch targets to drive continuous improvement and to evidence VFM. Long 11.6 Roads Recommendation RS6: If the ‘find and fix’ approach for reactive maintenance is to be rolled out further it must be on the basis that Road Operatives have the specialist knowledge and the right material or equipment for a particular repair. The approach should only be adopted where the defects on a network are of a consistent nature and standard processes and materials can be adopted. Med 11.7 Roads Recommendation RS7: The previous project for Inspectors to have handheld devices for entering inspection outputs on site that then automatically downloads the inspection results and work instructions into WDM needs to reinitiated and delivered in line with best practice. Complete 11.8 Roads Recommendation RS8: In preparation for introducing a digital system the current inspection routes are not based on a robust data set, with duplications in the data and roads included that are not adopted, this needs to resolved by developing a robust data set for inspections. Med 11.9 Roads Recommendation RS9: The current practice of Inspectors extending the response times for reactive maintenance repairs should cease and if the category of repair is deemed wrong on inspection the service request should be re-categorised based on the judgement of the Inspector. Short 11.10 Roads Recommendation RS10: Going forward Inspector performance should be measured and managed on inspections completed and reporting should be on a road by road basis (or sections) rather that routes to make it easier to re-schedule non-completed inspections and to investigate insurance claims. Short Page 273
Page 274
Ref Service Area Recommendation RAG status 11.11 Roads Recommendation RS11: The Council could consider not requiring resident to categorise reactive maintenance requests when they make a service request because this encourage residents to judge all service requests as Category 1 reactive maintenance requests. However, as a minimum the current business rules for reporting reactive maintenance service requests should be jointly reviewed and revised by Customer Services and RIS management. Short 11.12 Roads Recommendation RS12: It is recommend that the Council confirms a post in N&S with the principal responsibility for the WDM system with the appropriate knowledge and skill set to first deliver a systems improvement programme to reconfigure WDM, and then to manage the system. If the system cannot be reconfigured as required then at the end of the current licence agreement then the Council should retender its’ systems requirements with a focus on quality rather that price being driven by a Scotland wide contract. n/a 11.13 Roads Recommendation RS13: The Flood Plan needs to be brought up to date based on the watercourse inspections now being undertaken. Med 11.14 Roads Recommendation RS14: The Council should consider an alternative model for costing and budgeting for maintenance and capital improvement works, such as detailed overleaf: Med Page 274
Page 275
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 20 JUNE 2024 SERVICES OBAN FLOODING UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Historically there have been numerous flooding events within the Oban. The sources of the flooding consists of water from; coastal, fluvial (water course), surface water and combined sewer overflows. In some cases the combined effects of some of these flooding sources has increased severity of the flood hazard in Oban. One localised flood hotspot affected by combined source flooding is centred on the Council’s Lochavullin Road Car Park bounded by Soroba Road, Tesco and Lochavullin Road. 1.2 Preventing future flooding will require significant works which currently are unfunded. Through this report it is proposed that all funding opportunities are explored including lobbying Scottish Government to seek to secure funding to implement flood prevention works as well as exploring any additional external funding opportunities. 1.3 A number of short, medium and long term actions and works identified to help to mitigate flooding are detailed in this report. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee: i. Consider and note this report. ii. Endorse the proposals by officers to lobby for funding and to explore external funding opportunities 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 SEPA’s Flood maps (Appendices 1,2 and 3) show areas susceptible to Coastal, Fluvial (watercourse) and Surface Water flooding. Full map coverage available from Flood Maps | SEPA - Flood Maps | SEPA 3.2 Coastal flooding is influenced by high astronomical tides and tidal surges caused by low atmospheric pressure and storm events. In certain conditions, when high spring tides are worsened by tidal surge, sea water will flood into the tidal reach Page 275 Agenda Item 14
Page 276
of the Black Lynn burn. The combination of tidal and high flows in the Black Lynn burn cause flooding in adjacent areas. Subject to the necessary permissions it is proposed that some clearance work is carried out. Whilst these works will provide some additional water storage capacity, they are not expected to mitigate against any significant weather event. 3.3 In addition to this the Scottish Water combined sewers (drains that contain both storm water and foul sewerage) can also surcharge adding raw sewerage to the combined source flood waters. The Lochavullin car park has a pumping system which copes with low levels of water, however, above a certain level there is nowhere to pump water to and the pumps become ineffective. 3.4 The consequences of these flooding events can often result in roads having to be closed for safety resulting in significant diversions and significant flood damage to adjacent businesses. 3.5 Climate change is very likely to increase the severity and frequency of flood events. Current guidance (SEPA Climate change allowances for flood risk assessment in land use planning) points to the following changes: • By 2100 Peak River Flows in Argyll increase by 59% of the 2017 values • By 2080 Peak Rainfall Intensities increase by 46% of the 2017 values • By 2100 cumulative rise in sea level above 2017 levels will be 0.86m 3.6 In Cycle 1 of the Highland and Argyll Local Flood Risk Management Plan 2016- 22 Oban was identified as a Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) for flooding and an Action was placed on the Council to carry out a Flood Study and Surface Water Management Plan. 3.7 A detailed Flood Study and Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) was completed in 2019. The Oban Flood Study and SWMP has identified a number of mitigation and adaptation measures. These measures will require significant infrastructure and are likely to require attenuation (creating storage capacity for water either via a reservoir(s) or in underground tanks) for storm water as well as creating sea defences to prevent flooding from tidal surge. At present detailed design has not been progressed however it is reasonable to assume that works to deal with the flooding issues would run to several millions of pounds. In the recent past, the Council has been successful in securing funding for flood studies and physical works such as those underway in Campbeltown. These studies and physical works have been 80% funded by Scottish Government and 20% by the Council. At the time of writing, the next round of flood funds has not been released and it is currently unknown as to what, if any, funding will be available and over what period of time. 3.8 On 7-9 October 2023, the flooding in Oban was significant. Connectivity including access to hospitals and healthcare, residential property, light industry, commercial and retail premises were all affected. Access to shops and food stores was cut off and general disruption including flooding of the underground fuel tanks at Tesco superstore which resulted in no fuel being available from this site for a Page 276
Page 277
number of weeks. In addition there were a number of commercial properties, some Council owned that were affected on the Lochavullin site. Future Actions 3.9 Short term actions during a flood event:- The Council will continue to respond as required assisting emergency services and others where possible to do so. In addition to ensuring the pumping system for Lochavullin car park is functioning, the Council’s input during a flood event is likely to include providing the necessary signage, posting service disruption notices via the website and working closely with Partners through the Local Resilience Partnership and responding and assisting where possible. An Oban Local Flood Resilience Group has been established by volunteers with an initial meeting held with Council officers. This local community group is a good point of contact and it is understood that they are linked in with the Scottish Flood Resilience Forum. Officers will work collaboratively with this group. 3.10 Medium term actions include:- • Watercourse inspection of Black Lynn Burn and its tributaries; • Clearance of obstructions (trees, trolleys etc) noted during inspection; • Topographic and Bathymetric surveys carried out for the area immediately surrounding Black Lynn Burn (this shall be commissioned to a specialist consultant); • Hydrologic study to be carried out for the Black Lynn Burn (this is being commissioned to a specialist consultant); • Repair the existing pumping system at Lochavullin car park: o Existing control unit repaired / replaced as required and raised on a plinth to reduce risk of future water damage; o Existing pumps replaced as required; o Investigate whether existing pump outfall can be moved downstream • Consult with SEPA on consents for watercourse clearance and repair works following watercourse inspection (it has since been noted that Japanese Knotweed is present along the Black Lynn Burn, which will need to be considered, including any Japanese Knotweed upstream); • Secure quotes for proposed works to identify if funding can be identified within available budgets or otherwise secured; • Further collaboration with Scottish Water regarding sewer flooding and identify options to share resources and reduce this source of flooding; • Make representations to Scottish Government seeking to make available funding to accelerate flood prevention works at Oban; • Explore all opportunities for securing any available funding to accelerate flood prevention works at Oban. 3.11 Long term actions include:- • Long term works will be significant and likely to run into tens of millions of pounds requiring attenuation/water storage and general climate Page 277
Page 278
change adaptation measures aimed at mitigating or minimising disruption from severe weather events; • Currently SEPA prioritise residential property above businesses in terms of assessment and allocation of funding. The Council will lobby to seek to secure funding to accelerate flood prevention works at Oban; • No identified funding for major works; • Currently SEPA have a public consultation underway regarding Oban Potential Vulnerable Area (PVAs) which runs until 24 June. This consultation is covered on another agenda item for this meeting; • The impact of revised PVAs on future LFRMP Actions is uncertain at present, as information becomes available further updates will be brought forward to Members; • NOTE – PVAs highlight the potential risk of flooding, this will enable any development to take flooding into consideration and ‘build in’ flood mitigation by raising levels, adding in flood defence etc. PVAs also help in seeking external funding to mitigate against flooding. Impact on Local Businesses and Council Tenants 3.12 Some of the properties in Oban which have been affected by the recent flooding are owned by the Council and are leased to commercial tenants. These properties are located within the Lochavullin area where the Council leases premises in Mill Lane, Millpark Road and Crannog Lane. Some of the properties have been affected by flooding before but the tenants have reported that the recent flooding events have been worse than previously experienced. 3.13 A number of tenants have contacted the Council to seek compensation or rent reductions to reflect the impact of the flooding on their businesses. However, there are also businesses in the same area who either own or privately lease their premises and it would not be fair if compensation or rent reductions were only offered to Council tenants. Accordingly it is considered that only a centralised support scheme made available through the Scottish Government would offer an equitable response to the impact of the recent flooding events. 3.14 As part of the wider flood prevention works being investigated and undertaken by the Council, additional survey work of the drainage systems around the Lochavullin area has been instructed by the Estates Section. This is to assess if there are any short term measures which could be taken to make improvements to address specific issues some tenants are having. The drainage systems have been altered over the years by a number of tenants and understanding how this impacts on the wider network will assist to determine if any short term measures will improve matters. There may also be a role in this exercise for Scottish Water depending on the outcome of the surveys and it should be noted that these works will not address the larger scale flooding events which require a larger flood prevention scheme as outlined elsewhere within the report. Other Affected Locations 3.15 There are a number of sites already included within a list of potential flood Page 278
Page 279
prevention schemes that may receive funding from future Scottish Government allocations. There are also additional sites that have been prone to recent flooding that are not included in Scottish Government’s list of schemes, these include Ledaig car park at Tobermory and Kilmichael Glen. Both of these locations have been subject to recent flooding. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report provides the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee with an update on flooding in Oban and potential medium and long term adaptation options. This report also acknowledges other sites across Argyll and Bute which do not currently feature on any flood plans. The report also proposes to seek external funding with the intention of bringing flood prevention works forward whilst also recognising that the works required to mitigate flooding in Oban will be significant. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – In line with existing Council policies and in line with the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. 5.2 Financial – No funding identified for long term solution, this report proposes that lobbying is taken forward with a view to securing funding. 5.3 Legal – The Council has four key responsibilities under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009: • Prepare maps of bodies of water etc • Assess bodies of water • Prepare local flood risk management plans and carry out the Actions identified in the LFRMP • Carry out clearance and repair works. 5.4 HR – None known. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: None known. 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – An EqSEIA will be required as and when long term solutions can be progressed. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None known. 5.5.3 Islands – None known. 5.6 Climate Change – Due regard will be given to climate change with a view to minimising any climate change impact and these will be considered as and when they arise. 5.7 Risk – None known. 5.8 Customer Service – None known. Page 279
Page 280
5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None known. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Elsa Simoes, Infrastructure Design Manager elsa.simoes@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Plan shows the SEPA River flood hazard. Appendix 2 - Plan shows the SEPA Coastal flood hazard Appendix 3 - Plan shows the SEPA Surface Water flood hazard Page 280
Page 281
Appendix 1 - Plan shows the SEPA river flood map - Search Location - Tesco PA34 4HP 0.1% = 1 in 1000 year chance of flooding 0.5% = 1 in 200 year chance of flooding 1% = 1 in 10 year chance of flooding Page 281
Page 282
Appendix 2 - Plan shows the SEPA coastal flood map Search Location – Tesco PA34 4HP 0.1% = 1 in 1000 year chance of flooding 0.5% = 1 in 200 year chance of flooding 1% = 1 in 10 year chance of flooding Page 282
Page 283
Appendix 3 - Plan shows the SEPA coastal flood map Search Location – Tesco PA34 4HP 0.1% = 1 in 1000 year chance of flooding 0.5% = 1 in 200 year chance of flooding 1% = 1 in 10 year chance of flooding Page 283
Page 284
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 285
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE 20 JUNE 2024 FLOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGY – SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 As part of Scotland’s National Adaptation Plan and wider Just Transition commitments, the Scottish Government is developing a Flood Resilience Strategy which focuses on what is required to make communities more flood resilient. 1.2 The Scottish Government launched a consultation on Flood Resilience Strategy on 20th May 2024 seeking views on the key guiding principles and the actions that are required to improve flood resilience in Scotland. The consultation closes on 13th August 2024. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee:- a) Note the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation announced by the Scottish Government on 20th May 2024 with a closing date of 13th August 2024; b) Agree, given the timescale for responding, that the formal response to the consultation from the Council be prepared with the final response being delegated to the Executive Director with responsibility for Road and Infrastructure Services in consultation with the Chair of the Environment Development and Infrastructure Committee (who is also the Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Servies), the Leader, Leader of the largest Opposition Group and the Policy Lead for Climate Change; and c) Note that a copy of the Council’s response will be presented to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting in September 2024. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The Scottish Government is developing a Flood Resilience Strategy which focuses on what is required to make communities more flood resilient. 3.2 The Scottish Government launched a consultation on Flood Resilience Strategy on 20th May 2024 seeking views on the key guiding principles and the actions that are required to improve flood resilience in Scotland. The consultation Page 285 Agenda Item 15
Page 286
closes on 13th August 2024. 3.3 The consultation paper sets out the principles the Scottish Government believe should guide the Strategy and the three key themes of people, places and processes which have been developed following a series of workshops and engagement with communities, practitioners and researchers in 2023. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 In concluding this report highlights to Members that the Scottish Government have launched a consultation on Flood Resilience Strategy. The report seeks agreement, given the timescale for responding, to delegate the Council’s response to the Executive Director with responsibility for Road and Infrastructure Services in consultation with the Chair of the Environment Development and Infrastructure Committee (who is also the Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services), the Leader, Leader of the largest Opposition Group and the Policy Lead for Climate Change with a copy of the Council’s response being presented to this Committee at its next meeting in September 2024. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None arising directly from this report. 5.2 Financial – None arising directly from this report. 5.3 Legal – None arising directly from this report. 5.4 HR – None arising directly from this report. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities – None arising directly from this report. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None arising directly from this report. 5.5.3 Islands – None arising directly from this report. 5.6 Climate Change – To meet the challenge of climate change, the Scottish Government are seeking input from Local Authorities to develop a Strategy on flooding. 5.7 Risk – None arising directly from this report. 5.8 Customer Service – None arising directly from this report. 5.9 Rights of the Child – None arising from this report. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For Further Information: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 286
