Archived decisions

Contact: Derek Goodchild, tel 02380 688227

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers the following issues:

(i) Casualty Reduction and Safer Routes to School Programmes; and

(ii) Under £10,000 programme.

2. Casualty Reduction and Safer Routes to School Programmes

2.1 For the last ten years the implementation of an annual programme of low cost casualty reduction schemes has been an important element of the County Council's road safety strategy. Each annual programme of at least 50 such schemes, rising to 70 schemes in recent financial years, has produced encouraging accident reductions and financial rates of return.

2.2 These results have been well received by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the programme has attracted increasing levels of funding over this period in the County Council's capital programme settlements. This has enabled a few larger single site schemes to be included, treating particularly problematic locations, usually where previously implemented low cost measures have not given a satisfactory solution.

2.3 The 2002/03 programme totals £1.6 million which will include some 90 low cost schemes and three large schemes. These are prioritised strictly on the basis of police injury accident records to give the best value for money in terms of casualties saved. Where there are savings in fatal and serious casualties, this will help meet the road safety target which has been agreed with the Government as part of the County Council's Public Service Agreement. This target is to achieve a reduction in casualties to 780 fatal and seriously injured in 2004 from the average of 1,055 for the 1994-98 period.

2.4 The casualty reduction schemes provisionally included at this stage in the 2002/03 programme are shown on Appendix 1.

2.5 The Safer Routes to School programme is a related and complementary programme which has been established in recent years, with increasing emphasis being placed on both the safety of children and the need to encourage non-car modes for the journey to school. Some schemes under this heading have been included in Area Strategy programmes and are covered elsewhere on the agenda.

2.6 Schools are being encouraged to participate and to develop School Travel Plans which will generate proposals to be considered for inclusion in the programme. For the first time in 2002/03 an additional county-wide allocation of £0.5 million has been made and the currently proposed schemes in the Eastleigh area are shown in Appendix 2.

3. Minor Works Programme (Under £10,000)

3.1 The Minor Works Programme is funded from the Capital Programme allocation based on the Local Transport Plan submission to the DfT. The total budget available county-wide is £300,000 and this is divided on a pro-rata mileage basis.

3.2 Whilst minor works are defined as those which cost below £10,000 and therefore have only a limited impact on the strategic transport issues, they provide a considerable benefit by improving local highway infrastructure for communities to assist with mobility and safety on the highway.

3.3 The demand for schemes greatly exceeds the funds available and it is therefore necessary to prioritise the schemes put forward for funding. A ranking criteria based on the benefits of the scheme is used, and each Highway Area, following Member consultation, prepares an agreed list of schemes in priority order.

3.4 The allocation for Eastleigh for 2002/03 is £24,000 from the County Council's Capital Maintenance Budget From the priority assessment the following schemes have been identified for the 2002/03 programme:

(i) Church Lane, Bursledon - extension of footway £9,000;

(ii) The Drive, West End - carriageway widening £6,000; and

(iii) Netley and Hedge End railway stations - provision of cycle lockers £9,000.

3.5 A rolling programme of schemes is maintained for future consideration and currently includes the following schemes:

Bishopstoke Road, Bishopstoke footway from 51 to 63 £10,000

Brickfield Lane, Chandlers Ford pedestrian improvements £10,000

Freegrounds Road, Hedge End pedestrian refuge £10,000

Moorgreen Road, West End extension of footway £10,000

Fair Oak Road, Fair Oak pedestrian phase on lights £ 6,000

Moorhill Road, West End pedestrian refuge £ 5,000

Grange Road, Botley upgrade footway to £10,000

carriageway

Fair Oak Road, Bishopstoke pedestrian refuge £ 5,000

Mortimers Lane, Fair Oak footway extension £10,000

Hound Road, Hound footway/cycleway £ 6,000

extension

3.6 Further potential schemes have been identified and have yet to be added to the rolling programme:

Portsmouth Road, Old Netley footway improvement

Victoria Road, Netley Abbey new footway.

4. Major Maintenance Scheme

A334 Botley

4.1 The works include resurfacing of the A334 carriageway between Maypole roundabout and the A3051 Kings Corner junction, with low-noise surfacing, structural reconstruction of parts of the carriageway, repair and improvement of highway drainage and some footway improvements.

4.2 Work commenced on 12 August 2002 and is expected to take approximately three months to complete. The work involves some temporary road closures over weekends, with diversions for traffic, with single lane traffic controlled by temporary traffic lights at other times.

Recommendation

That the report be noted.

7391/DG