Archived decisions

Contact: Chris Lait, tel: 01329 824485

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers progress made with the Home Zone Project for Myrtle Avenue, Castle Grove and Sunningdale Road, Portchester.

2. Introduction

2.1 In October 2001 Hampshire County Council submitted three bids to the former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) under the Home Zone Challenge Initiative. The schemes, drawn up in partnership with the relevant borough councils, were located in Fareham, Eastleigh and Gosport.

2.2 In January 2002 the former DTLR indicated that the Fareham scheme had been selected and in April confirmation was received that the bid for Myrtle Avenue, Castle Grove and Sunningdale Road was accepted in full with £499,999 being allocated from the Home Zone Challenge Fund. The scheme is one of 61 successful schemes nationwide with an overall budget of £30 million.

3. Project Control

3.1 The renamed Department for Transport (DfT) appointed consultants, The Babtie Group, to assist in ensuring the smooth running of the Home Zone Challenge project. A preliminary project timetable and financial spend profile has been submitted and quarterly progress and financial reports are required.

3.2 Part of the monitoring process is the sharing of information between different projects and the dissemination of good practice. A key source of information for both the project and the public is the website www.homezoneschallenge.com.uk. Furthermore, regional and national meetings will be organised to provide guidance and assistance.

3.3 An Officer Steering Group has been established, the core members being Chris Lait, Andy Viccars, Christianne Strubbe and John Shorrocks. Other expertise is called upon as required including the Engineering Consultancy, Landscape Architects, Traffic Management and Safety Engineering, Street Lighting, Estates and Education.

3.4 The Member Steering Group consisting of Councillors Estlin, Price and Mandry, with Councillors Norris and  Mrs Eastman as ward members invited to attend, met on 28 August to be informed and give guidance on the project detail. The next meeting is programmed for 11 November 2002.

3.5 Approval will be sought through the established processes for Project Appraisal, Planning (if appropriate), Traffic Regulation Orders, etc, as necessary.

4. Financial Considerations

4.1 The project proposal submitted to the former DTLR indicated an overall project cost of £559,000 for which grant funding was sought and is approved in the sum of £499,000. The primary contribution to the scheme will be elements of officer time from both Hampshire County Council and Fareham Borough Council staff.

4.2 Further areas of contribution and/or project enhancement will be sought through coordinating other initiatives relevant to the project and assistance in delivering a more comprehensive approach to the scheme. These could include safer routes to school, safety/community lighting, education access funds, highway maintenance funds and developer contributions.

4.3 The Challenge Fund rules require invoices to be submitted quarterly in arrears, with the last possible submission in March 2005.

5. The Project Programme and Progress

5.1 The project programme as submitted to the DfT in outline consists of:

Mobilisation and April-September 2002

Public Exhibition

Preliminary Design including October 2002-February 2003

Community Engagement

Finalise Designs and February-July 2003

Approvals

Contract Documents and Tender August-December 2003

Implementation February-October 2004

Monitoring 2005

5.2 A number of elements have been undertaken during the mobilisation period including a brainstorming workshop identifying interfaces, opportunities and constraints. In particular, opportunities to coordinate with a current education access project at Portchester Community School are being explored. Land and estates issues have also been considered in detail identifying constraints to the project.

5.3 Discussions have been held with both the Portchester Community School and Boundary Castle Primary School and they are positive about the scheme. Further detailed work will be carried out during the preliminary design stage.

5.4 An exhibition was held on 28 and 30 September at which over 200 residents attended. The exhibition is the initial process on re-engaging with the community and presented project information and examples of other home zones. It also included a summary of information from the previous residents' survey carried out. However, its greatest importance was that it gave residents the opportunity to contribute information and views to the project. This exhibition was also placed in Portchester Library until 11 October.

5.5 After the exhibition a public meeting was held to enable residents to meet the team and express their aspirations for the project. The meeting was attended by over 100 residents. Their principal concern was the parking problem, although a number of other factors featured strongly, including speed, rat-running and safety. The meeting was extremely constructive and provided the team with valuable information.

5.6 Following on from the exhibition, workshops are being established with representatives from each of the streets. To date 27 residents have volunteered to partake in the workshops. These workshops are intended to guide and assist in the preparation of the preliminary designs. Other bodies will also be consulted, such as emergency services, utilities, schools, access groups, Portchester Civic Trust, etc.

Recommendation

That Members be pleased to note the progress of the Home Zone Project in Portchester.

7396/CL