Page 287
APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Scottish Government’s Flood Resilience Strategy Consultation Document Page 287
Page 288
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 289
Flood Resilience Strategy Consultation Document May 2024 Page 289
Page 290
Flood Resilience Strategy Consultation Document May 2024 Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2 Responding to this Consultation ........................................................................................... 3 Background .......................................................................................................................... 5 2. The case for change ......................................................................................................... 6 3. Changing the narrative ................................................................................................... 10 Moving from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places ............................. 10 Our Engagement ................................................................................................................ 11 Guiding Principles .............................................................................................................. 12 Questions ........................................................................................................................ 12 4. Main themes ................................................................................................................... 13 People ................................................................................................................................ 13 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 13 Questions ........................................................................................................................ 14 Places ................................................................................................................................. 15 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 15 Questions ........................................................................................................................ 16 Processes ........................................................................................................................... 18 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 18 Supporting delivery partners ........................................................................................... 18 Funding ........................................................................................................................... 19 Questions ........................................................................................................................ 20 Annex A: Glossary/Definitions ............................................................................................ 21 Annex B: Respondent Information Form ............................................................................ 27 Page 290
Page 291
1. Introduction Scotland’s climate has changed significantly and will continue to change for decades to come. The biggest climate challenge we face is adapting to our increased exposure to flooding and responding to the impacts this is having on our people, places and activities. We need to learn to live with and adapt to flooding in Scotland. As part of Scotland’s National Adaptation Plan and our wider Just Transition commitments, the Scottish Government is developing a Flood Resilience Strategy which will focus on what we need to do to make our communities more flood resilient over the coming decades. 10 of our hottest years have all come in the last 20 years. A warmer climate means an increase in winter rainfall, which can bring river flooding like we saw last winter in the east of Scotland, and more intense short periods of summer rainfall of the type that causes flooding in our towns and cities when drainage systems and roads are flooded. Warmer global temperatures also contribute to sea level rise which, year- on-year, is increasing our flood exposure and erosion round our coastline. The Scottish Government has invested £42 million pounds each year and an additional £150 million in the course of this parliament on measures to reduce the impacts of flooding. Starting in 2022, and lasting for four years, the Scottish Government also introduced a new capital budget of £12m available to local authorities to manage coastal change. However, our exposure continues to increase due to climate change. Recent events like Storm Babet have shown that even places like Brechin with established robust flood protection in place can still be flooded in bigger storms. This demonstrates the flood resilience challenge we have in keeping up with our changing climate. Reducing the impacts of flooding in future will be as much about the design of our places as it is about the design of our flood actions. To be able to cope with increased floods in the decades ahead we need to start adapting our places to become more flood resilient. This means that we need to look at how we can reduce our flood exposure by all available means and ensure that flooding is considered by a wider range of delivery partners across society. In urban areas, by involving those that design and develop our towns and cities, and in rural areas thinking about how our land use and land management can help reduce flooding impacts. In the long-term this will include giving space to our rivers and our coastline by gradually moving back from the worst flooded areas and ensuring that activities in those areas are resilient when floods happen. Scotland's National Planning Framework (NPF4) is already strengthening our resilience by promoting avoidance of development in areas that flood and coastal areas which may erode in the future. Page 291
Page 292
The Flood Resilience Strategy aims to move us away from thinking we can “fix flooding problems” to a position where we are working across multiple sectors to create flood resilient places. This means taking all the opportunities we can to reduce our exposure to flooding and to lessen the impact when our places do flood. Following a programme of engagement with the flooding community and wider stakeholders this consultation document proposes key principles to shape our approach to improving our flood resilience in the decades ahead and suggests a number of big changes which may be necessary to deliver it. Your response to this consultation will help us develop the strategy. We are seeking your views on the key guiding principles and the actions that we will take to improve our flood resilience in Scotland. To meet the challenge of climate change, action on flooding will need to involve many more people than it has in the past, so your input is vital to help develop a strategy that works for everyone. Responding to this Consultation We are inviting responses to this consultation by Tuesday 13 August. Please respond to this consultation using the Scottish Government’s consultation hub, Citizen Space (http://consult.gov.scot). Access and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/flood-resilience-strategy- consultation. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date of Tuesday 13 August. If you are unable to respond using our consultation hub, please complete the Respondent Information Form and send to: Flooding Team Scottish Government 3 J South Victoria Quay Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ Handling your response If you respond using the consultation hub, you will be directed to the About You page before submitting your response. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are content for your response to published. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly. All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore Page 292
Page 293
have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Next steps in the process Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.gov.scot. If you use the consultation hub to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email. Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available. Comments and complaints If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact address above or at flooding_mailbox@gov.scot. Scottish Government consultation process Consultation is an essential part of the policymaking process. It gives us the opportunity to consider your opinion and expertise on a proposed area of work. You can find all our consultations online: http://consult.gov.scot. Each consultation details the issues under consideration, as well as a way for you to give us your views, either online, by email or by post. Responses will be analysed and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of this analysis for every consultation. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may: ● indicate the need for policy development or review ● inform the development of a particular policy ● help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals ● be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body. Page 293
Page 294
Background The Scottish Government committed to consulting on a new flooding strategy for Scotland in The Programme for Government 2022-2023, to build community flood resilience and engage a broader range of delivery partners to deliver more diverse flood management actions faster. Over the course of 2023 we have undertaken a programme of engagement, delivered by Sniffer, ClimateXChange and Scottish Flood Forum asking community representatives, practitioners, and researchers what the Flood Resilience Strategy must address. What is flood resilience? Flood resilience is about our ability to avoid flooding and, where we can’t avoid it, being well prepared, responding well, and recovering quickly from damaging flood events. Assess – This is about understanding where flooding will occur and what the impacts are when flooding happens. This can help us avoid, prepare and respond to flooding. Avoid – This is about how we minimise our exposure in areas that flood. This includes avoiding new development in areas that flood and areas which have an erosion risk, and ensuring that essential infrastructure is not impacted by floods. This also includes changing activities in areas that frequently flood. For example, if a community is exposed to frequent flooding, one option to improve its flood resilience in the long term may be to slowly withdraw from the flooded area over time. Prepare – Where we can’t avoid flooding in certain areas we need to prepare. Being prepared includes being aware of our flood exposure, having well-designed places that are adapted to their flood exposure, having good flood forecasting and warning systems in place, being ready to respond and having flood protection in place. This can be large flood protection structures like we have in many of our towns and cities, enhancing natural protection at the coast for example from dunes, or small individual household protection measures such as flood guards. Flood resilience actions are coordinated through Scotland’s Flood Risk Management Plans. Respond – This is what we do when flooding happens to ensure that we stay safe and to minimise the impacts. It includes the actions of the emergency services, other responders and individuals. Our flood forecasting and early warning systems help communities and emergency services to respond. It also includes how we respond after the event by taking into account what we have learned and what we can do differently in future to reduce the impacts next time it happens. Recover – This is about how quickly we can bounce back after a flood in a way that makes us more resilient to future floods. Our ability to recover will depend on how well we have avoided areas that flood and how well we have prepared and responded. Communities that avoid well, prepare well and respond well will recover well. Page 294
Page 295
This included 12 workshops attended by more than 300 people and an online survey that ran over October and November and received 57 responses. Sniffer produced a report, Toward’s Scotland’s Flood Resilience Strategy, that captured what people said during those workshops, and we have used this report to help us to structure the proposed strategy. The Strategy will set the long-term direction and framework for improving our flood resilience both locally and nationally. It will: • Communicate the overall change we need to make in how we deal with flooding, from “fixing flooding problems” to creating flood resilient places. • Lay out the principles we must follow to improve flood resilience in the period ahead. • Set out the high-level changes required to make this happen. The Strategy will help Scotland adapt to climate change and will sit alongside Scotland’s third National Adaptation Plan (SNAP3), which is due to be published in Autumn 2024. 2. The case for change This section sets out why we need to change, both to manage our flood exposure, and to reduce the impacts of flooding when it does occur. Our climate is changing Through climate change by 2100: • Sea levels around the coast of Scotland will continue to rise, at a faster rate and are predicted to be at least 80 cm higher and up to 1.90m higher • Peak rainfall intensities are expected to increase by up to 50% • Peak river flows are expected to increase by up to 60% Our flood exposure is increasing The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) report that there are currently an estimated 284,000 properties across Scotland exposed to flooding, and by the 2080s this number is expected to increase by 110,000 through climate change. Improving our flood resilience is also vital for protecting our essential services, including water, utilities, and transport. The 11 named storms of 2023/2024 have highlighted the significant and costly damage that flooding and storm surges can have on our infrastructure. We know that these impacts will become more severe, so we need to take action now to ensure that we can continue to rely on our essential services as the climate changes. Page 295
Page 296
The pace of response needs to match our increasing exposure 2,000 more properties per year are being exposed to flooding through climate change. Over the last 15 years formal flood protection has been delivered at a rate of approximately 600 properties per year. This reinforces the need for this strategy and an increased rate in delivering improved flood resilience. The financial impact of flooding is increasing The Flood Risk Management Plans published by SEPA in 2022 report that the expected cost of flooding impacts in Scotland is now around £260 million per year. This figure will continue to increase with inflation and as more properties and infrastructure become exposed to flooding through climate change. River and coastal flood protection schemes are essential in some areas to ensure a level of flood resilience. However they take a long time to plan and build and come at significant cost, which often escalates between initial planning and completed construction. We are in the early stages of understanding the risks and challenges of coastal erosion and coastal flooding, but we do know that there is a significant challenge in delivering improved resilience for coastal communities. To provide the best level of flood resilience for all our communities we need to carefully consider approaches to delivery and consider all sources of available funding. There has been a focus on a limited range of flood management actions Most of the central flooding budget has traditionally been spent on delivering large river and coastal flood protection schemes for towns and cities. This means that less has been available for other measures such as surface water management, property level flood protection, flood protection for smaller communities or natural flood management. Flood actions are delivered through a limited range of contributors Currently, almost all flood management actions are carried out by flooding teams in Local Authorities, Scottish Water and SEPA supported by specialist engineering and technical consultants. This limits what we can deliver to reduce our flood exposure and increase resilience. To ensure our communities are more flood resilient in future, all those involved with the design and development of our towns and cities need to increase flood resilience and reduce flood impacts by all available means. Page 296
Page 297
Flood Management Actions Through the flood risk management planning process, the Scottish Government currently spends £42 million per year on actions to increase flood resilience. The majority of this money is spent on flood protection schemes, such as the recently opened schemes in Stonehaven and Arbroath. However, a portion of this money could be spent on a wider range of actions, including blue-green infrastructure, natural flood management, and community flood resilience, all of which would have multiple benefits. Natural flood management consists of nature-based approaches that involve looking at all the natural and land management opportunities there may be in river catchments and at our coast, to reduce the impact of flooding. This includes things like tree planting, restoring peatlands to soak up water, using natural landforms and land use practices to slow run-off and capture water, making the most of natural floodplains to store water and sand dune restoration and seagrass restoration at our coast. Natural flood management is often used in combination with other flood resilience actions. Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) is used to manage water and reduce flooding in our towns and cities. It refers to incorporating landscape and water design into, often, urban spaces. It is about making the most of urban green spaces and natural water bodies to capture rainwater where it falls and to reduce run-off and reduce water flowing into our drainage systems. It refers to incorporating blue elements, like rivers, ponds, water treatment facilities and green elements, such as trees, parks and land-use planning. Community Resilience is when communities and individuals are supported so that they can help themselves prepare for, respond to and recover from floods. This can include the funding of community flood groups to start up, train, and purchase equipment. For example, the Edzell Flood Group, formed in 2013, secured funding from Scottish and Southern Energy Networks Resilient Communities Fund for deployable barriers, and through regular training and exercising have prevented their village from flooding again since they were established. Flood warnings allow communities to prepare and respond and are a key part of community resilience. Page 297
Page 298
Everyone can contribute to flood resilience Everyone can play a part in increasing our flood resilience. For example: Planners can ensure that our places are designed to be able to cope with increased rainfall and flooding. For example, by preventing development on the floodplain and considering how their decisions can improve the town’s flood resilience. Landscape architects and place designers can ensure that good practice for water management and the design of green space is used at all levels of the design process from Masterplanning through to individual developments. Scottish Government ensures that relevant policies contribute to our flood resilience. For example, planning policy strengthens our resilience to flooding by promoting avoidance of development in areas that flood and providing information on coastal erosion through Dynamic Coast. Government can also help different groups to join up and collaborate, creating connections that make improving our flood resilience easier. For example, by encouraging climate adaptation planning and ensuring that this includes actions to improve our flood resilience wherever possible. The Government can also direct funding towards a wider range of measures to improve our flood resilience. Public sector organisations make information on potential flooding readily accessible to help people and partners make informed choices to help themselves. This includes Scotland’s flood maps and our flood forecasting and flood warning services provided by SEPA. Local authorities can support their communities to get involved in decisions about their places, giving them the information and support they need to make their voices heard. Many are taking forward climate adaptation plans to ensure they are ready for their climate challenges and can continue to thrive in our future climate. This includes thinking about how flooding will impact on their communities and what they will need to do to be flood resilient. A good example of this is Edinburgh's Water Vision where the local authority is planning for the future by considering how public realm, open space, infrastructure and streets are designed, agreed, constructed and maintained. Communities can get involved in decisions about their places. They have lots of local knowledge and lived experience that help us make better decisions about what can make them more flood resilient. With the right support, communities and individuals can also help themselves prepare for, respond to and recover from floods. Land managers, farmers and crofters can contribute to flood resilience through good practice and by helping us deliver natural flood management measures. How we manage and work our land in Scotland influences how water moves through it, so farmers and land managers have a key role in helping us manage river catchments and our coastline to offset our increasing flood exposure. Transport and utility organisations can contribute through the design and delivery of their networks and services. Page 298
