Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Environment

12 December 2001

Project Appraisal: Brockenhurst School Safety Zone

Report of the County Surveyor

Item 5

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

BROCKENHURST SCHOOL SAFETY ZONE, BROCKENHURST

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

FEBRUARY 2002

COMPLETION DATE:

MARCH 2002

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2001/02

1.

FINANCE (Client Department, Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services [Estates Practice] and County Treasurer)

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at July 2001

(at July 2001

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

-

-

Construction

48

Fees

22

70

70

Less developers/

other contributions

-

-

70

70

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme (as above)

70

(b) Other

70

2.

From other resources

(a)

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

70

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

0.5

0.001

Capital charges

5

0.008

TOTAL net expenditure

5.5

0.009

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

Brockenhurst falls within the New Forest Transport Strategy area (NFTS). One of the main objectives of this strategy is to encourage more people to walk to school in preference to travelling by private car, by providing safer routes for children and parents.

At present parking outside the school is not controlled. This results in vehicles parking in and around the entrance/exit to the school which has led to concern over the safety of children crossing Sway Road outside the school.

A problem of flooding has also been identified on a section of footway on the eastern side of Sway Road, immediately south of the school. This footway is an important route for children attending the school.

Investigations have shown that the cause of the flooding is a poor drainage system and to overcome this problem a remedial scheme has been designed. These works will ensure that the footway remains open to pedestrians throughout the year and continue to provide a safe route for children attending the school

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County network and policies

The school safety zone proposed outside Brockenhurst Infant School on Sway Road accords with the main aims and objectives of the NFTS. These are supported through the New Forest District Local Plan and the Local Transport Plan.

Details of scheme and design standards

The proposed scheme will aid pedestrian movement outside the school especially children wishing to cross Sway Road to reach the surrounding residential developments.

The scheme involves reducing the width of Sway Road outside the school. This will allow the widening of the footway for pedestrians and calm traffic travelling along Sway Road. An uncontrolled crossing facility will also be provided across Sway Road at this point. In an attempt to provide orderly parking outside the school a layby will be provided as a drop off/collection point for children. To prevent the layby being used for commuter parking it is proposed to place a waiting restriction on it. This restriction would only allow parking for 30 minutes.

In order to give motorists travelling along Sway Road advance warning of the school safety zone, coloured surfacing will be placed on the approaches to the safety zone together with enhanced warning signs.

The remedial works to the footway on the eastern side of Sway Road, immediately south of the school, will result in the footway, edging and verges being raised, with a French drain being installed at the back of the footway.

The works for this scheme have been designed in accordance with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions' standards, together with those of the County Council.

A location plan is attached to this report and a detailed plan of the proposals will be displayed at for the meeting.

Environmental impact

The works to implement the scheme are generally of a minor nature and have been designed to have little impact on the physical environment of the surrounding area. Once completed it will create a safer environment for pedestrians, especially the school children.

Land requirements

No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing public highway limits.

Statutory procedures

A Traffic Regulation Order will be required to restrict waiting times in the layby outside the school.

Public consultation

The initial public consultation on the original proposal was held on 20 July 2000 in the school's main hall. In advance of the consultation a press release was prepared and issued to the local newspapers. Posters were also displayed outside the school to inform parents and the public of the forthcoming exhibition. During the day a total of 80 people attended the exhibition of which the majority of people supported the proposals.

However the Parish Council expressed its concern to the local Member, Councillor Thornber, that the exhibition was not widely advertised and the response to the scheme proposals was not representative of the people of Brockenhurst. It was therefore agreed that a further consultation would be undertaken on the proposals. For this additional consultation a prepaid postal survey questionnaire was prepared which was distributed to every household within the school catchment area.

In February 2001 the consultation leaflet was distributed to over 1,200 households. The leaflet contained a plan of the proposed scheme, together with explanation text of the scheme in terms of its aims and objectives and the results of the previous consultation.

The outcome of this additional consultation was that there was general support for the proposals. However, there was a concern that the pinch-points within the scheme would cause severe delays to traffic travelling on Sway Road. Furthermore, they would create problems for traffic turning into/out of two minor roads adjacent to the pinch-points.

Based on these results and the endorsement of Councillor Thornber a revised scheme was subsequently designed which maintained the uncontrolled crossing point and widened footway area outside the school entrance but removed the pinch-points.

Facilities for the disabled

The needs of the disabled have been considered in the design of this scheme.

Maintenance implications

The revenue implications of this proposal will be taken into account in the setting of the annual base budget.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

This proposal has no impact upon these issues.

Sustainability

The proposed scheme will provide a safer environment for pedestrians, especially school children, which will encourage more people to walk to school instead of travelling by car.

Local Member's View

The local Member, Councillor Thornber, has been consulted on the proposals and fully supports the scheme.

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

An alternative scheme was originally considered which involved traffic calming the entire length of Sway Road; however, this was rejected at public consultation. Subsequently, a smaller scheme was considered to provide traffic calming on the section of Sway Road adjacent to the school. Following further consultations, this scheme was revised to the scheme for which approval is now being sought.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

Brockenhurst School

Safety Zone Scheme

Working file

County Surveyor's Department

Environment Group - Room 415