Concerns raised with Herts County Council's highways management

The work of the county council is routinely reviewed and scrutinised through a series of cabinet panels – each focused on a different area of the council’s work.

And since the Liberal Democrat administration took over in May, the new highways cabinet panel has met just once, while other panels have already met up to three times.

Conservative highways spokesperson Cllr Matt Cowley says two dates were scheduled for the highways cabinet panel to meet, but did not go ahead.

And he says that’s not good enough – suggesting that the Liberal Democrats either aren’t doing enough to fix the roads or aren’t opening their decisions up to councillor scrutiny.

“The Lib Dems made some big promises to Hertfordshire residents about their plans to fix our roads, but talk is easy,” Cllr Cowley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“When given the opportunity to take some action by residents in Hertfordshire, they have been found wanting – and nearly four months after they took over, they don’t have anything for us to scrutinise.”

But deputy executive member for highways Cllr Helen Campbell has hit back at the claims.

She points to a number of the county council’s ongoing highways projects. And she suggests that under the new Liberal Democrat administration the panel will meet “when there was actual business to discuss”.

“Under the previous Conservative administration, highways panel meetings did not always feel like an efficient use of council resource, whether time or money,” she said.

“Under the new Liberal Democrat administration, highways panels take place when there is actual business to discuss.”

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a panel meeting planned for September 15 had been cancelled without objection, following consultation with all panel members.

One of the items on the agenda, she said, had required a response from a government minister, which “was not likely to come in time “. And another was already due for further discussion at the November meeting.

“So rather than expect council officers to waste precious money and time administering what could be largely pointless talking shops, we’re focused on real and actual improvements to the county’s roads and pavements,” she said.

Pointing to the work undertaken in recent months, Cllr Campbell highlights two separate pothole trials, as well as work to enhance information sent to residents about upcoming works to their roads, to collect abandoned highway signage and to pressure the government to increase the fines payable by utilities when they breach road closure agreements.

“This is all part of the Liberal Democrat administration’s determination to be better and more efficient at maintaining Hertfordshire’s roads and pavements, even while we are forced to grapple with increasingly dwindling funds,” she said.

“Not holding pointless meetings is part of this.

“The panel scheduled for September 15 was cancelled as there was no relevant business.

“Lead opposition members were consulted on the cancellation; no one objected, and all panel members, including the opposition, were informed of the reasons. “

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council suggests that changes to cabinet portfolios have also impacted the number of items directed to the panel.

“Since June this year, two planned meetings of the highways cabinet panel have been cancelled as there was not enough business for the panel to discuss,” said the spokesperson.

“Cabinet panels are informal advisory groups, and their primary purpose is to allow cross-party discussion and scrutiny of forthcoming cabinet decisions and policy changes.

“As there haven’t been any cabinet decisions relating to the highways service since March, the panel has only needed to meet once, in July, where it scrutinised changes to the winter gritting plans and discussed the ongoing trials of new approaches to fixing potholes.

“Changes to cabinet portfolios following the elections in May mean that some business that would previously have been discussed at the old highways and transport panel is now discussed at the environment, transport and growth panel instead.

“There are, therefore fewer items that need to be discussed by the more focused highways panel.”

• The next meeting of the county council’s highways cabinet panel is scheduled for November 14.