Page 299
Individuals can help too, for example by joining their local flood action group, by using SEPA’s flood maps to understand their flood exposure, by investing in flood resilience measures for their properties and by being ready to act when floods happen. Making small changes at a local level can help reduce flooding impacts too such as ensuring driveways and gardens are made of permeable material to soak up water and that streets and parks have green areas that can allow water to safely drain away without causing flooding. Even installing water butts to capture some rainfall from downpipes can help reduce the impact of heavy rain locally. The flooding challenge is increasing for future generations The current approach to flooding, principally focused on flood protection, needs to be re-examined and expanded to ensure that it delivers for future generations. As floods get bigger and happen more frequently it will become more and more difficult to continue to provide protection for those who live in flood prone areas. For those communities most vulnerable to flooding, long-term changes must be considered to make them flood resilient and support them through that process. This will include a slow transition away from those areas most exposed to flooding from rivers and the sea where flood protection could not be sustained in the long term. We know that our climate is rapidly changing. In 2023, the global average temperature reached 1.5 oC above the pre-industrial baseline for the first time, which is much faster than scientists expected. We therefore urgently need to develop a long-term approach so that we can integrate flood resilience into decisions made about our places as part of our adaptation to climate change. A key part of this shift to flood resilience is to ensure that everyone understands that we are moving from ‘fixing’ flooding problems to creating flood resilient places. 3. Changing the narrative Moving from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places Climate change is happening faster than we thought and we must act now to ensure our communities can continue to thrive in the long term. If we don’t start the process now, future generations will be left with more to do in a shorter space of time and at greater cost. Our current approach to managing flooding is geared towards trying to fix flooding problems to allow us to continue to do the same things in the same places with a reduced exposure to flooding. However, recent events such as the flood in Brechin in October 2023 show the challenge of protecting flood prone areas in our changing climate. Page 299
Page 300
We must now change how we think about flooding and focus on how we can take all the opportunities available to us to create flood resilient places, reducing our flood exposure and taking actions to lessen the impacts when flooding does occur. What does flood resilience look like? How a community develops its flood resilience will vary from place to place depending on their flood exposure, local opportunities, and the needs of their community. For example, in some places, actions could include building blue and green infrastructure such as raingardens, or parks that provide space for water to reduce surface water flooding. In another, this could mean small scale local flood protection or property level flood resilience measures to reduce the impacts of flooding from a small river. In another, it could mean a long-term plan to move properties away from the floodplain of a larger river or a vulnerable coastline where protection cannot be provided. Developing community flood resilience will require relevant authorities, communities and public and private sector stakeholders to work together in new ways to make this happen. Enabling communities to develop their flood resilience will require access to a wide range of actions and support. Around the world countries are responding to this in different ways. Here are some examples of what they are doing: • The Netherlands’ Delta Programme, which has overarching responsibility for providing flood risk and freshwater management in the Netherlands and takes a whole-system view, considers how to build climate resilience up to and beyond 2050. • New Zealand published its first National Adaptation Plan in 2022, which places significant emphasis on the possibility for managed retreat away from exposed areas; • London is managing its flood exposure for the long term through the Thames Estuary 2100 programme, which will adapt the estuary to changes resulting from climate change and sea level rise. Our Engagement Over the past year we have run workshops and online surveys with communities and stakeholders to find out what big changes we need to make to become flood resilient. We have heard from hundreds of people including community representatives, flood management practitioners and policy officials. We gathered lots of useful information and ideas about what we must do. Scottish Government worked with our partner organisations Sniffer, ClimateXChange and the Scottish Flood Forum to run the workshops. Sniffer analysed the output and we have distilled all this information into three themes for the Strategy: Page 300
Page 301
People: Involving people in decisions about improving flood resilience in their places and highlighting the contributions individuals can make to community flood resilience. Places: What changes we must make to our places to increase our flood resilience. Processes: Making changes to the way we do things and the way we work together to enable us to create flood resilient places. Guiding Principles Influenced by our engagement so far, we propose that the following key principles should underpin the Flood Resilience Strategy. These will guide our approach to dealing with flooding and help us to make the most of all the resources available to us. 1. We will change the focus from ‘fixing flooding problems’ to creating flood resilient places. 2. Flood resilience is part of community resilience and part of adapting to climate change, so everyone has a role to play. 3. At the heart of our flood resilience activities will lie the principles of a Just Transition (to secure a fairer, greener future for all by working in partnership to deliver fairness and tackle inequality and injustice). 4. Everyone benefits from flood resilient places, and we all have a contribution to make. Questions 1. Do you support the change from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places? Yes/No - please give the reason(s) for your answer. 2. How can decision makers ensure that actions taken to improve flood resilience align with the aims of a Just Transition to achieve a fairer, greener future? 3. Who do you think has a role in Scotland to help us become more flood resilient and to help us adapt to the impacts of climate change? (Please rank from most to least important) a. Individuals b. Homeowners c. Businesses d. Scottish Government e. Scottish Water f. Local Authorities g. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) h. Land owners/land managers i. Farmers and crofters Page 301
Page 302
j. House builders/developers k. Community groups l. Other (please specify) 4. Main themes This part of the consultation outlines the main themes for the Flood Resilience Strategy: People, Places, and Processes. We are seeking your input to each of these themes and have asked questions at the end of each section to capture your views. People Flooding has a devastating impact on communities and people. As well as the direct impacts to flooded homes and business, it can disrupt our lives, livelihoods and impact on our physical and mental health for long after the flood event itself. We are placing people and communities at the centre of the Flood Resilience Strategy. It is vital that people are included in the decision-making process for their places and that they are given the right information and evidence to enable them to meaningfully contribute. Helping people to understand their exposure to flooding, what actions might help their community become more flood resilient and how they can contribute is a key part of this. Meaningfully involving communities in decisions about their places is a complex and long-term process that requires commitment, having the right structures in place, and having information that is readily accessible and up to date. Outcomes We want to build a flood resilient future where communities are meaningfully included in decisions about their places and have the resources, knowledge and information they require to contribute. Structures will need to be in place to enable this to happen, with mediators and facilitators advising and supporting delivery partners to involve their communities in the process. In the short term, there are a number of actions that could facilitate meaningful community engagement to help improve flood resilience across Scotland. Communities should be empowered to contribute to decisions about their places through access to high quality, up-to-date information about their current and future flood exposure and the options they have to mitigate it. One way to work towards this could be by considering how existing data may be best used to support communities and practitioners, to better understand their current and future flood exposure and options that they have for improving their flood resilience. In the longer term, continuous improvements are needed to how we collaborate with communities. This can be achieved by following the National Standards for Page 302
Page 303
Community Engagement and developing support structures that help people to understand and engage with decision making processes through trusted organisations and mediators. We also need to consider how people and communities can be given the tools, support and knowledge needed to build their own flood resilience, including through property-based resilience measures and through community resilience groups. This will include raising awareness of how existing resources such as Ready Scotland's learning hub can help. Questions 4. What support do communities need to become involved/engaged in climate adaptation and flood resilience planning? 5. What should local authorities be doing to ensure meaningful community participation when taking decisions about improving flood resilience? 6. What would help communities understand their current and future flood exposure and the range of options available to them to help them become more flood resilient? (Please rank from most to least important) a. Access to flood maps showing current and future flood exposure b. Access to local flood history c. Access to information on community “self-help” options. d. Access to flood resilience advice/support e. Access to information on the range of flood resilience options available for their community f. Other (please specify) 7. What actions could communities take to improve their flood resilience? (Please rank from most to least important) a. Set up a local community flood resilience group b. Develop a local community flood response plan c. Share local knowledge of what happens during floods with organisations like SEPA and local authorities d. Link up with their local climate action group e. Other (please specify) 8. What actions could householders/businesses take to improve their flood resilience? (Please rank from most to least important) a. Learn about flood exposure in their area b. Invest in property resilience measures, such as installing flood gates, raising electrical wall sockets and using flood resilient building materials c. Join a community flood action group d. Sign up to Floodline for flood alerts and warnings e. Seek advice on flood resilience Page 303
Page 304
f. Make sure they have flood insurance g. Other (please specify) 9. What would you do to improve your personal flood resilience? (Please rank by importance) a. Find out how exposed you are to floods b. Sign-up to Floodline for flood alerts and warnings c. Have a personal flood plan ready to put into action when flooding is expected d. Ensure you know what to do if your property was to get flooded e. Check your flood exposure before buying or renting a property f. Make sure you have flood insurance g. Other (please specify) Places Flood resilience can be improved through better design of our places and management of our river catchments and coastline. As our villages, towns, and cities change over time we need to work together across sectors to ensure that we take all opportunities to design-in flood resilience improvements. For example, introducing blue and green infrastructure into our towns and cities can bring multiple benefits including improving flood resilience, biodiversity, water resource management and well-being. We also need to ensure that we are making the most of our river catchments and coastline to reduce the impacts of flooding. For example, we can use land upstream of flood prone areas, such as peatlands, to capture water and slow down river flows and we can use natural dune systems at our coastline to protect from erosion and flooding. This section also focuses on actions we should stop doing in our places to ensure that we don’t reduce our flood resilience or increase our flood exposure, such as building on floodplains. Outcomes We believe that actions taken to build flood resilience should take a place-based approach, with decisions made in a joined-up way across responsible authorities, delivery partners and communities to provide multiple benefits to a community. Planners and developers should consider how their decisions affect flood resilience in both rural and urban areas. Flooding should be routinely taken into account when building things, particularly in urban areas. For example, a council may want to build a new car park in a town centre to promote the economic development of their high street. However, doing this may mean that Page 304
Page 305
water falling on the surface would run off and potentially cause flooding in the town unless otherwise addressed. In the shorter term, delivery partners should consider how to adopt a whole- catchment approach to their planning to enable more joined-up decisions about how to manage water effectively. As part of this catchment approach, consideration must be given to urban and rural land use and how to make space for water recognising that water will always want to follow its natural course. At a household level, making space for water could be something as simple as installing a raingarden to reduce the amount of rainwater entering drainage systems during storms. For a community it could be thinking about how they can reduce the number of properties on the floodplain and at a catchment level this could mean changing land use practices to slow the flow of water into rivers and allow more water to be retained in upland areas. Making space for water includes using floodplains for natural processes such as holding and conveying water. We would like your views on how we can gradually reduce our flood exposure on floodplains. For example, by reducing the number of properties on floodplains or using floodplains for activities that are flood resilient. In the longer-term Scottish Government will seek to work collaboratively with planning authorities and councils to ensure that decisions made about a place consider flooding in everything they do, meaning that through any action the flood resilience of a place is increased or, at minimum, not reduced. Using the placemaking principles, we should optimise land use and land management practices for multiple benefits. Questions 10. How can we ensure that our places are designed to be flood resilient in future? 11. To what extent do you agree that there is a need to make space for water to improve the flood resilience of our villages, towns and cities? a. Strongly agree b. Mostly agree c. Mostly disagree d. Strongly disagree In urban areas, we should make more use of our greenspace and urban watercourses to help manage increased rainfall and reduce the impacts of surface water flooding. 12. Which of the following do you think would be helpful? (Please rank by importance) a. Increasing the use of sustainable drainage systems Page 305
Page 306
b. Creating blue and green drainage networks to enhance existing drainage systems c. Using available greenspace such parks and sports pitches to help soak up and store water in the heaviest rainfall events to prevent drainage systems becoming overwhelmed d. Creating raingardens in public parks and streets e. Other (please specify) If we are to make more use of our river catchments and coastal areas to increase our flood resilience, 13. Which of the following do you think would be helpful? (Please rank by importance) a. Using soil, and land management techniques to slow down the flow of water and increase infiltration and water retention b. Using river and floodplain management techniques such as re- introducing meanders to rivers to slow flow and enhancing floodplains and wetlands to increase storage c. Increasing woodland to help intercept, slow and store water throughout a catchment d. Restoring peatlands to absorb, store and release water slowly. e. Enhancing natural dune systems to maintain a natural barrier that reduces the risk of tidal inundation f. Managing saltmarsh and mudflats in estuaries to store water and dissipate wave energy g. Other (please specify) Properties on floodplains will become increasingly exposed to flooding with climate change. Communities in some areas around our coast will also have an increased exposure to flooding where the combined impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion come together. It may not be possible for the most exposed communities to maintain a level of flood resilience indefinitely and alternative long-term planning needs to take place. 14. Should moving communities away from areas with the highest exposure be considered as an option? Yes/No - please give the reason(s) for your answer. Page 306
Page 307
Processes To make the shift from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places we need to adapt the processes that we go through when making decisions related to flooding. This will include making changes to: • The way we work together. • How we provide support for delivery partners to deliver a broader range of actions. • How things are funded and what actions we spend our available funding on. Outcomes We want to ensure that the processes in place to improve flood resilience make the best use of resources we have available and deliver multiple benefits for places and communities. We also want to make sure that everyone involved in flooding in Scotland has access to the information and support that they need to contribute. Supporting delivery partners To make the shift from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places communities and delivery partners will need access to advice and support. This is especially important if we want to enable a broader range of delivery partners to contribute to flood resilience in Scotland. Here in Scotland we have an excellent knowledge and skills base within the 36 flood management responsible authorities – the 32 local authorities, SEPA, Scottish Water and the two national parks. We are keen to hear views on how we can create greater efficiency, consistency and value, and how we can become better at sharing our knowledge, skills and experience across this group. We would like to hear from you whether there is any value in realigning, clarifying or modifying the roles across these partners to support this. Making the change from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places will require sharing advice, knowledge, skills and best practice between delivery partners on topics including: • Embedding flood resilience in the design of our places • Community involvement • Climate adaptation • Coastal erosion • Flood resilience options • Early design of actions • Natural flood management • Blue and Green infrastructure • Funding options Page 307
