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Aug 2020

Last Updated: 27/08/2020

Politics

County council approves £8m funding for highways company vehicles

by Calvin Robinson

| 27 Aug, 2020

County council has now approved £10 million to buy vehicles for its new highways company, NY Highways Ltd. The company is set to operate from June next year.

Senior county councillors have approved £8 million worth of funding to purchase vehicles on behalf of the authority's new highways company.

NY Highways Ltd, which was announced by the authority in June, is set to take over the council’s £40 million highways contract next year.

The new company will maintain the county’s roads and the authority said the new arrangement will give them greater flexibility and control, and will also remove “contractual constraints”.

Now, senior county councillors have approved £8 million worth of of additional funding on top of £2 million already set aside to purchase specialist vehicles.

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A report before county councillors said:

“As the project has progressed, further scoping has been undertaken which has resulted in the identification of additional requirements.

“As a result, an additional £8m is requested to allow further orders to be placed on the same basis as the original approval. This will bring the total funding included in the capital plan for the advance purchase of vehicles to £10m.”

The cost is expected to be recharged to NY Highways Ltd once it is in operation, which is expected to be from June 1, 2021.

It comes as Ross Bullerwell has been announced as manager director of NY Highways. The council advertised the post for around £100,000 a year with flexible benefits.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access, welcomed the news of his appointment and said:

“Having our own company gives us greater control and flexibility over our highways service delivery, while removing the contractual constraints that exist with the current arrangements.

“Through more direct accountability for the works on the ground we aim to deliver a ‘right first time’ service with the customer continuing to be at the heart of everything that we do.”

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County council approves £8m funding for highways company vehicles

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