Archived decisions
AT A MEETING of EAST HAMPSHIRE HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT ADVISORY PANEL of Hampshire County Council held at The Ante Room, East Hampshire District Council, Penns Place, Petersfield, on Thursday 3 October 2002.
PRESENT:
Hampshire County Council:
Councillors: J.K. West (Chairman); Mrs E.M. Byrom; M.F. Cartwright; A.R. Ludlow; Sir James J. Scott.
East Hampshire District Council:
Councillors: P. Bradbury; B. Dutton; S. Glasgow; Mrs J. Standen
1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations under this item.
2. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS
There were no issues arising under this item.
3. DEPUTATIONS
There were no deputations arising under this item
4. PANEL CONSTITUTION AND PURPOSE
The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 4 in the Minute Book) detailing the Terms of Reference for the East Hampshire Highway Management Advisory Panel.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
5. BLUEPRINT PROGRESS AND AREA EAST ORGANISATION
The Panel considered a report of the County Surveyor (Item 5 in the Minute Book) on the progress of Blueprint, including progress within the districts and areas, the issues of traffic management and development control and searches and in addition the details of the organisation of the newly created Area East.
The County Surveyor explained that the agency arrangements for Winchester and Eastleigh had now ceased, and were now being delivered directly by the County Council. The county-wide maintenance contract would come into effect in spring 2002 with the exception of Winchester Urban area. The highway maintenance in the East Hampshire district would continue to be provided by the County Council. In addition the Arboricultural section was now the responsibility of the new Hampshire Highways East Management.
An offer had been made to all the district councils to enter into an agreement on the delivery of the Traffic Management function, which would be in accordance with existing arrangements in the full agency districts. East Hampshire District Council had declined the offer to take up these powers at the present time.
Officers answered Members' detailed questions on developer contribution schemes. Members requested that future development control meetings between the County Council and East Hampshire District Council include the current up-to-date expenditure for each scheme.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
6. THE ASSESSMENT OF THE HIGHWAY CONDITION IN HAMPSHIRE
The Panel considered the report of the County Surveyor (Item 6 in the Minute Book) outlining the systematic approach currently in place to assess the condition of the highway network in Hampshire and the changes required to the condition assessment arrangements due to the County Council's 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 gave a short presentation explaining the methods used to assess the condition of the roads, cycle tracks and footways. General highway inspections were carried out routinely and sites identified for larger scale planned maintenance work. These sites were then submitted for a more detailed condition assessment called Highway Assessment Maintenance Priorities (HAMP) to be carried out by the County's Highways Laboratory. All schemes were assigned a rating score and from this a list was compiled identifying the ones most in need.
Members were advised that a new national assessment scheme was currently being developed called UKPMS. The new system would give Best Value Performance Indicators and based on this system the Department for Transport would in future allocate the funding for principal roads nationally. Councillor Ludlow requested that details of the principal roads and their mileages within each area be included with the Minutes.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
7. HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE BUDGET 2002/03
The Panel considered a report of the County Surveyor (Item 7 in the Minute Book) outlining the Highways Maintenance budget county-wide and the specific budget and programme of work for the East Hampshire area.
The officers amplified the report and answered members' detailed questions on the budget, street lighting and the maintenance programme.
In response to District Councillor Glasgow's concern about the problems of flooding and surface drainage, the Chairman advised that the County Council's duties and responsibilities were laid down in the Highways Act 1980 and the Land Drainage Act. A leaflet summarising the County Council's responsibilities and powers had been prepared for publication and it was agreed that a copy of the document would be attached to the Minutes.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
8. OTHER NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES
The Panel considered a report of the County Surveyor (Item 8 in the Minute Book) detailing the key issues in respect of other Network Management programmes.
The County Surveyor reported that the County Council's casualty reduction and safer routes to school programme comprising 70 schemes had produced encouraging accident reduction and financial rates of return. The results had attracted increased levels of funding from the Department for Transport. It was emphasised that the schemes included were prioritised on the basis of police recorded injury accident results and that to qualify for extra funding the targets for lower accident rates had to be met. Details of the schemes within the East Hampshire area were appended to the report. Members were advised that Hampshire's current average figure for casualties in 2000-01 was now 875, against a previous average of 1,055 in 1994-98.
In response to concerns about the safety of the B3006 junction with Lumbry Business Park, officers agreed to check the site.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
9. TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME 2002/03
The Panel considered a report of the County Surveyor (Item 9 in the Minute Book) on the traffic management programmes for 2002/03 to be undertaken in the East Hampshire area. These were for revenue funded Traffic Regulation Orders and signing schemes and the capital funded Rural Traffic Calming schemes in partnership with parish councils.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
10. STATUS REPORT ON OTHER HIGHWAY RELATED CAPITAL SCHEMES
The Panel considered a report of the County Surveyor (Item 10 in the Minute Book) detailing the key issues in respect of other highway related capital schemes for East Hampshire CHARTS, the Petersfield Area Transport Strategy and Pedestrian/Cycle Crossings.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted.
11. DATE, TIME AND VENUE FOR THE NEXT MEETING OF THE PANEL
RESOLVED:
That the next meeting of the Panel should take place on Tuesday, 18 March 2003 at 10.00 a.m. at the East Hampshire District Council offices, Penns Place, Petersfield.
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