Page 308
Funding The cost of flooding impacts and of implementing flood measures continues to increase, so it is critical that we make the most of our available resources to have the greatest impact on our outcomes and seek to widen the sources of funding available to improve flood resilience. Under the current flood risk management legislation, and the “fixing flooding problems” approach, Scottish Government and local authority flooding budgets are largely focused on flood protection schemes such as those completed recently for Stonehaven, Arbroath, and Caol and Lochyside. Shifting the narrative to “creating flood resilient places” widens the number of flood resilience actions that can be taken forward and may provide opportunities to better connect budgets for multiple benefits and widen sources of funding available beyond Scottish Government and local authorities. For example, urban regeneration projects- joint funded by developers and local authorities can reduce flood exposure through good design and urban greenspace projects can be combined with flood storage to reduce flood impacts. Making this change will require providing information, support and guidance to communities and flood management organisations. The Scottish Government is also working with COSLA, the voice of Local Government in Scotland, to reform the current approach to funding flood resilience actions. In particular to see how we can increase the affordability of flood protection schemes and consider what other actions can be taken forward in combination with flood protection schemes to improve our flood resilience. This work is ongoing in parallel to developing this strategy. The initial focus of the work is on the affordability of the flood protection schemes we are already committed to deliver and how we can improve how schemes are schemes are funded and delivered in future. Part of this work with COSLA is considering what other flood resilience actions should be funded and this consultation has the opportunity to influence that work. What does the Scottish Government currently spend the flooding budget on? The Scottish Government has allocated £42 million per year, plus £150 million until the end of this parliament, for local authorities to spend on measures to manage their flood risk. This is largely spent on Flood Protection Schemes, which include those at Stonehaven, Brechin, and Caol and Lochyside. Further funding supports the operations of the Scottish Flood Forum, which provides advice and support for people that have been flooded, and flood forecasting and warning services, provided by SEPA. Additionally, £12m is being provided over four years to support coastal change adaptation. All of these elements are very important for reducing our flood exposure, but we are keen to take views on whether a portion of this funding would have a greater impact if it was redistributed to other actions, such as towards a property flood protection grant, natural flood management measures or training and equipping community resilience groups. Page 308
Page 309
Questions To distribute available funding across a wider range of flood resilience actions would potentially mean reducing spending on new large flood protection schemes. 15. How might information, guidance, direction and technical support be provided for communities and flood management organisations? 16. How can we improve efficiency, consistency and value in delivering flood actions? 17. Other than large flood protection schemes, what other flood resilience actions should we focus on supporting/spending available funding on? (Please rank by importance) a. Maintaining existing flood protection b. Small flood protection schemes c. Natural flood management d. Blue and green infrastructure (e.g. multi-purpose green space, such as floodable sports pitches) e. Flood forecasting and warning f. Property level flood resilience measures g. Supporting local community flood resilience groups h. None – all funding should be spent on large flood protection schemes i. Other (please specify) 18. Do you think there is enough evidence and information to support the delivery of a broader range of flood resilience actions? Yes/No – If No, please let us know what you think our evidence and information gaps are. 19. What other funding sources or mechanisms could be used to support flood resilience? (Please rank by importance) a. Financial contributions from those who directly benefit from improved flood resilience (e.g. private sector/businesses) b. All new development makes a contribution to improving flood resilience c. Support natural flood management through payments to farmers, crofters and land managers (for example, Forestry Grant Scheme, the future agricultural support framework or PeatlandACTION payments) d. Other (please specify) And finally: 20. What is your main concern about flooding? 21. What one thing would do the most to improve Scotland’s flood resilience? Page 309
Page 310
Annex A: Glossary/Definitions Adaptation Scotland Programme Adaptation Scotland is a programme initiated by the Scottish Government to address the challenges posed by climate change. It focuses on enhancing Scotland’s resilience and preparedness for the impacts of a changing climate. Annual Average Damages (AADs) Annual average damages (AADs) are the theoretical average economic damages caused by flooding when considered over a very long period of time. It does not mean that level of damage will occur every year: in many years there will be no damages, in some years minor damages and in a few years major damages may occur. Biodiversity Short for biological diversity. The number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area. Biodiversity is central to all of our lives and it is now very widely accepted that biodiversity is in crisis, both globally and in Scotland. Biodiversity strategy to 2045: tackling the nature emergency Blue and green infrastructure The combination of blue and green infrastructure. Blue infrastructure Water environment features within the natural and built environments that provide a range of ecosystem services. Blue features include rivers, lochs, wetlands, canals, other water courses, ponds, coastal and marine areas including beaches, porous paving, sustainable urban drainage systems and raingardens. Green infrastructure Features or spaces within the natural and built environments that provide a range of ecosystem services. Blue and green drainage networks Connected areas of blue and green infrastructure, sustainable drainage systems and open space, that together form an integrated drainage system. These work side-by- side with manmade drainage infrastructure such as roads drainage and sewer systems to improve the drainage of urban areas to reduce flooding. Page 310
Page 311
Catchment The area of land and the water collected in it, especially the collection of rainfall over a natural drainage area. For example, a river catchment is the area of land drained by a river and all its tributaries. The catchment area may include hill slopes and floodplains, lochs, forests, agricultural fields and urban areas. ClimateXChange Scotland’s centre of expertise on climate change. ClimateXChange | Scotland's centre of expertise on climate change Coastal Erosion More Information about coastal erosion can be found at Dynamic Coast. Community Flood Resilience Group(s) Local groups reflecting the interests of their communities. these differ from area to area, depending on the particular issues faced by communities. Scottish Flood Forum provide help and ongoing support to such groups in flood risk areas. Improving Flood Resilience Through Community Action - SFF Edinburgh’s Water Vision The City of Edinburgh Council’s long-term and sustainable approach to river, coastal and storm water management across the city and its environs, respecting its unique historic heritage. It involves all stakeholders with the aim of addressing the flooding and water quality risks associated with our changing climate as a result of changes in rainfall and sea level rise. Edinburgh’s Water Vision – Planning Edinburgh Edzell Flood Group A local flood action group set up by residents in Edzell in Angus. The group works together as a community to reduce the flooding impacts in Edzell. Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the assessment and sustainable management of flood risks, including provision for implementing European Parliament and Council Directive 2007/60/EC; to make provision about local authorities' and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's functions in relation to flood risk management; to amend the Reservoirs Act 1975; and for connected purposes. Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 Page 311
Page 312
Flooding in Scotland – Who does what? The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland, in which we work in partnership with SEPA, local authorities, Scottish Water and other responsible authorities including the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority and Cairngorms National Park Authority. Floodline Floodline provides live flooding information and advice on how to prepare for or cope with the impacts of flooding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Floodline | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Greenspace Space, other than agricultural land, which serves or could serve a recreational or an amenity function for the public, or provides aesthetic value to the public including parks, gardens, playing fields, children’s play areas, woods and other natural areas, grassed areas, cemeteries and allotments, green corridors like paths, disused railway lines, rivers and canals, derelict, vacant and contaminated land which has the potential to be transformed. Just Transition Is how we secure a fairer, greener future for all by working in partnership to deliver fairness and tackle inequality and injustice. Large flood protection structures Larger flood protection schemes for urban areas are delivered by local authorities under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. An example is the recently completed Stonehaven flood protection scheme. Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme - Aberdeenshire Council Make space for water The process of understanding where water will naturally go and considering how we can make space for it. Making space for water is particularly useful in terms of increasing our flood resilience by reducing our exposure to flooding. Masterplanning Strategic planning for an area proposed to be regenerated or changed in order to meet a perceived challenge or strategic need. Multiple benefits In the context of flood resilience, multiple benefits refers to the actions we take to make places more flood resilient that also deliver other benefits for communities. For example, natural flood management can improve flood resilience, habitat, Page 312
Page 313
biodiversity, increase green space in our towns and cities, and contribute to our health and well-being. National Standards for Community Engagement The National Standards for Community Engagement are good-practice principles designed to improve and guide the process of community engagement. National Standards for Community Engagement | SCDC - We believe communities matter Natural flood management (NFM) Using natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding. These measures protect, restore, and mimic the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and the coast to slow and store water and dissipate wave energy. NFM measures can include soil and land management, river and floodplain management, woodland management, run-off management and coast and estuary management. Place-based approach A place-based approach is about understanding the issues, interconnections and relationships in a place and coordinating action and investment to improve the quality of life for that community. Place Based Approaches | Our Place Placemaking The process of creating good quality places that promotes people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. It concerns the environment in which we live; the people that inhabit these spaces; and the quality of life that comes from the interaction of people and their surroundings. Placemaking is a collaborative approach involving the design and development of places over time, with people and communities central to the process. Public body A formally established organisation that is publicly funded to deliver a public or government service. Raingarden A garden that lies below the level of its surroundings, designed to absorb rainwater that runs off from a surface such as a patio or roof. Page 313
Page 314
Run-off This refers to water running across a surface before it enters a drain or watercourse. For example, during heavy rainfall more water may fall onto a field than can soak into the soil. The water that can’t soak in will run off. Scotland’s Flood Risk Management Plans Are Scotland’s route map for increasing community flood resilience. They are key to Scotland’s health, wellbeing and economic success, with an estimated 284,000 homes, businesses and services identified as at risk of flooding. The plans are also an important response to the climate emergency, as the number of homes businesses and services at risk of flooding are projected to increase by an estimated 110,000 by the 2080s. SEPA leads Scotland’s flood risk management planning process. The plans outline the long-term ambition for increasing flood resilience by setting objectives and identifying actions. Flood Risk Management Plans | SEPA Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is Scottish Government’s national spatial strategy for Scotland. It sets out spatial principles, regional priorities, national developments and national planning policy. Supporting documents - National Planning Framework 4 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Scotland's national flood forecasting, flood warning and strategic flood risk management authority. Flooding | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Scottish Flood Forum The Scottish Flood Forum is an independent organisation which supports individuals and communities at risk from flooding. The Scottish Flood Forum - Supporting Flood Risk Communities Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3 The climate adaptation plan for Scotland covering the period 2024-2029. Currently in draft form, this document was available for public consultation between 31 January and 24 April 2024. Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space Scottish and Southern Energy Networks Resilient Communities Fund Scottish and Southern Energy Networks Resilient Communities Fund's core aim is to help communities become more resilient in the face of storms, severe weather and prolonged power interruptions. Resilient Communities Fund - SSEN Page 314
Page 315
Sniffer Sniffer is an organisation helping Scotland get ready for the impacts of climate change by raising awareness of climate risks and opportunities and creating catalysts for collaborative action through the Adaptation Scotland Programme. Sniffer Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) Are a natural approach to managing drainage in and around properties and developments. They work by slowing and holding back water that runs off from a site. They help manage and control surface water. Sustainable drainage (susdrain.org) Transport and utility organisations This includes road and rail, ports and harbours, electricity, gas and water service providers. Water body Is a certain, clearly distinguishable part of surface water, such as the sea, a loch, a pond, a wetland, a stream, river or a part of a stream or river. Water butt A container for storing rainwater which can then be used to water gardens or clean driveways etc. Watercourse A natural or artificial channel through which water flows. This could be a river, canal etc. Page 315
Page 316
Annex B: Respondent Information Form *Flood Resilience Strategy Public Consultation Respondent Information Form Please Note this form must be completed and returned with your response. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? Individual Organisation Full name or organisation’s name Phone number Address Postcode Email Address The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again Information for organisations: The option 'Publish response only (without name)’ is available for individual respondents only. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. Page 316
Page 317
in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Yes No Page 317
Page 318
Questionnaire Question 1 Do you support the change from fixing flooding problems to creating flood resilient places? Yes No Please give reasons for your answer. Question 2 How can decision makers ensure that actions taken to improve flood resilience align with the aims of a Just Transition to achieve a fairer, greener future? Question 3 Who do you think has a role in Scotland to help us become more flood resilient and to help us adapt to the impacts of climate change? Please rank from 1-12, where 1 is the most important. Individuals Homeowners Businesses Scottish Government Scottish Water Page 318
Page 319
Local Authorities Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Land owners/land managers Farmers and crofters Housebuilders/developers Community groups Others (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 4 What support do communities need to become involved/engaged in climate adaptation and flood resilience planning? Question 5 What should local authorities be doing to ensure meaningful community participation when taking decisions about improving flood resilience? Question 6 What would help communities understand their current and future flood exposure and the range of options available to them to help them become more flood resilient? Please rank from 1-6, where 1 is the most important. Access to flood maps showing current and future flood exposure Page 319
Page 320
Access to local flood history Access to information on community “self-help” options. Access to flood resilience advice/support Access to information on the range of flood resilience options available for their community Others (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 7 What actions could communities take to improve their flood resilience? Please rank from 1-5, where 1 is the most important. Set up a local community flood resilience group Develop a local community flood response plan Share local knowledge of what happens during floods with organisations like SEPA and local authorities Link up with their local climate action group Others (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 8 What actions could householders/businesses take to improve their flood resilience? Please rank from 1-7, where 1 is the most important. Learn about flood exposure in their area Invest in property resilience measures, such as installing flood gates, raising electrical wall sockets and using flood resilient building materials. Join a community flood action group Sign up to Floodline for flood alerts and warnings Seek advice on flood resilience Page 320
Page 321
Make sure they have flood insurance Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 9 What would you do to improve your personal flood resilience? (Please rank by importance) Please rank from 1-7, where 1 is the most important. Find out how exposed you are to floods Sign up to Floodline for flood alerts and warnings Have a personal flood plan ready to put into action when flooding is expected Ensure you know what to do if your property was to get flooded Check your flood exposure before buying or renting a property Make sure you have flood insurance Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 10 How can we ensure that our places are designed to be flood resilient in future? Page 321
Page 322
