AT A MEETING of the NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE AREA TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY PANEL held at the Offices of Hart District Council, Fleet on Wednesday 26 September 2001.

PRESENT:

Hampshire County Council

Councillors: K. B. Estlin (Chairman); J.K. Glen; R. J. Kimber; M. J. Roberts

Hart District Council

Councillors: N. Lambert; S. G. Parker; P. Shoesmith

Rushmoor Borough Council

Councillors: R.L. Dibbs; Miss S. C. Olivier

1. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2001 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Arising thereon:

(i) Minute 62 - Decriminalised parking

Officers confirmed that the formal consultation process had started with outside organisations and the target date for implementation remained June 2002. Members were concerned that adequate public consultation should take place. This would be pursued at the appropriate stage by officers.

(ii) Minute 63 - Tillingbourne Bus Company

Concerns about the quality of the replacement services were raised and officers would continue to monitor this, but the choice of operators had been very limited.

(iii) Minute 64 - Disabled Access to rail stations

Concern was expressed about the difficulties in getting South West Trains to respond on this issue.

(iv) Minute 66 - Frimley Park Hospital Access

In the light of the new development plan for Frimley Park Hospital, officers would follow up the question of bus access in particular with the hospital authority. As the composition of the North East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel had been established following the June 2001 elections, officers would progress the first meeting of the group of members and officers who, it had been agreed at the March meeting, would guide the preparation of the 10 year vision of North East Hampshire transport policy.

2. TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Panel considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 2 in the Minute Book) detailing amendments to the Panel's Terms of Reference in the light of the constitutional changes to Hampshire County Council.

RESOLVED

That the revised Terms of Notice be noted.

3. CAPITAL PROGRAMME REVIEW

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 3 in the Minute Book) which updated the indicative five year programme endorsed by the Panel at its March meeting. Village Traffic Management was included as a specific category as additional money would be made available to certain parishes for larger projects under the parish partnership schemes which would be beyond some parishes capabilities to fund, even on the usual matched funding basis. Four parish schemes were listed; South Warnborough, North Warnborough, Odiham and Hook, although more schemes could come forward in later years. This along with some modifications to earlier categories of schemes brought the total funding requirements of the proposed programme to £6.545 million instead of the £5.8 million presented in March. Officers believed this would give flexibility in the light of further funding information being received and more exact costings of schemes when they were tendered.

Members discussed issues arising from the schemes listed .

(i) Route 1 Bus Quality Partnership;the effect of the Meadows Business Park on traffic in the area.

(ii) Corridor/Route Management; officers confirmed that corridor studies were being progressed in tandem such as Ash Road and North Lane even though they appeared under different headings in the list. Members were keen for reassurance that the signalised junction in Ash Road would need to be in place by February when the housing development was due for completion and that the Ash Road scheme would need to be advanced by such time.

(iii) North Camp; The North Camp Transport Study was progressing quickly because it formed a pivotal role in the Regeneration of old Urban Areas( ROUA) project for North Camp. The Transport Study would concentrate on the commercial area and once ROUA was underway its scope would broaden.

(iv) Cycle and pedestrian network; Rushmoor confirmed it was making progress on a number of schemes. (An update from Hart was not available).

(v) Safer routes to school; officers confirmed that a number of travel plans had been submitted by schools, and that where this level of commitment had been shown, the schemes were being progressed.

A summary of all the schemes relevant to South Aldershot would be provided to the relevant local members.

RESOLVED

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive member for Environment that the expenditure outlined in the report to implement schemes in the North East Hampshire Transport Strategy programme be endorsed.

4. FLEET TOWN CENTRE TRANSPORT STUDY

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 4 in the Minute Book) outlining progress by the W S Atkins team in presenting the three options for developing transport measures for Fleet town centre. Local members would be informed before the public consultation scheduled for mid-November. All households in Fleet and Church Crookham would receive a leaflet, with exhibitions being staged in Arlington and Hart. The results of the consultation process would be reported to the next (February 2002) meeting of the Panel.

RESOLVED

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Environment that the scope and direction of the Fleet Town Centre Transport Study in developing proposals for public consultation, as set out in the report, be endorsed.

5. PROGRESS REPORT ON NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE TRANSPORT STRATEGY SCHEMES AND STUDIES

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 5 in the Minute Book) outlining progress on the following schemes;

(i) Transport Interchanges - Farnborough Station. Plans for the station forecourt re-development were awaited and in this respect the lead was not with Hampshire County Council. Members raised the question of links between Farnborough Main and North stations and officers expressed the hope that bus links might be able to operate between the two stations and Farnborough Aerodrome and North Camp.

(ii) Disabled provision at stations in North East Hampshire. Members expressed continued concern about the lack of apparent progress at the significant number of stations in North East Hampshire that do not have appropriate disabled access. Officers confirmed that if South West Trains get the franchise they must make every station accessible for disabled by 2014. Members would like to receive a programme of planned work for specific stations when the franchise is awarded to an operator, and stressed the desirability of much earlier completion dates for disabled access.

(iii) Surrey County Council's A325 Study. Councillor Filer had been appointed Hampshire County Council's representative.

(iv) Blackwater Valley Bus Service 1 Priority Route. Minor route amendments had been made. Subject to the Executive Member for the Environment's approval, work would commence in the New Year(2002) with tenders sought for the southern end of the route. Consultation had started on Phase 2, reflecting the positive responses of Phase 1 consultation to public transport improvements, save for less enthusiasm for bus lanes. The pavement would be resurfaced, although widening was more problematic as this would entail taking space out from the central reservation. Cycle lanes would also be improved. There would be a presentation in October celebrating the partnerships working together on this scheme.

(v) B3272 Route Strategy. The use of local roads in the Yateley area as `rat runs' between motorways had necessitated this investigation. No funding had been committed to any schemes of work, only the study.

(vi) Blackwater Valley Mass Transit Study. This study, to report in March 2002, would look at various options for mass transit provision in the whole of the Blackwater valley. Members discussed improvements such as joint ticketing arrangements between train and bus which could produce worthwhile results, as integration of existing public transport would be a positive starting point.

RESOLVED

Members noted the progress being made on studies and schemes undertaken to implement the North East Hampshire Transport Strategy.

6. PROJECT CONNAUGHT

Rushmoor Borough Council outlined the possible planning and transport implications of proposals to regenerate military towns, of which Aldershot garrison might be one. Members felt the scope of any such developments would be such that they should be referred to the Environment Policy Review Committee who would be able to take an overview.

7. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING

RESOLVED

The next meeting of the North East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel would be held at Rushmoor Borough Council Offices, Farnborough at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday 6 February 2002.