AT A MEETING of the TEST VALLEY HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT ADVISORY PANEL held at the Borough Council's Offices, Romsey on Monday 22 July 2002.

PRESENT:

Hampshire County Council

Councillors: K.B. Estlin (Chairman); Mrs E.S.M. Barron; A.G. Dowden; D.A. Kirk; P.A. Pierce; Mrs P.A. West; M.J. Woodhall.

Test Valley Borough Council

Councillor D.G.C. Roach

1. PANEL CONSTITUTION

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 1 in the Minute Book) which set out the Terms of Reference for the Test Valley Highway Management Advisory Panel.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

2. ACTIONS ARISING FROM THE MEETING OF THE FORMER HIGHWAYS INFORMATION GROUP OF THE TEST VALLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL AND HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL HELD ON 18 FEBRUARY 2002

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 2 in the Minute Book) which detailed action points from the former Highways Information Group meeting which was held on 18 February 2002.

Officers answered Members' detailed questions on various matters which had arisen from the meeting. The County Surveyor advised that any issues previously dealt with by the Highways Information Group would now be under the remit of the Test Valley Highway Management Advisory Panel. He also advised that Mr Richard Chinn, Chief Engineer, was based at Totton and Mr John Mursell, Assistant Chief Engineer at the Borough Council's offices in Andover. Members were welcome to contact either office direct with any queries or concerns.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HIGHWAY NETWORK MANAGEMENT BLUEPRINT AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE FOR HAMPSHIRE HIGHWAYS WEST

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 3 in the Minute Book) which outlined the progress of Blueprint, including management arrangements for Test Valley.

The County Surveyor advised that on 1 May 2002 agency arrangements for highway maintenance in Andover had ceased. No staff had transferred from the Borough Council and Hampshire County Council had appointed staff to those posts within the newly created Hampshire Highways West.

In total there were 32 posts, 8 of which would be responsible for the Test Valley area.

An offer had been made to the district councils to enter into an agreement on the delivery of the Traffic Management function which would be in accordance with the existing arrangements in the full agency districts. Test Valley Borough Council had indicated a wish to provide traffic management across the whole of the borough in partnership with the County Council.

The Chairman hoped this new system would speed up the process for traffic management schemes.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

4. THE ASSESSMENT OF THE HIGHWAY CONDITION IN HAMPSHIRE

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 4 in the Minute Book) which outlined the systematic approach currently in place to assess the condition of the highway network in Hampshire. In addition the report updated Members on changes required to the condition assessments in light of the County Council's Pathfinder Best Value review, the implementation of the National United Kingdom Pavement Management System (UKPMS) and the recently launched National Code of Practice.

The County Surveyor explained that general highway inspections were routinely carried out to assess footway, cycle track and carriageway conditions and that sites for larger scale planned maintenance works were identified. These sites were then submitted for a more detailed condition assessment called Highway Assessment Maintenance Priorities (HAMP). All schemes were assigned a rating score and from this a planned maintenance programme was prepared.

During the last five years the national focus had been on developing a single national systematic network condition assessment method called UKPMS. In addition to calculating network maintenance needs it would provide Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs), which were required by the Department for Transport (DfT). Funding by the DfT for principal roads would be based on BVPIs.

Concerns were raised over damage caused to pavement and verges by parked vehicles. Members agreed that the public should be made aware of repair costs involved, and inquired as to whether legal action could be pursued. Officers advised that although possible it was often difficult to prove how damage occurred and therefore, legal action was usually unsuccessful.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

5. HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE BUDGET 2002/03

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 5 in the Minute Book) which outlined the Highways Maintenance budget county-wide and the specific budget and programme of works for Test Valley.

Officers answered Members' detailed questions on the budget, street lighting and maintenance programme. The Chairman agreed it would be useful to invite Mr Tony Stephens, Street Lighting Engineer to the next meeting of the Panel to discuss further street lighting issues.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

6. OTHER NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 6 in the Minute Book) which detailed the key issues in respect of other Network Management programmes.

The County Surveyor reported that the casualty reduction schemes, which had risen to over 70 schemes per annum in recent financial years, had produced encouraging accident reductions and financial rates of return. These results had attracted increased levels of funding from the Department for Transport. Schemes would be prioritised on the basis of police recorded injury accident records. Details of five schemes within the Test Valley area were set out in the appendix to the report.

Schools were being encouraged to develop School Travel Plans which would lead to bids for the Safer Routes to School Programme. At present, in addition to those included in the Area Strategy programmes, there was one scheme proposed for the Test Valley area. The Chairman advised it was his intention to give priority to those schools which had submitted School Travel Plans.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

7. STATUS REPORT ON OTHER HIGHWAY RELATED CAPITAL SCHEMES

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 7 in the Minute Book) which set out the Andover, Western Hampshire, South West Hampshire and New Forest Transportation Strategy Schemes and two schemes identified under the Hampshire Country Towns Initiative.

Details of the individual schemes within the various transportation strategies were set out in the appendix to the report.

Market Place and Church Place, Romsey had been identified under the Hampshire Country Towns Initiative programme for funding towards environmental enhancements.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

8. TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES 2002/03

The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 8 in the Minute Book) which set out the main programmes of Traffic Management work in the Test Valley area.

Details of the individual traffic regulation orders, signing and traffic calming schemes were set out in the appendix to the report.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

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