Question 11 To what extent do you agree that there is a need to make space for water to improve the flood resilience of our villages, towns and cities? Strongly agree Mostly agree Mostly disagree Strongly disagree Question 12 In urban areas, we should make more use of our greenspace and urban watercourses to help manage increased rainfall and reduce the impacts of surface water flooding. Which of the following do you think would be helpful? Please rank from 1-5, where 1 is the most important. Increasing the use of sustainable drainage systems Creating blue and green drainage networks to enhance existing drainage systems Using available greenspace such parks and sports pitches to help soak up and store water in the heaviest rainfall events to prevent drainage systems becoming overwhelmed Creating raingardens in public parks and streets Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Page 322
Page 323
Question 13 If we are to make more use of our river catchments and coastal areas to increase our flood resilience, Which of the following do you think would be helpful? Please rank from 1-7, where 1 is the most important. Using soil, and land management techniques to slow down the flow of water and increase infiltration and water retention. Using river and floodplain management techniques such as re-introducing meanders to rivers to slow flow and enhancing floodplains and wetlands to increase storage. Increasing woodland to help intercept, slow and store water throughout a catchment. Restoring peatlands to absorb, store and release water slowly. Enhancing natural dune systems to maintain a natural barrier that reduces the risk of tidal inundation Managing saltmarsh and mudflats in estuaries to store water and dissipate wave energy. Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Question 14 Should moving communities away from areas with the highest flood exposure be considered as an option? Yes No Please give reasons for your answer. Page 323
Page 324
Question 15 How might information, guidance, direction and technical support be provided for communities and flood management organisations? Question 16 How can we improve efficiency, consistency and value in delivering flood actions? Question 17 Other than large flood protection schemes, what other flood resilience actions should we focus on supporting/spending available funding on? Please rank from 1-9, where 1 is the most important. Maintaining existing flood protection Small flood protection schemes Natural flood management Blue and green infrastructure (e.g. multi-purpose green space, such as floodable sports pitches) Flood forecasting and warning Property level flood resilience measures Supporting local community flood resilience groups None – all funding should be spent on large flood protection schemes Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Page 324
Page 325
Question 18 Do you think there is enough evidence and information to support the delivery of a broader range of flood resilience actions? Yes No If No, please let us know what you think our evidence and information gaps are. Question 19 What other funding sources or mechanisms could be used to support flood resilience? Please rank from 1-4, where 1 is the most important. Financial contributions from those who directly benefit from improved flood resilience (e.g. private sector/business) All new development makes a contribution to improving flood resilience. Support natural flood management through payments to farmers, crofters and land managers (for example, Forestry Grant Scheme, the future agricultural support framework or PeatlandACTION payments) Other (please specify) If you selected ‘Other’, please specify your answer. Page 325
Page 326
And finally, Question 20 What is your main concern about flooding? Question 21 What one thing would do the most to improve Scotland’s flood resilience? Page 326
Page 327
© Crown copyright 2024 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.scot Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at The Scottish Government St Andrew’s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG ISBN: 978-1-83601-291-7 (web only) Published by The Scottish Government, May 2024 Produced for The Scottish Government by APS Group Scotland, 21 Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5NA PPDAS1423374 (05/24) w w w . g o v . s c o t Page 327
Page 328
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 329
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 20 JUNE 2024 SERVICES SEPA CONSULTATION – POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE AREAS FOR FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is running a consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) for Flood Risk Management. This report provides information on this consultation. 1.2 The report recommends that Members consider completing the consultation questionnaire on an individual basis. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee:- • Consider and note this report. • Members consider completing the consultation questionnaire on an individual basis noting the 24 June closing date. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is running a consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) for Flood Risk Management. Potentially Vulnerable Areas are areas where significant flood risk exists now, or is likely to occur in the future. PVAs help provide information to understand and prioritise where work could benefit the most. They are a vital part of protecting people, properties, businesses, communities, infrastructure, and our environment. 3.2 The PVAs are updated and published every six years. They were first identified in 2011 and were updated in 2018. In December 2024, they are due to be updated again. This consultation seeks views on proposed changes. The consultation and further information can be found on SEPA’s website here: Consultation on Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) for Flood Risk Management in Scotland 2024 - Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Citizen Space (sepa.org.uk) Page 329 Agenda Item 16
Page 330
3.3 After the consultation closes on 24 June 2024, SEPA will publish a summary of responses on their website. SEPA will take account of views received and submit proposals to Scottish Ministers later this year. Scottish Ministers will then formally designate the PVAs and they will be published in December 2024. SEPA will also use the consultation responses to inform future flood risk management work. In addition the PVAs provide a useful resource for developers and builders who may need to include mitigation (such as raising floor levels) as part of any building work being progressed in or near a PVA. 3.4 Due to the number of PVAs identified in the SEPA consultation it is proposed that Members consider completing the consultation document individually rather than the Council completing a combined Council response. From a technical and professional point of view officers are content that the changes proposed by SEPA are well informed by available flood data and that the revised PVAs will provide organisations and individuals with information to understand and prioritise where work could benefit the most. 3.5 In addition to this report being presented to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, the Committee Chair has agreed to the report being circulated to all Council Members for their consideration. In addition, the Council’s Communication Team will publicise the consultation and officers will arrange to do this on social media platforms. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report provides the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee with an update on SEPA’s consultation regarding PVAs. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None arising directly from this report. 5.2 Financial – None arising directly from this report. 5.3 Legal – None arising directly from this report. 5.4 HR – None arising directly from this report. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities – None arising directly from this report. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None arising directly from this report. 5.5.3 Islands – None arising directly from this report. 5.6 Climate Change – To meet the challenge of climate change, Scottish Environment Protection Agency are seeking input from Local Authorities which will inform future flood risk management work. 5.7 Risk – None arising directly from this report. 5.8 Customer Service – None arising directly from this report. 5.9 Rights of the Child – None arising from this report. Page 330
Page 331
Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour June 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Elsa Simoes, Infrastructure Design Manager elsa.simoes@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 331
Page 332
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 333
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 SCRUTINY REPORT – FLY TIPPING 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Audit and Scrutiny Committee, through their work plan, have carried out a piece of work relating to fly tipping. The report from the Audit and Scrutiny Committee can be viewed here at item 7: Agenda for Audit and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, 14 March 2024, 10:30 am - Argyll and Bute Council (argyll-bute.gov.uk) 1.2 The purpose of this report is to provide members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee with an update on the Audit and Scrutiny report regarding fly tipping. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee notes the detail in the scrutiny review and that the further observations, conclusions and recommendations have been taken on board by the service and work continues to reduce duplication. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The objectives of the scrutiny review into fly-tipping were to:- • ensure the Council’s systems record sufficient information to provide an indication of the extent of fly-tipping across the four administrative areas • ensure the Council’s duty to investigate, clear and take appropriate enforcement action in relation to fly-tipping on public land is appropriately managed • ensure there is good collaborative working arrangements in place • ensure that the Council’s charging structure is fair and proportionate across all businesses 3.2 The review initially covered data gathered in 2019/20 and 2020/21, detailing the fly- tipping reports received by the Council and also the hours the Environment Wardens spent on dealing with fly-tipping reports. 3.3 A breakdown of the hours spent on fly-tipping during this period are as follows: Page 333 Agenda Item 17
Page 334
19/20 20/21 Helensburgh and Lomond 223.5 450.25 Bute and Cowal 304.5 208.25 Mid-Argyll 29.5 76.5 Oban and Lorn 344.75 302.5 3.4 The review also highlighted that many reports of fly-tipping to the Council were duplicated through different areas of contact with the Council and also that a number of these reports did not apply to Council owned land. 3.5 The report also highlighted that the Council has good collaborative working arrangements with external organisations. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 Works are ongoing to have more accurate reporting fields around land ownership and Council owned land and also to reduce the number of reporting duplications through different available contacts to the Council. 4.2 The Operations Manager recently attended a Zero Waste Scotland/SEPA meeting regarding fly-tipping across Scotland and has requested that a national register be set up to monitor offenders, locations, and other relevant details for all agencies to have access to. This will allow for greater control and improved collaborative working in controlling this issue. This type of register already exists in relation to dog control notices. 4.3 The Operations Manager also made a recommendation for the recently increased fine to be increased further as a deterrent. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None known. 5.2 Financial – A cost to clear fly-tipping areas and dispose of the waste. 5.3 Legal – None known. 5.4 HR – None known. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: None known. 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None known. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty: Improving the appearance of Council owned areas. Improving the experience for residents and visitors. 5.5.3 Islands – None known. 5.6 Climate Change – None known. 5.7 Risk – With future landfill ban looming, fly-tipping becomes a greater issue. 5.8 Customer Service – Improve public perception of Argyll and Bute. Page 334
Page 335
5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None known. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Tom Murphy, Operations Manager tom.murphy@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Scrutiny Report Page 335
Page 336
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 337
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL AUDIT AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE FINANCIAL SERVICES 14 MARCH 2024 FLY-TIPPING SCRUTINY REVIEW 1. SUMMARY 1.1 The Fly-tipping scrutiny review commenced as per the 2021/22 scrutiny plan agreed by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee at their development session on the 27 April 2021 and concluded as per the 2023/24 scrutiny plan. 1.2 The initial Fly-tipping scrutiny panel comprised of Councillor Jim Lynch (Chair), Councillor Freeman and Councillor Vennard and concluded with Martin Caldwell replacing Councillor Freeman due to changes in Council membership in the intervening period. Support was provided by internal audit officers throughout. 1.3 Fly-tipping was chosen for inclusion in our scrutiny priorities for 2021/22 as it had been identified as an escalating national issue with Councils facing considerable costs to clear up the discarded waste. The Committee chose to re-visit this review in 2023/24 as insufficient reliable data was available at the time of the initial review and improvements had been implemented as a result of the interim report agreed at the 23 June 2022 meeting of the Committee. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Committee to agree the Draft Fly-tipping Scrutiny Report. 2.2 Committee to agree that the Fly-tipping scrutiny report to be presented to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee for consideration. 3. DETAIL. 3.1 The agreed objectives of the scrutiny review were to: • ensure the council’s systems record sufficient information to provide an indication of the extent of fly-tipping across the four administrative areas • ensure the Council’s duty to investigate, clear and take appropriate enforcement action in relation to fly-tipping on public land is appropriately managed • ensure there is good collaborative working arrangements in place Page 337
Page 338
• ensure that the Council’s charging structure is fair and proportionate across all businesses. 3.2 Throughout this review two panel meetings were held to gather evidence. • Panel one – Council’s Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services and the Operations Manager with responsibility for the Environmental Wardens and Amenity Services • Panel two – Operations Manager with responsibility for the Environmental Wardens and Amenity Services 3.3 We would like to extend our appreciation for the cooperation and assistance received from all witnesses invited to provide evidence over the course of the review. 3.4 Based on the information obtained during the early course of the review, an interim report including three initial recommendations was considered by the Committee. It was decided this review was a work-in-progress and should be re-visited when improvements had been made to provide more reliable datasets for analysis. 3.5 The Committee agreed to conclude the review as per the Scrutiny Plan for 2023/24 where two further recommendations were identified. The panel has identified a total of five findings specific to this review which are detailed in the report attached as appendix 1. 3.6 The report has been discussed with the officers and panel members involved in the review to confirm accuracy. 4. CONCLUSION 4.1 The Committee is requested to agree the attached report and agree the most appropriate Committee or other Council group for the Fly-tipping scrutiny report to be presented to for consideration. 5. IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None 5.2 Financial – None 5.3 Legal – None 5.4 HR – None 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty – None 5.5.1 Equalities – protected characteristics – None 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None 5.5.3 Islands – None 5.6 Climate Change – None 5.7 Risk – None Page 338
Page 339
5.8 Customer Service – None 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None Councillor Jim Lynch Chair of the Fly-tipping Scrutiny Panel 14 March 2024 For further information please contact: Paul Macaskill, Chief Internal Auditor, 01546 604108 Appendices: Appendix 1 – Fly-tipping Scrutiny Report Page 339
Page 340
Argyll and Bute Council Scrutiny Report February 2024 DRAFT Fly-Tipping Page 340
Page 341
2 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 Contents 1. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Scrutiny Initiation Briefings – 02 November 2021 and 13 January 2022.............................................. 5 2. Scrutiny Meetings ........................................................................................................................... 6 Scrutiny Meeting – Council Officers – 02 March 2022 .......................................................................... 6 Scrutiny Meeting – Operations Manager – 06 February 2024 .............................................................. 9 3. Overall Conclusion and Findings .................................................................................................. 11 Contact Details Chair: Jim Lynch (Vice Chair of Audit and Scrutiny Committee) Chief Internal Auditor: Paul Macaskill (paul.macaskill@argyll-bute.gov.uk) www.argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 341
Page 342
3 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 1. Executive Summary Introduction 1. As part of Argyll and Bute Council’s (the Council) 2021/22 scrutiny plan, approved by the Audit & Scrutiny Committee (the Committee) in June 2021, we have undertaken a scrutiny review of Fly- tipping. 2. Throughout this report references to ‘the Panel’ refers to the Vice-Chair of the Committee and two Committee members who conducted this review. They were: • Councillor Lynch (Panel Chair) • Councillor Freeman • Councillor Vennard 3. The Panel was supported by council officers who gave willingly of their time to help deliver the review. We would like to extend our appreciation for the co-operation and assistance received from all witnesses invited to provide evidence over the course of the review. Objectives 4. The agreed objectives of the scrutiny review were to: • ensure the Council’s systems record sufficient information to provide an indication of the extent of fly-tipping across the four administrative areas • ensure the Council’s duty to investigate, clear and take appropriate enforcement action in relation to fly-tipping on public land is appropriately managed • ensure there is good collaborative working arrangements in place • ensure that the Council’s charging structure is fair and proportionate across all businesses Background 5. Fly-tipping is “the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, i.e. waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste”, it affects the aesthetic appeal of an area and causes damage to the environment. Waste can include: general household items; larger domestic appliances and furniture; garden refuse and commercial refuse such as construction materials and tyres, sometimes waste materials may be hazardous to health, wildlife or the ecosystem. 6. Businesses and Individuals are responsible for disposing of their own waste, the Council is responsible for clearing waste from streets and public areas as set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Council has a target of five working days to clear fly-tipping and one day for hazardous waste. Clearance of fly-tipping imposes significant financial costs on national and local government, businesses and other organisations, many of these costs are ultimately borne by the public, either as taxpayers or customers. 7. The Council charges for disposal of commercial waste at civic amenity sites and also for larger item uplifts from the customer’s property. There can be quite differing motivations resulting in fly-tipping behaviour such as economic savings from the avoidance of disposal fees/uplift costs, ignorance of services available or criminal activity. Successful countermeasures include waste management infrastructure, education/awareness raising and enforcement measures. Page 342
Page 343
