Option 30 Report

2 Introduction

The National Roads Maintenance Review (Review) is being taken forward in phases. Phase 2 was published in 2011 and identified 30 separate Options to be taken forward. One of the key options identified was Option 30 "to undertake an assessment of the optimum arrangements for the management and maintenance of roads in Scotland".

This report is in response to the Review brief for Option 30 which was to 'Explore the optimum delivery of road maintenance services'. It was received on 10 February 2012 (see Appendix A for Project Brief). The research study has been undertaken by a Task Group managed by a former Chair of SCOTS and comprised representatives from Halcrow, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Improvement Service. The report has been prepared in consultation with the Review Steering Group which included representatives from SCOTS, the SRWC, COSLA, SOLACE, and Transport Scotland (see Appendix B Organisational Chart for delivery of Option 30).

The report looks at the optimum delivery of the management and maintenance of roads services in Scotland exploring amendments to existing structures including shared services and without a complete change of roads authorities' functions but also exploring the potential for new roads authority structures. An important consideration for the research work was that it had to be outcome focussed, based on deliverability and compatibility with the Christie Commission recommendations and Public Sector Reform principles.

The report identifies:

  • how roads services are provided at present as well as ongoing changes to service delivery
  • potential roads services delivery models which could be worthy of further investigation.

The delivery of management and maintenance of roads is governed by the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and is undertaken by 33 roads authorities i.e. the trunk roads authority (Transport Scotland) and the 32 local roads authorities.

The report recognises the economic climate in which Scottish public spending in 2011/12 has been reduced by some £1.3 billion, with capital reduced by 22.9%. Based on UK Government spending plans, it could take until 2025/26 for the Scottish Government budget to return to 2009/10 levels, a cumulative loss of £40 billion1 .

Additionally, Audit Scotland estimated the cost of the backlog across the whole of the Scottish roads network to amount to around some £2.25 billion2 ; £1.54 billion for local authority roads (excluding bridges and other assets) and £0.713 billion for trunk roads.