Archived decisions

Contact: Ken Laughlin, ext 6893/Tony Ciaburro, ext 6891

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That approval be given for the County Surveyor to undertake final contract negotiations with the European Commission for the County Council's involvement in the European Union's CIty-VITAlity-Sustainability initiative.

2. Reason

2.1 Following the submission of a successful proposal to become involved in this European Union (EU) initiative based on improving environmental conditions in Winchester, the County Council has been invited to the final negotiation stage as one of only eight projects selected for matching EU funding under this initiative. This work will build upon and enhance the work already being undertaken with the Winchester Movement and Access Plan (WMAP). The project is strongly in line with local priorities, policies and key corporate objectives and involvement at the European level will provide a good mechanism for enhancing and developing further the work already undertaken in Winchester and getting this work recognised both nationally and across Europe.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 The only other option is not to become involved in this programme and it is considered that participation will bring significant benefits to the County Council.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - Not applicable.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Introduction

7.1 During 2000 the EU published a call for proposals under the CIty-VITAlity-Sustainability (CIVITAS) initiative. This initiative, which was developed through the EU's GROWTH and ENERGIE programmes, seeks to establish a limited number of major demonstration sites throughout Europe. These sites are expected to demonstrate environmental improvements and access management, to help provide the solution to the problems of congestion and pollution caused by urban transport, and thereby become leading examples for other cities in Europe.

7.2 The EU has allowed a total budget of €50 million (approx £30.7 million) for this initiative and proposals had to include strong coverage for the introduction of the following measures:

(i) a new way of managing the movement of goods and people;

(ii) the introduction of new information and transport management systems;

(iii) the introduction of 'clean' vehicle fleets for passengers and goods;

(iv) promotional campaigns for public transport;

(v) a system of charging for road use and parking based on environmental concerns; and

(vi) the creation of special areas for 'clean' vehicles in city centres.

7.3 The EU required projects to be developed with a lead city, that had to incorporate all of the measures, and a follower city that was expected to cover at least three of the areas. Following careful consideration of the EU requirements, a proposal was developed by the County Council with Winchester as the main demonstration site and Cork as the 'follower city'.

8. REFRACT Proposal

8.1 The Real Environmentally Friendly Related Access management and Clean Transport (REFRACT) Proposal was developed in association with Cork City Corporation, The Transportation Research Group of Southampton University, University College, Cork and W S Atkins. The submission was based upon work already undertaken and proposed as part of the WMAP.

8.2 The proposal set out a number of objectives and initiatives within Winchester based on WMAP, including the demonstration of clean vehicle technology, for both public and private transport. The proposal also included a strong emphasis on the involvement of Winchester City Council and sectors of the business and private community through the Winchester Community Forum and the Winchester Freight Partnership.

8.3 The proposal was submitted to the EU in March 2001. A total of 32 proposals were received by the European Commission (EC) involving some 74 cities (including Central and Eastern European Countries cities). The EC then undertook a rigorous evaluation of the 32 proposals and in July 2001 the County Council was informed that its proposal had received a very good evaluation report. Subsequently the County Council was invited to a meeting with EC officials, with representatives of seven other proposals, to discuss the results of the evaluation exercise.

8.4 At this meeting it was confirmed that the proposal submitted by the County Council had been successful and it was being invited to enter the final negotiation stage with the other seven proposals. The final selection involves a total of 19 cities across Europe (Aalborg, Barcelona, Berlin, Bremen, Bristol, Bucharest, Cork, Gothenburg, Graz, Gydnia, Kaunas, Lille, Nantes, Pecs, Prague, Rome, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Winchester) and to have reached this stage against very strong competition can be considered an achievement. The results are also a success for the POLIS network because, of the 14 EU cities selected, nine are POLIS members.

8.5 The EC has outlined a very tight timescale for the negotiations and subsequent letting of the contract, expecting contracts to be signed in December 2001 with a project start date for the four year contract of February 2002. For contractual, practical and technical reasons, the eight proposals invited to the final negotiations have been combined into four new groupings and the Hampshire/Cork proposal (REFRACT) has been merged with Rome and Barcelona (MIRACLES). Initial discussions between the two proposal consortia have indicated that a successful partnership could be achieved and that, despite the differences in size of the cities, a great deal of synergy exists between the two proposals. Additionally, links had already been established with both Rome and Barcelona through the POLIS network.

8.6 As a result of these discussions, a new project called MIRACLES (Multi Initiatives for Rationalised Accessibility and Clean Liveable EnvironmentS) has been developed and this will form the basis for the contract negotiations with the EC. Work is already in hand to produce the Technical Annexe for the negotiation process.

9. MIRACLES Project

9.1 During the meeting with the EC it was indicated that the Hampshire/Cork consortium has been allocated a €2.6 million (£1.6 million) contribution from the CIVITAS budget. This figure is €1 million (£615,000) less than was bid for and the original proposal will be amended to reflect this reduced level of contribution from the EU. The County Council's allocation will be €1.2 million (£740,000) which represents a 35% contribution from the EU to the total project costs.

9.2 In line with the principles adopted by the County Council for EU funded projects, the commitment made by the County Council (€2.24 million - £1.38 million) is already included in service plans, the Local Transport Plan (LTP) funding and associated budgets for staff time. The project does not therefore represent increased cost or new expenditure. However, a bid for supplementary funding has been made to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions through the LTP annual review process that was submitted in August 2001. If this bid is successful, it will enable the demonstration element in Winchester to be enhanced to the level of the original proposal.

10. Conclusions

10.1 The acceptance of the proposal by the EC to develop Winchester as a major national and European demonstration site for dealing with congestion and environmental problems caused by urban traffic is a significant achievement. The proposal was developed to build upon the work already undertaken and planned in Winchester as part of WMAP and reflects strongly local priorities, policies and key corporate objectives.

10.2 The combination of EU funding contributions and the added value derived from the cooperation between agencies, private and public communities, and at a European level, provide a good opportunity and mechanism for maximising the practical results and value for money for planned work. Involvement in this initiative will further enhance the County Council's standing as a leading authority on transportation matters both nationally and throughout Europe.

10.3 There are still a number of stages to be completed as part of the negotiation process with the EC, within a very tight timescale. Approval is now being sought to conduct these negotiations with the EC. A further report will be submitted once the outcome of these negotiations is known and, if successful, formal approval will be sought to enter into a contract with the EC for the involvement of the County Council in the CIVITAS programme.

6650/KGL