4 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 8. According to Zero Waste Scotland research in 2013, around 26k tonnes of material is fly-tipped across Scotland every year with an annual direct cost of £11 million, there were also indirect costs but these were difficult to quantify. Scottish Government and Marine Scotland published their litter strategies in 2014 and provide a collection of online resources with a focus on prevention and encouraging individuals to take personal responsibility. A fixed penalty of £200 for fly-tipping was also introduced at that time and if convicted this can rise to a maximum of £40k or 12 months imprisonment for the offender. Environmental Wardens will attempt identify the fly-tipping offenders with a view to issuing a fixed penalty, however, no fixed penalties notices were issued by the Council in the years 2019-20 and 2020-21. 9. Fly-tipping can be reported by visiting or phoning the Council’s Customer Service Centre, instances can also be reported online via the Council’s, Zero Waste Scotland’s and SEPA’s websites. The Council employs four Environmental Wardens who work in collaboration with partner organisations to deal with instances of fly-tipping, the organisation responsible for clearance will depend on the location, nature and content of the materials discarded and whether they are of a hazardous nature. 10. The tables below indicates the number of fly-tipping reports received by the Council’s Customer Service Centre and the number of hours the wardens have spent on dealing with litter & fly- tipping in the years 2019-20 and 2020-21. (Hours expended by Environmental Wardens and additional Amenity Services employees to deal with fly-tipping were not recorded separately at the time of the review.) Number of reports of fly-tipping received by the Council’s Customer Service Centre: B & C H & L MAKI OLI Area Not specified TOTAL 19/20 20/21 19/20 20/21 19/20 20/21 19/20 20/21 19/20 20/21 19/20 20/21 Incident service request 70 72 127 140 48 33 40 57 0 0 285 302 Enquiry only 3 3 11 3 1 1 8 1 24 32 47 40 Member Enquiry only 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 TOTAL 74 75 138 143 49 34 48 58 24 32 333 342 Number of hours spent by wardens addressing litter/fly-tipping issues is as follows: 2019/20 2020/21 Area Hours % warden time Recharge £ Hours % warden time Recharge £ B & C 304.5 11.49 8,521.00 208.25 11.67 6,501.97 H & L 223.75 11.87 6,261.32 450.25 29.25 9,452.43 OLI 344.75 18.97 9,647.33 302.75 24.52 14,057.66 MAKI 29.5 13.01 825.52 76.5 20.93 2,388.48 TOTALS 902.5 25,255.17 1037.75 32,400.54 11. Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) has been the national performance indicator for street litter cleanliness since 2003/04. It is part of Keep Scotland Page 343
Page 344
5 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 Beautiful (KSB), a registered charity set up to monitor issues such as litter, dog fouling, fly- tipping, fly-posting and graffiti and in partnership with Scottish Councils was originally developed to help meet obligations under best value using a combination of self and independent monitoring. The Council participates in this programme along with 30 other Scottish Councils by completing and submitting monthly self-assessments and six-monthly independent assessments. Below is an extract from the 2020-21 Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) Report providing a summary of fly-tipping statistics and comparison with previous year, national and benchmarking club statistics. Associated commentary advised that there was a general localised hotspot issue with instances in other areas infrequently observed. Table 1. Argyll and Bute Council 2020/21 Argyll and Bute Council 2019/20 National 2020/21 Benchmarking Club 2020/21 Sites impacted by fly-tipping 3.7% 3.3% 3.9% 2.2% Scrutiny Initiation Briefings – 02 November 2021 and 13 January 2022 12. In October 2021 scrutiny officers circulated a briefing paper to the Panel which provided background on fly-tipping. The Panel met to agree the scope and identify invitees to give evidence at a panel meeting. 13. The agreed scope was to: • establish extent of fly-tipping problem in the Argyll and Bute area • assess compliance with duty to investigate, clear and take enforcement action • consider success of collaborative working • consider level of fees and charges and the possible correlation with fly-tipping incidents. 14. The Panel agreed that they should meet with appropriate representatives of the groups set out in Exhibit 1. Exhibit 1 – Scrutiny Meetings Group Key Areas for Discussion Council Officer(s) • Compliance with legislation and national guidance • records indicating the volume, content and extent of fly-tipping across the Council area • records indicating the time expended by Council officers and the associated costs to investigate, clear and take enforcement action • resourcing of the environmental warden service • appropriateness of charging structure to dispose of waste legally and whether these charges deter use of the service resulting in fly-tipping • measures taken to educate residents to reduce fly-tipping instances • outcomes and success measures of collaborative working • benchmarking with other Councils Page 344
Page 345
6 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 2. Scrutiny Meetings Scrutiny Meeting – Council Officers – 02 March 2022 15. The meeting consisted of the Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services and the Operations Manager who has responsibility for both the Environmental Wardens and Amenity Services. The key messages reflecting the views of the Council officers who attended, from this meeting are set out in Exhibit 2. Exhibit 2 – Scrutiny Meeting 1 – Council Officers - Key Messages Theme Detail Compliance with legislation The Council is legally required to clear waste fly-tipped on public land, there is a target of five days to do this and one day if the materials are considered to be harmful. LEAMS is the national performance indicator for street cleanliness, published reports indicate positive results for the Council. Extent of fly- tipping across Argyll and Bute Management considers that Argyll and Bute Council does not have the increasing issue with fly-tipping that is being experienced by other Councils, they are aware of only six incidents (not including commercial waste being placed in domestic waste bins or within public street bins) during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Incidents experienced are infrequent and take up a small percentage of the environmental warden’s time. Waste is mostly composed of construction materials, tyres, white goods and other larger household items, there can also be seasonal materials such as gardening waste. Other instances occur where bins are overflowing and waste is left beside them. Reports of fly-tipping are received via the Council’s Customer Service Centre and passed to Roads and Infrastructure Services for action. Wardens will investigate the location as soon as possible to avoid escalation of an occurrence. Some reports received relate to materials fly-tipped on private land, however, this is the responsibility of the landowner who will have to make arrangements and cover costs associated with its removal. In general, private landowners are not pursued to clear the waste unless it is positioned near Council land and it is likely to encroach. Record-keeping An Environment Agency system called “Flycapture” was used to record fly- tipping data between 2009 and 2014, however, this system was withdrawn from use in 2014 and no alternative has been implemented for recording of data. Wardens and operational supervisors are aware of hotspots for fly-tipping but these are not recorded. Page 345
Page 346
7 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 The Customer Service Centre reports indicate that 285 incidents of fly tipping were received in the year 2019-20 and this raised to 302 in the year 2020-21. Service management are aware of only six incidents of fly-tipping during the lockdown period of 2020 and consider there may be inconsistencies in the classification being used by the Customer Service Centre staff when recording information received, some calls may have been passed to Environmental Health or SEPA to action depending on the materials involved. Some of these reported incidents may include misuse of domestic general waste bins and misuse of street bins by commercial operators. Additionally, these may include the misuse of recycling at bring sites, generally glass recycling, with numerous incidents highlighted despite the collection date being imminent. There are also incidents where private and agricultural land have been collated. There was insufficient detail to provide the number of instances per 10k population to perform a comparison across the Council’s four administrative areas. Management considers that all areas are facing similar problems. Warden’s timesheets have recently been adapted to separate fly-tipping from other duties to provide a better indication of the time expended responding to fly-tipping incidents. Measures taken to prevent fly- tipping A fixed penalty of £200 was introduced in 2014, if the offender is convicted this can rise to £40k or 12 months imprisonment. The Council participates in national campaigns run by Zero Waste Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful. Wardens monitor hotspots and visit fast food outlets and schools to provide educational materials and discuss issues of littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling. Warden Resources Due to budget savings in 2018-19, Environmental Wardens were reduced from nine to four, they are located across the Council area as follows: one in Helensburgh and Lomond (HL), one in the Oban Lorn and the Isles (OLI) and two in Cowal and Bute (CB). Mid-Argyll, Kintyre and Islay (MAKI) is covered by the environmental wardens located in CB and OLI. (The locations of these four wardens is based on the council’s selection for redundancy criteria.) Four seasonal staycation wardens are also recruited over the tourist season. Travel time expended by the Environmental Wardens to cover the MAKI area is significant, however, It is unclear from the information provided if this coverage is sufficient. Collaboration with partner organisations The Council works very closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Police Scotland, National Farmers Union (NFU) and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). Page 346
Page 347
8 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 Environment Wardens and Police Officers jointly patrol areas with regards to littering and fly-tipping, members of the NFU are also brought on board where issues concern the protection of livestock. The Council works well with partnership organisation at all times and particularly well when new accommodation is being built so that any difficulties servicing waste can be identified and resolved prior to issues arising. Successful partnership arrangements have been in place with organisations to recycle or reuse items such as furniture and bicycles. The Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT) is particularly well established and resells items from their premises in Craignure, The Group for Recycling in Argyll and Bute (GRAB) Trust collects items from containers at the RENEWI Waste Disposal site and the Kintyre Recycling Ltd resells items from its premises in Campbeltown and repairs discarded and donated bikes for lending or reselling. MICT wardens have also acted as corroborating officers to save our Environment Wardens having to travel to Mull. The Council also works very closely with the National Park Authority as they operate within our boundaries. Two previous partnership arrangements were less successful based at the Blackhill Civic Amenity Site in the Helensburgh area, unfortunately items were not being taken away for deployment and break ins and damage occurred at the site. There is also some joint working with West Dunbartonshire Council as a neighbouring authority but there were some legalities regarding responsibilities, this will be revisited prior to the start of the new season to discuss ways of assisting each other. There are also some discussions on potential joint waste transfer stations as we progress towards the Biodegradable Municipal Landfill ban that comes in to force in December 2025. The RENEWI contractors and Council officers have been working together to manage commercial waste being deposited in domestic waste facilities at the civic amenity sites to avoid charges. It can be quite difficult for the site operatives to determine if waste is commercial or domestic, service users may be challenged by the site operative who may follow-up to determine whether they are a legitimate private user. Management is always prepared to enter discussions with organisation regarding any future partnership arrangements. Cost to Council to recover fly- tipping Vs waste disposal and uplift Commercial waste disposed of at a civic amenity site is chargeable whereas domestic waste is free. Special uplifts are chargeable at both domestic and commercial premises although there are different rates for these. Council operated waste disposal sites require commercial customers to purchase a permit and submit a ticket each time the facility is used, where Page 347
Page 348
9 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 charges to customers RENEWI operates the site, a commercial arrangement is in place between them and the customer and this is covered in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract between the Council and RENEWI. The Council would have to cover the cost of taking waste materials to landfill if charges for special uplifts were reduced, this would be detrimental from a business point of view. There is also a landfill tax that must be paid for every tonne of waste sent, this is set at £98.60 for the 2022/23 tax year, and this in addition to tipping and processing costs would be significant. A decrease in charges for disposal of waste would result in an increase in the volume being sent to landfill which is against Scottish and UK Governments aspirations in reducing waste to landfill. Council management considers current fees and charges are set at an appropriate level and should not be reduced. Deterrents Wardens check the fly-tipped waste for any indication of ownership such as mailing address prior to removing for disposal if size permits, larger items require larger vehicles used by Operations. If ownership can be determined a fixed penalty can be enforced. An example includes a landscape gardener who had been identified as an offender, as news of this was cascaded across that area there has been no recurrence of fly-tipping. CCTV has been used at waste disposal sites and at temporary locations to collect information to follow-up on where appropriate. There is a lengthy process and specific training required to implement use of CCTV, the duration of use must be clearly stated and recorded. Local Authorities are not permitted to use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) devices in car parks and it is not clear whether they can be used in waste disposal sites as they are more commonly used in un- manned facilities. Health and Safety requires that waste disposal sites are manned. DVLA information can be requested where car parking fines are not paid within 15 days but there are stringent forms to fill in to justify checking up on someone’s number plate. Staff at waste disposal sites take notes of number plates to check if they attend the site on a regular basis, this can only be used if criminal activity is suspected and Police Scotland would be contacted. Scrutiny Meeting – Operations Manager – 06 February 2024 16. The meeting was attended by the Operations Manager to provide an update on the progress made in respect of data collection and provision of management information. The key messages reflecting the views of the Operations Manager are set out in Exhibit 3 Page 348
Page 349
10 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 Exhibit 3 – Scrutiny Meeting 2 – Operations Manager - Key Messages Theme Detail Data collection from Customer Service Centre Data provided by the Customer Service Centre (CSC) team for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23 indicated a similar number of fly-tipping reports from members of the public as previously reported for 2019-20 and 2020-21. A revised report utilising alternative fields within the CSC system provided a more accurate data set for the year 2022-23 as it was able to remove those noted as duplicates or invalid, however, detailed analysis revealed additional discrepancies including further duplication and invalid/irrelevant entries. Information provided to the CSC relies heavily on the customer’s interpretation of what they have observed and whether it is located on public or private land. CSC staff have received additional training in the recording of fly-tipping reports received via telephone or face-to-face. There has been no enhancement to the means of reporting fly-tipping incidents via the Council’s digital platform to help guide customers when submitting reports on internet web forms. Management Information from worksheets Employee worksheets have been updated to enable separate recording of litter, fly-tipping and LEAMS work to provide management with a more accurate view of time spent and costs involved when undertaking work within these categories. The improved management information has been beneficial to the service and will be used in developing the Warden service. Officers and partner organisation in remote communities have been trained in delivery of some elements of the Warden’s work to reduce travel time. The volume of assisted collections and income generated has remained consistent over recent years despite inflationary increases in charges made. Prosecutions across Scotland A recent FOI request made by journalists indicates that out of early 300k incidents of fly-tipping reported across Scotland, only 51 cases have been sent for prosecution, the majority of which were received in Glasgow. National Litter and Fly-tipping Strategy and Action Plan Scottish Government has prepared a new National Litter and Fly-tipping Strategy and Action Plan outlining a collaborative approach involving national and local Government, businesses, the third sector, communities and individuals. This strategy sets out a refreshed approach to tackling litter and fly-tipping in order to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment; ensure safer and cleaner communities and contribute to a thriving circular economy. The Council has been involved in discussion with Scottish Government regarding implementation of the new Strategy and action plan. Page 349
Page 350
11 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 There is potential for the Council to collaborate further across Council boundaries with other authorities and organisations to share resources and enhance enforcement actions. There is potential for the Council to engage with Keep Scotland Beautiful to promote the new strategy and raise awareness within communities. 3. Overall Conclusion and Findings 17. Based on the information obtained over the course of the review the Panel has concluded that: • The Council is fulfilling its duty to keep public areas clean and have received positive outcomes in their LEAMS Report. • There is insufficient reliable data available from the CSC system to form an opinion on the extent of fly-tipping across the Council’s four administrative areas. • It is unlikely that reliable data will become available from the CSC system due to the individual interpretations of incidents reported by members of the public. • Improvements have been made in the recording of time spent investigating, clearing and enforcement of fly-tipping incidents to provide accurate management and cost information. • The current charging structure is appropriate. • The Council has good collaborative working arrangements with external organisations. 18. The review has identified three findings which have been discussed with management. These, and the management responses, are detailed in Exhibit 4. Exhibit 4 – Findings No. Recommendations Management Response Current Position 1 Service Management should liaise with the Customer Service Centre to establish the root cause of conflicting information presented to the panel for review and consider a consistent approach for recording information received in future. A meeting with Customer Service Centre Management has been arranged to discuss this week ending 3 June 2022. Meetings have taken place with the Senior Customer Service Centre Agent to implement improvements in the way that information is recorded at the point of contact with the customer. Unfortunately this only addresses the telephony and face to face interactions, to date, there has been no progress in refining fly-tipping reports that are received via the Council’s digital platform. 2 Records pertaining to fly- tipping incidents and associated costs should be maintained and made available for review. More accurate information will be maintained on the Wardens and Local Environment Teams Litter and fly-tipping work allocated to employees are now shown separately on worksheets to allow more Page 350
