'More needed' from multi-million highways contract, Shropshire Council says
More is needed out of the multi-million contact to maintain the county’s roads, say Shropshire Council.
Worth up to £21 million a year, the seven-year contract was awarded to Kier in 2017 and commenced the following year.
It came with the option of three incremental one-year extensions and meant the construction firm was responsible for road maintenance, road projects and schemes, street lighting, environmental maintenance, flooding and drainage, winter maintenance and extreme weather provision.
Last April, Shropshire Council confirmed Kier had been appointed to deliver highways maintenance for another year, which would take the contract through to April 2026. Two further 12-month extensions could also be added, said the council, taking the provision through to March 2028.
The news came after Shropshire Council announced the benefits of its award-winning mixed economy model – which sees some work being carried out by the council and larger-scale works continuing to be delivered by Kier.
This, Shropshire Council said, saw a 66% drop in the cost to repair a pothole on in the past four years – below the national average – and a reduction int he number of defects on A and B roads.
At the time, the authority was run by the Conservatives. However, within a month, that changed when the Liberal Democrats swooped to power at the local elections.
Presenting a report entitled ‘A new Direction for Shropshire’ to full council last month, Shropshire Council leader Heather Kidd outlined plans for its highways and flood response services that are locally engaged, responsive, and focused on preventative measures.
This includes ensuring that all road defects are repaired in a single visit.
Improving communication with residents regarding road closures and issues is also a short-term priority, alongside investing in streetlight repairs and accelerating the transition to LED lighting.
Kier’s current was discussed by Cabinet in private at its meeting on Wednesday (October 15). However, prior to it, Councillor David Vasmer, portfolio holder for highways, issued a public statement.
“The Liberal Democrat adminsitration recognises that highways are critically important for our residents, and is one of our key priorities,” said Cllr Vasmer.
“While the Kier contract hasn’t delivered as anticipated in all areas, the changes made and ongoing adjustments reflect our commitment to improvement. We will continue to collaborate with Kier where they deliver benefit, value for money and efficiency as we continue to develop our next econcomy service model.
“The new administration wants to see greater control of core highway services with high collaboration with local providers, town and parish councils.
“The one year contract extension we are proposing allows the council to develop the future service model that aligns with our vision.”
Cllr Kidd added: “I think it’s really important that everyone understands that we’re working towards really improving what happens on the ground and getting the most out of our contracts, changing them where we need to.”
It comes after Kier’s contract was looked into by the Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee, which Cabinet said helped shape its recommendations.
Scrutiny chair, Councillor Ed Potter said: “The Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee’s task and finish group has worked closely with council officers and gained valuable insight and understanding into highway services, specifically the Keir contract and the role they’ve played in service transformation.
“Additionally, the scrutiny committee recognises that more time is needed to shape the new ways of working in the future, especially the roles town and parishes can play in the future service model.”