Page 351
12 Argyll and Bute Council – Scrutiny Report – Fly-Tipping 2023/24 No. Recommendations Management Response Current Position worksheets to provide this information in future. specific analysis to take place. 3 Once the extent of fly- tipping has been established, a cost- benefit analysis should take place to consider whether the Council’s charging structure remains appropriate. This will be reviewed following outcome of actions 1 and 2 above in advance of the February 2023 budget preparation. Robust figures regarding the number of fly-tipping incidents managed by the Council have not yet been established to provide a suitable analysis, however, management retain the view that fly-tipping incidents are low across Argyll and Bute and the current fees and charges are set at an appropriate level and should not be reduced. 4 Service Management should liaise with the Council’s Customer Service Centre and Web Team to establish the root cause of invalid information entering the CSC system via digital services and consider enhancements to webforms that will enable more robust gathering of information from the public. Future discussions will be programmed to ensure more accurate information and less duplicated information is collated. 5 Consideration be given to proactively use the Council’s media channels to outline the effects of fly-tipping and the consequences of such actions on the environment in Argyll and Bute. In addition, that the penalties for such behaviour have increased from £200 to £500 recently, which may help to bring people’s attention to the subject and also the penalties that could be levied if caught. Together with proactively using the media channels available to the Council, the service will look to further develop the services of agencies including Police Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful. Page 351
Page 352
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 353
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 20 JUNE 2024 STREET FURNITURE REPLACEMENT UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee with an update on the street signage and litter bin replacement programme, following the allocation of a £200,000 budget at the Council meeting of February 2021. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee notes the content of this report. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The funding for the street furniture replacement programme was made available through the Council’s budget process in February 2021. This investment allowed for a substantial improvement across the Argyll and Bute Council area. Street Signage Replacement 3.2 This investment has resulted in the improvement of 437 signs across the Argyll and Bute Council area, with a total spend of £214,550, with the additional £14,550 being met from the Roads Operations revenue budget and as part of routine sign maintenance and replacement. Sign replacement has been carried out on a needs basis, replacing those in the most deteriorated condition. 3.3 A breakdown of the 437 signs and the budget spend are as follows: Helensburgh and Lomond 18 signs £8,600 Bute and Cowal 93 signs £48,900 Mid Argyll 80 signs £35,300 Kintyre 46 signs £21,100 Islay 70 signs £49,350 Oban and Lorn 110 signs £34,500 Mull 20 signs £16,800 Page 353 Agenda Item 18
Page 354
3.4 Appendix 1 provides a detailed breakdown of signage replacement per area. Litter Bin Replacement 3.5 This investment has resulted in the improvement of 402 street litter bins and bin cabinets across the Argyll and Bute Council area, with a total spend of £99,154 to date. 3.6 A breakdown of the improvement programme across the district and the budget spend are as follows: Helensburgh and Lomond No of litter bins 60 £11,040 No of cabinet housings 32 £10,592 Bute and Cowal No of litter bins 0 £0 No of cabinet housings 58 £19,198 Mid-Argyll No of litter bins 50 £11,541 No of cabinet housings 30 £9,930 Kintyre No of litter bins 0 £0 No of cabinet housings 0 £0 Islay No of litter bins 0 £0 No of cabinet housings 45 £14,895 Oban and Lorn No of litter bins 0 £0 No of cabinet housings 34 £11,254 Mull No of litter bins 0 £0 No of cabinet housings 24 £7,944 Concrete bases for cabinets across council area: No of bases 69 £2,760 Note in addition to the above there are a small number of bins which have been replaced due to damage or wear and tear which have been funded through existing revenue maintenance budgets. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This investment has resulted in a marked improvement for the travelling public and the appearance through replacement signage and an improvement in the bin infrastructure across the area. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None known. Page 354
Page 355
5.2 Financial – Funding made available through the Council budget process of 2021. 5.3 Legal – None known. 5.4 HR – None known. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: None known. 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None known. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty: Improving the appearance of our network and visible signage available to road users improving their experience of using our roads and improving safety on the network. 5.5.3 Islands – None known. 5.6 Climate Change – None known. 5.7 Risk – These work highlight other areas of need, however, an ongoing programme of improving signage when required is managed within the road operational budget. 5.8 Customer Service – Improve public perception of our network/assets. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – none known. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Tom Murphy, Operations Manager tom.murphy@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Sign Replacement Programme Page 355
Page 356
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 357
Appendix 1 – Sign Replacement Costs Sign replacement costs - summary HL £8,600.00 BC £48,900.00 MAKI Mid Argyll £35,300.00 Kintyre £21,100.00 Islay £49,350.00 OLI Lorn £34,500.00 Mull £16,800.00 £214,550.00 Helensburgh and Lomond Sign Description Quantity Cost Right hand bend sign 1 £300 Glen Douglas (left and right arrows) 2 £800 Cattle grid 2 £600 School and Playground info plate 1 £400 Cattle warning 1 £300 Caution 1 £300 No through road 2 £400 No through road 1 £200 Chevron 4 £1,600 Cattle sign 1 £300 17% incline 1 £300 No through road 1 £200 Give way 1 £300 Height restriction 1 £400 20mph 6 £2,400 30mph 8 £3,200 40mph 10 £3,000 £8,600 Bute & Cowal Route Location Sign description Cost A886 Rhubodach Destination mileage board - S Bound (Rothesay etc.) £465 A844 Junction Advance junction N. bound A844 (Rhubodach, Ettrick Bay) £465 Page 357
Page 358
Advance junction S. bound A886 (Rothesay, Ettrick Bay) £465 Advance junction E. bound A844 (Rhubodach, Rothesay) £465 Back to Back finger board (Ettrick Bay) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Rhubodach) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Rothesay) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Rhubodach) £465 Destination mileage board - W Bound (Ettrick Bay) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Rothesay etc.) £465 A815 A886 junction, Strachur Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Colintraive) £900 Advance junction S. bound (Dunoon, Colintraive) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Dunoon) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Dunoon etc.) £465 C9 Whistlefield junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Ardentinny) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Dunoon, Ardentinny) £465 Back to Back finger board (Ardentinny) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Dunoon) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Dunoon etc.) £465 A880 Kilmun junction Advance junction S. bound (Dunoon, Kilmun) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Dunoon etc.) £465 B836 Junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Colintraive) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Dunoon, Colintraive) £465 Back to Back finger board (Colintraive) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Dunoon) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Glasgow etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Dunoon etc.) £465 Western Ferries Finger board - N. bound (Sandbank, Strachur) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Dunoon, Innellan) £465 Toward Loop rd junction Finger board S. bound (Port Lamont, Toward Lighthouse) £465 A886 B8000 Newton Junction Advance junction S. bound (Colintraive, Tighnabruaich) £465 Back to Back finger board (Newton, Leachd) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Colintraive) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 B8000 Leanach Junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Kilfinan) £465 Back to Back finger board (Kilfinan, Tighnabruaich) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Colintraive) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Glendaruel etc.) £465 Page 358
Page 359
U22 Dunans Junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, West Glendaruel) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Colintraive, West Glendaruel) £465 Back to Back finger board (West Glendaruel) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Colintraive) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Colintraive etc.) £465 A8003 Walkmill junction Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Colintraive etc.) £465 B866 North Junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Coastal route) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Colintraive, Coastal route) £465 Back to Back finger board (Coastal route) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Colintraive) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 B866 South Junction Advance junction N. bound (Glasgow, Coastal route) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Colintraive, Coastal route) £465 Back to Back finger board (Coastal route) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Colintraive) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 B8000 C11 junction Otter Ferry Advance junction N. bound (Strachur, Glendaruel) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Tighnabruaich, Glendaruel) £465 Back to Back finger board (Glendaruel) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Strachur) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Tighnabruaich) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Tighnabruaich etc.) £465 U23 Newton/Leachd jtn Finger board - N. bound (Newton, Leachd) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Tighnabruaich) £465 Finger board - E. bound (Glasgow) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Tighnabruaich etc.) £465 B839 B828 Junction Advance junction N. bound (Strachur, Glasgow) £465 Advance junction S. bound B839 (Lochgoilhead, Glasgow) £465 Advance junction S. bound B828 (Lochgoilhead, Strachur) £465 Back to Back finger board (Glasgow) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Strachur) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Lochgoilhead) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound B839 (Strachur etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound B828 (Glasgow etc.) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Lochgoilhead etc.) £465 Page 359
Page 360
C6 Junction Advance junction N. bound B839 (Strachur/Glasgow, Carrick) £465 Advance junction N. bound C6 (Strachur/Glasgow, Lochgoilhead) £465 Advance junction S. bound (Lochgoilhead, Carrick) £465 Back to Back finger board (Carrick) £900 Finger board - N. bound (Strachur/Glasgow) £465 Finger board - S. bound (Lochgoilhead) £465 Destination mileage board - N Bound (Strachur/Glasgow) £465 Destination mileage board - S Bound (Carrick etc.) £465 £48,900 Mid Argyll Road No Sign Details Cost A816 Line 1 A816 Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Cairnbaan 3 Line 4 Gaelic line 5 Kilmartin 8 line 6 gaelic Line 7 Oban 38 £750 A816 Round About Sign Line 1 Gaelic A83 (straight ahead) Line 2 Campbeltown A83 Line 3 A83 (a82) Gaelic Line 4 Glasgow (Turn Left) £750 A816 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Oban A816 (straight ahead Line 3 Gaelic line 4 Lochgilphead (Turn Right) £450 A816 Line 1 Gaelic line 2 Campbeltown Line 3 A816 (To Left) £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Oban Line 3 A816 (To right) £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Town Centre(To right) £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Town Centre(To Left) £300 Page 360
Page 361
Line 1 A816 Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Cairnbaan 3 Line 4 Gaelic line 5 kilmartin 8 line 6 Gaelic line 7 Oban £0 A816 Line 1 Gaelic ( to left) line 2 Campbeltown line 3 A816 (A83) £450 A816 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Oban Line 3 A816 £450 A816 Line 1 Gaelic ( To Right ) Line 2 Bridgend Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Kilmichael Glassary Line 5 Gaelic Line 6 Kilmichael Glen £750 A816 Line 1 Gaelic ( To Left ) Line 2 Bridgend Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Kilmichael Glassary Line 5 Gaelic Line 6 Kilmichael Glen £750 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Crinan Ferry 2½ £400 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Crinan Ferry 2½ £400 A816 Line 1 Gaelic ( To Right) Line 2 Rhudle £400 A816 Line 1 Gaelic ( To Left) Line 2 Rhudle £400 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) line 2 Tayvallich B8025 Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Crinan (B841) £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) line 2 Tayvallich B8025 Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Crinan (B841) £0 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Oban Line 3 A816 £400 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Campbeltown Line 3 A83 £400 Page 361
Page 362
A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Slockavullin £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Slockavullin £300 A816 Line 1 A816 Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Kilmartin 1 Line 4 Gaelic Line 5 Kilmelford 15 Line 6 Gaelic Line 7 Oban 31 £750 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Tayvallich B8025 Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Crinan (B841) £450 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Ford 2½ Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 (Dalavich) 12½ Line 5 Gaelic Line 6 Cladich 23 Line 7 B840 £600 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Ford 2½ Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 (Dalavich) 12½ Line 5 Gaelic Line 6 Cladich 23 Line 7 B840 £600 A816 line 1 Gaelic ( To Left) Line 2 Campbeltown Line 3 A816 (A83) £900 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Oban Line 3 A816 £900 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Ardfern Line 3 B8002 £800 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Ardfern 1½ Line 3 B8002 £300 A816 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Ardfern 1½ Line 3 B8002 £300 Page 362
Page 363
A816 Line 1 A816 Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Kilmelford 8 Line 4 Gaelic Line 5 Oban 24 £750 A816 Line 1 gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Barrananaoil ½ £300 A816 Line 1 gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Barrananaoil ½ £300 B840 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Kilmichael Glen £300 B840 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Kilmichael Glen £300 B840 Line 1 gaelic Line 2 Ford £900 B840 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Dalavich (Straight Ahead) Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Cladich B840 (To Right) £450 B840 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Lochgilphead 12 Line 3 B840 (A816) £450 B840 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Dalavich 10 £400 B8025 Line 1 B8025 Line 2 Gaelic Line 3 Crinan 6 Line 4 Gaelic Line 5 Tayvallich 10 £450 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Slockavullin ½ £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic(To Right) Line 2 Slockavullin ½ £300 Slockavullin Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Slockavullin £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Long Walk ¾ £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Long Walk ¾ £300 B8025 Line 1 Barsloisnach 1 (To Right) £300 B8025 Line 1 Barsloisnach 1 (To Left) £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Drimvore 1½ £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Drimvore 1½ £300 Crinan Ferry Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Crinan Ferry £300 Page 363
Page 364
B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Crinan 1½ Line 3 B 841 £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Tayvallich 6 Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Achnamara 5 £400 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Tayvallich 5 £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Achnamara 3 £300 8025 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Tayvallich £600 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Carsaig 1 £300 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Carsaig 1 £300 B8025 Line 1 gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Lochgilphead 11 Line 3 B8025 £450 B8025 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Keills 5 Line 3 B8025 £450 B841 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Cairnbaan £800 B841 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Bellanoch £800 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (Straight Ahead) Line 2 Crinan B841 Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Tayvallich (B8025) Line 5 Gaelic (To Right) Line 6 Oban Line 7 B8025 (A816) £750 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Oban 35 Line 3 B8025 (A816) £450 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Oban 35 Line 3 B8025 (A816) £450 B841 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Bellanoch £800 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Crinan 1 £400 Page 364
Page 365
B841 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Crinan Harbour½ Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Crinan ½ £450 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Crinan £300 B841 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Achnamara £600 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Inverlussa ½ £300 B841 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Cemetery £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Achahoish Church Line 3 Gaelic Line 4 Ellary 4 £450 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Achahoish £600 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic Line 2 Kilberry £600 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Ardpatrick 1½ £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Ardpatrick 1½ £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Lochgilphead Line 3 B8024 (A83) £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Tarbert Line 3 (To Right) £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Right) Line 2 Kilberry 12½ Line 3 B8024 £300 B8024 Line 1 Gaelic (To Left) Line 2 Kilberry 12½ Line 3 B8024 £300 £35,300 Kintyre Road No Location Sign detail Cost B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Carradale 15. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 B842 Campbeltown 27. £300 Page 365
Page 366
B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 (A83) Tarbert 10. £300 B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 Skipness 2 & 1/2. £300 B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 Skipness 2 & 1/2. £300 B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 Clonaig Arran Ferry. (Add to Sign Ref NoB842/B8001 4). £300 B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 Clonaig Arran Ferry. (Add to Sign Ref NoB842/B8001 3). £300 B842 B842/B8001 Clonaig junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 Kennacraig Islay Ferry. (Add to Sign Ref NoB842/B8001 2). £300 B8001 B8001 Clonaig Ferry Terminal (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B8001 (A83) Tarbert 11. £250 B8001 B8001 Clonaig Ferry Terminal (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Skipness . £250 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (Y Junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Campbeltown 14. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 B879 Carradale 1 & 1/2. £750 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 (B8001) Tarbert 24. (Add B842 Clonaig?). £450 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Peninver 10. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 Campbeltown 14. £450 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Peninver 10. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 Campbeltown 14. £450 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (ToLeft). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B879 Carradale 1 & 1/2. £400 B842 B842/B879 Carradale Junction (Y Junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 (B8001) Tarbert. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 B842 Campbeltown. £500 B879 B879/Port Righ Rd Junc (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Port Righ 1/2. £300 B879 B879/Port Righ Rd Junc (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Port Righ 1/2. £300 Page 366
Page 367
B842 B842/Waterfoot (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Waterfoot 1/2. £300 B842 B842/Waterfoot (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Waterfoot 1/2. £300 B842 B842/Saddell Saddell Village Sign north side £300 B842 B842/Saddell Saddell/Millers Park Junction? £300 B842 Main St Campbeltown (Direction). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Machrihanish. Line 3 Drumlemble. Line 4 . B842 (B843). Line 5 Gaelic. Line 6 Southend. Line 7 Stewerton. Line 8 B842. £1,500 B842 Main St Campbeltown (T junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Carradale. Line 3 B842. Line 4 Gaelic. Line 5 Longrow local no HGV access to A83 £1,500 B842 Castlehill Main St jun (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Machrihanish. Line 3 B842 (B843). Line 4 Gaelic. Line 5 Southend B842. Can update with hosital & torism. £1,500 B842 B842/Moy Rd (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Moy Rd. £200 B842 B842/Moy Rd (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Moy Rd. £200 B842 B842/B843 junction (Y Junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Campbeltown. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 B842 Southend. £1,000 B842 B842/B843 junction (Y Junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B843 Machrihanish. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 B842 Southend. £1,000 B842 B842/C18 Keprigan Loop junc (Y Junc). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 B842 Southend Rd. Line 3 Gaelic. Line 4 Mull Of Kintyre. (Add C18 Keprigan Loop Rd & U10 Dasmirrin Rd)? £1,000 B842 B842/C19 Learside junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Campbeltown B842. Add mileage & Stewerton? £300 B842 B842/C19 Learside junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Southend B842. (Add mileage ?) £300 B842 B842/C19 Learside junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 C19 Campbeltown 11 & 1/2. (Add via Learside ?) £300 Page 367
Page 368
B842 B842/C19 Learside junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 C19 Campbeltown 11 & 1/2. (Add via Learside & Machirioch Loop Rd ?) £300 C19 C19 Dunglas junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 C19 Polliwilline 2 & 1/2. Campbeltown 9. (Add via Learside ?) £300 C19 C19 Dunglas junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 C19 Polliwilline 2 & 1/2. Campbeltown 9. (Add via Learside & Machirioch Loop ?) £300 C19 C19 Dunglas junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Machirioch Loop Rd. £300 C19 C19 Dunglas junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Campbeltown C19 (B842). £300 C19 C19 Polliwilline junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Southend C19 (B842). £300 C19 C19 Polliwilline junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Campbeltown C19 6 & 1/2. £300 C19 C19 Polliwilline junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Machirioch Loop Rd. £300 C19 C19 Polliwilline junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Machirioch Loop Rd. £300 U59 U59/Moss Rd junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 A83 (A82). £450 U59 U59/Moss Rd junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 U59 RAF Machrihanish Rd. Line 3 Gealic. Line 4 Sound of Kintyre). £750 U59 U59/Moss Rd junction (To Right). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Moss Rd. £300 U59 U59/Moss Rd junction (To Left). Line 1 Gaelic. Line 2 Moss Rd. £300 U59 U59 Sound of Kintyre Village sign? £400 £21,100 Islay Quantity Sign detail Cost 4 children £1,200 1 chevrons £400 2 aircraft £600 1 sheep £300 1 road narrows on both sides £300 5 side road on right £1,500 Page 368
Page 369
3 side road on left £900 1 series of bends £300 2 give way £600 9 "30" £2,700 9 nat speed limit £2,700 4 "40" £1,200 14 "40" £4,200 1 "max speed 30" £300 4 Line 1 "WEAK" Line 2 "BRIDGE" Line 3 "17t" Line 4 "m g w" £1,600 1 Line 1 "A846" Line 2 "Port Ilein" Line 3 "Port Ellen 10" £400 1 (to right) Symbol T301.1 Line 1 "Nature" Line 2 "Reserve" £400 2 (to left) Symbol T301.1 Line 1 "Nature" Line 2 "Reserve" £800 1 Line 1 "Port Sgioba" Line 2 "Port Charlotte" £400 1 Line 1 "Bun Othan" Line 2 "Port Wemyss" £400 1 Single track road / Use passing places to permit overtaking £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Maol na h-Obha" Line 2 "Mull of Oa" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Maol na h-Obha" Line 2 "Mull of Oa" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 8" Line 3 "Beul an Atha" Line 4 "Bridgend 11" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen 1" £400 Page 369
Page 370
1 (straight) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen 1" Line 3 "A846" (to right) Line 4 "Bogh Mòr" Line 5 "Bowmore 8" Line 6 "A846" £1,000 1 (to left) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen" Line 3 "A846" £400 1 (straight) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr"Line 2 "Bowmore 9" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig 19" Line 5 "A846" (to right) Line 6 "Port Ilein" Line 7 "Port Ellen 2" Line 8 "A846" £1,000 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 9" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig 19" Line 5 "A846" (to left) Line 6 "Emerival" Line 7 "Emerivale 1" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Beul an Àtha" Line 2 "Bridgend 3" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig 11" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen 10" Line 3 "B8016 (A846)" £400 2 (to right) Line 1 "Mulindry" £800 1 (to Left) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 3" Line 3 "Port Ilein" Line 4 "Port Ellen 13" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Beul an Àtha" Line 2 "Bridgend 1/2" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig 8" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Mulindry" £400 Page 370
Page 371
1 (straight) Line 1 "Port Asgaig" Line 2 "Port Askaig" Line 3 "A846" (to left) Line 4 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 5 "Portnahaven" Line 6 "A847" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore" Line 3 "Port Ilein" Line 4 "Port Ellen" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Baile a' Ghràna" Line 2 "Ballygrant" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Bruthach a' Chladaich" Line 2 "Bruichladdich" Line 3 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 4 "Portnahaven" Line 5 "A847" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bruthach a' Chladaich" Line 2 "Bruichladdich" Line 3 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 4 "Portnahaven" Line 5 "A847" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Finlaggan 1" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Finlaggan 1" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Bun na h-Abhainne" Line 2 "Bunnahabhain" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bun na h-Abhainne" Line 2 "Bunnahabhain" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Jura Ferry" add ferry symbol £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 3" Line 3 "Port Ilein" Line 4 "Port Ellen 13" Line 5 "A846" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Baile a' Ghràna" Line 2 "Ballygrant 5" Line 3 "Port Asgaig" Line 4 "Port Askaig 8" Line 5 "A846" £750 Page 371
Page 372
1 (to left) Line 1 "Bruthach a' Chladaich" Line 2 "Bruichladdich 6" Line 3 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 4 "Portnahaven 15" Line 5 "A847" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bruthach a' Chladaich" Line 2 "Bruichladdich 6" Line 3 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 4 "Portnahaven 15" Line 5 "A847" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Gruinart" Line 2 "B8017" £400 1 (ahead left) Line 1 "Port na h- Abhainne" Line 2 "Portnahaven 10" Line 3"A847" (to right) Line 4 "Sanaigmore 6" Line 5 "B8018" £750 1 (to right) Line 1 "Sanaigmore 6" Line 2 "B8018" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Cille Chomain" Line 2 "Kilchoman 5" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Kilchiaran 3 1/2" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Kilchiaran 3 1/2" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 2 1/2" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Beul an Àtha" Line 2 "Bridgend 2" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Port Ilein" Line 2 "Port Ellen 7 1/2" Line 3 "B8016 (A846)" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Bogh Mòr" Line 2 "Bowmore 2 1/2" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Beul an Àtha" Line 2 "Bridgend" Line 3 "A847" (to right) Line 4 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 5 "Portnahaven" Line 6"A847" £750 1 (to left) Line 1 "Gruinart 3" Line 2 "B8017" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "Gruinart 3" Line 2 "B8017" £400 Page 372
Page 373
1 (to left) Line 1 "Kentraw 3" Line 2 "B8018" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "Beul an Àtha" Line 2 "Bridgend 6" Line 3 "Port na h-Abhainne" Line 4 "Portnahaven 15" Line 5 "B8018 (A847)" (to right) Line 1 "Cille Chomain" Line 2 "Kilchoman 3" Line 3 "Saligo 4" Line 4 "C15" £1,000 1 (to left) Line 1 "A' Chill" Line 2 "Keills 1/4" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "A' Chill" Line 2 "Keills 1/4" £400 1 (to left) Line 1 "An Cnoc Crom" Line 2 "Knockrome" Line 3 "Ardfernal" £400 1 (to right) Line 1 "An Cnoc Crom" Line 2 "Knockrome" Line 3 "Ardfernal" £400 £49,350 Oban Location Sign Detail Cost Duncraggan road, at Laurel Rd crossing, opposite Mcaigs Tower car park 'Duncraggan Road' £750 Duncraggan Rd, North side 20 £300 Longsdale Road / Dalriach Road junction (to right) 'McCaigs Tower' £500 Longsdale Road / Dalriach Road junction (to right) 'Swimming Pool' 'Sport Facilities' £500 Longsdale Road / Dalriach Road junction (to left) car/bus parking £500 Longsdale Road / Dalriach Road junction (to left) 'Local Information' £500 Daliriach Rd, outside atlantis, chicane closest to Longsdale Rd 'Priority over oncoming vehicles' £200 Daliriach Rd, outside atlantis, 2nd chicane from Longsdale Rd 'Give way to oncoming vehicles' £600 Dalriach Rd / Dalriach Park Terrace, on grass (to left) 'Swimming Pool' 'Sport Facilities' £300 Page 373
Page 374
Dalriach Rd / Albert Rd, on wall no through road £400 Benvoulin Gardens at second hump hump £200 Benvoulin Gardens at second hump hump £300 Laurel Road / Longsdale Road, in a bush, north side (to left) 'Laurel Road' £500 Laurel Road / Longsdale Road, in a bush, north side Road Narrows £300 Longsdale road, at passing place between Laurel Road and Hazeldean Cres Passing Place £150 Longsdale road, at passing place between Laurel Road and Hazeldean Cres 20 £150 Longsdale Rd, 20m E of Hazeldean Cres junc Road Narrows £300 Outside 32 Longsdale Cres Bus Stop £200 Outside 32 Longsdale Cres 20 £400 Rockfield Road / Ardconnel Terrace (to right) 'McCaigs Tower' £200 Hill Street - 50m downhill of tight corner 20 £200 Hill Street - 40m uphill from Tweedale Street Controlled Zone Inner Zone Mon-Sat 9 am - 6 pm 2 hour limit £400 Hill Street - Beside Tweedale Street junc No right turn £200 same pole as above Unsuitable for large vehicles £400 Across road from above 20 £200 Hill St / Tweedale St No entry £400 Stevenson St / Hill St (to right) 'Oban Hill' 'McCaigs Tower 1/2' £300 Stevenson St / Hill St (to left) 'Oban Hill' 'McCaigs Tower 1/2' £300 Road off Stevenson St. - beside Rockfield Centre No through road £300 Albert Road / A85 - beside Nories Left turn £400 Albert Rd - outside Braehead Guest House white arrow on blue background £200 Page 374
Page 375
Albert Rd - outside Heatherfield House 20 £200 Nursery Lane / Breadalbane St no right turn £200 Nursery Lane / Breadalbane St give way £400 Breadalbane St x A85 no right turn £200 Breadalbane St x Albert Lane - opposite junc no entry £200 Duncraggan Road - beside side road ~ halfway between Laurel Road & Ardconnel Rd 'Duncraggan Road' £400 Duncraggan Rd - opposite foot entrance to McCaigs Tower 20 £200 Duncraggan Rd - 40m south of McCaigs Tower car park 20 £200 Corran Esplanade - opposite Barriemore B&B Pay at Meter Display ticket Cars and Motercycles only Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sunday 1-6pm £1,600 Corran Brae - 30m South of car park 20s Plenty £200 Corran Brae - 30m South of car park 20s Plenty £200 outside 22 Lorne Avenue Bus Stop £100 Market St - opposite Kwik Fit Controlled Zone Inner Zone Mon-Sat 9 am - 6 pm 2 hour limit £450 Albany St / Shore St (right) one way £400 Albany St / Shore St single chevron £400 Albany St - on bridge Controlled Zone Outer Zone £450 Gallanach Rd - Ferry Terminal £200 Gallanach Rd - Ferry Terminal (to right) ferry £300 Gallanach Rd - Ferry Terminal (to left) town centre £300 Gallanach Rd - Ferry Terminal (to right) Gallanach £300 Page 375
Page 376
Gallanach Rd - Ferry Terminal (to left) Pedestrians £300 Gallanach rRd - opp Fanach B&B 20s Plenty £200 Gallanach Rd - RNLI slipway slipway £200 Crannag A' Mhinisteir - near bottom 30 £200 Crannag A' Mhinisteir - near bottom 20 £400 Crannag A' Mhinisteir - approx midway at passing place passing place £200 Crannag A' Mhinisteir - approx midway at passing place 20 £200 Villa Road / Crannag A' Mhinisteir 'Villa Road' £400 Pulpit Rock / Crannag A' Mhinisteir 'Pulpit Rock' £400 Pulpit Rock / Crannag A' Mhinisteir No through road £300 Pulpit Hill / Crannag A' Mhinisteir No through road £100 Pulpit Drive/Crannag A' Mhinisteir Bus stop £100 Villa Road / Glenmore Road 20 £100 Villa Road / Glenmore Road bus stop £100 Glenmore Road - approx midway between Villa Rd and Glenshellach Rd, on bend beside a grit bin 20 £200 Glenmore Road - on corner just uphill from Glenshellach Rd 20 £200 Glenmore Road - on corner just uphill from Glenshellach Rd 20 £200 Glenmore Road - on corner just uphill from Glenshellach Rd 30 £200 Glenmore Road - on corner just uphill from Glenshellach Rd 30 £400 Glenshellach Rd / Glenmore Road Rock falling £300 Glencruitten Rd - Quarry Rd junc 20s Plenty £200 Page 376
Page 377
Glencruitten Rd - Quarry Rd junc 20s Plenty £200 Polivinster Rd / Glencruitten Rd 'Polivinster Rd' £400 Polivinster Rd / Glencruitten Rd no through road £300 Miller Rd - opp Strathblane 20s plenty Miller Rd - at Jobcentre 20s plenty £600 Miller Rd - at Jobcentre elderly £400 Miller Rd - at Jobcentre give way £600 Nelson Rd - opposite school entrance hump £200 Nelson Rd - opposite school entrance Humps for 200 yards £300 Nelson Rd - beside school entrance 'Nelson Road' £200 Nelson Rd - opposite school entrance 'Nelson Road' £400 Campbell Cres. - across road from entrance humps <35yds 15yds> £200 Glenshellach Rd / Lochavullin Rd no through road £200 Millpark Place 'Millpark Place' £400 Davaar Gardens 'Davaar Gardens' £400 Davaar Gardens hump £200 Stalcair Crescent 'Stalcair Crescent' £200 Stalcair Crescent hump £200 Stalcair Crescent humps <15yds 30yds> £250 Gylen Close 'Gylen Close' £400 Gylen Close hump £200 Gylen Close humps <15yds 50yds> £200 Glengallen Drive entrance 'Glengallen Drive' £400 Glengallen Drive entrance 'Glengallen Drive' £400 Duart Place 'Duart Place' £400 Kilchum Place 'Kilchum Place' £400 Ardtarnish Place 'Ardtarnish Place' £400 Cowan Place 'Cowan Place' £400 21 McKelvie Rd give way £200 Glengallan Rd / McKelvie Road Roundabout roundabout £200 Lunga Road bus stop £400 McCaig Rd - opposite Ulva Rd entrance bus stop £400 Page 377
Page 378
Orchy Gardens / Lonan Dr 'Orchy Gardens' £300 Orchy Gardens 'Orchy Gardens' £300 Feochan Gardens / Nant Dr 'Feochan Gardens' £300 Lawe Road - at roundabout 'Lawe Road' £300 Etive Gardens / Nant Dr 'Etive Gardens' £300 Coe Gardens / Nant Dr 'Coe Gardens' £300 Ure Gardens / Nant Dr 'Ure Gardens' £300 £34,500 Mull Sign Detail Quantity Cost "Craignure" 1 £400 "Weak road 20t MGW" 1 £400 "Weak road 33t MGW" 1 £400 (to left ) "Dervaig 4 1/2 B8073" 1 £300 (to left ) "Dervaig 4 1/2 B8073" 1 £300 (to right) "Calgary B8073" 1 £400 Line 1 "Ant-Sailean" Line 2 "Salen" 1 £400 30mph 12 £3,600 Nation speed limit 14 £4,200 No overtaking 6 £1,800 (to the left) "Calgary 4 B8073" 1 £400 (to the left) "Torloisk 4 B8073" 1 £400 (to the right) "Dervaig 1/2 B8073" 1 £400 (to the right) "Croig" 1 £300 (to the left) line 1 "Dervaig 8 1/2" Line 2 "Calgary 12 1/2" Line 3 "Gruline 36" Line 4 "B8073" 1 £750 (to the left) "Dervaig 1 £400 (to the right) "Dervaig 1 £400 Page 378
Page 379
(to the right) "Tobermory 5 B8073" 1 £400 Split sign, top section (arrow to top) line 1 "Dervaig 8 1/2" Line 2 "Calgary 12 1/2" Line 3 "Gruline 30" Horizontal black line split in sign. Lower section (arrow to left) line 1 Ant-Sailean" Line 2 "Salen 10" 1 £750 (to the left) "Glengorm 4" 1 £400 £16,800 Page 379
Page 380
This page is intentionally left blank
Page 381
Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee Work Plan 2024/25 This is an outline plan to facilitate forward planning of reports to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. Date Title Service/Officer Date Due Comments 20 June 2024 Argyll and Bute Housing Emergency Summit Action Plan Development and Economic Growth 28 May 2024 Circular Economy Bill Update Roads and Infrastructure Services Waste Update Roads and Infrastructure Services Second Domestic Bin Review 2024 Road and Infrastructure Services Agreed 21.03.24 Roads Development Technical Guidance Roads and Infrastructure Services Road Safety Plan 2024- 2030 Roads and Infrastructure Services Update – Roads Capital Reconstruction Programme 2024/25 Roads and Infrastructure Services Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 – Pavement, Double and Dropped Kerb Parking Standards Update Report Roads and Infrastructure Services Public Convenience Door Access Control Update Roads and Infrastructure Services Review of Roads and Infrastructure Services Roads and Infrastructure Services Oban Flooding Update Roads and Infrastructure Services Flood Resilience Strategy – SG Consultation Roads and Infrastructure Services Page 381 Agenda Item 19
Page 382
Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee Work Plan 2024/25 SEPA Consultation: Potentially Vulnerable Areas for Flood Risk Management Roads and Infrastructure Services Scrutiny Report- Fly-tipping Roads and Infrastructure Services Requested by Audit and Scrutiny on 14.03.24 Street Furniture Replacement Update Roads and Infrastructure Services 12 September 2024 Footway reconstruction Programme Roads and Infrastructure Services 20 August 2024 Winter Service Policy Roads and Infrastructure Services Cemetery Asset Update Roads and Infrastructure Services Digital Update Development and Economic Growth Transformational Projects Regeneration Team Large Scale Projects Update Development and Economic Growth Flood Resilience Strategy – SG Consultation Roads and Infrastructure Services 19 December 2024 Route Optimisation Update Roads and Infrastructure Services 26 November 2024 Annual Status and Options Report (ASOR) Roads and Infrastructure Services 20 March 2025 Roads Capital Reconstruction Programme 2025/26 Road and Infrastructure Services 25 February 2025 Transformational Projects Regeneration Team Large Scale Projects Update Development and Economic Growth Page 382
Page 383
Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee Work Plan 2024/25 Future Items Shared Prosperity Fund Development and Economic Growth Roads Development Framework Roads and Infrastructure Services EVC Tariffs Roads and Infrastructure Services Agreed 21.03.24 Refreshed Economic Strategy Action Plan Development and Economic Growth Page 383
Page 384
This page is intentionally left blank