Archived decisions

Contact: Chris Lait, tel 01329 824485

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers the following issues:

(i) Blueprint Progress, including Progress in Districts/Areas;

(ii) Traffic Management; and

(iii) Development Control and Searches.

2. Blueprint Progress

Progress in Districts/Areas

2.1 Hampshire Highways North

(i) Agency arrangements for highway maintenance in Basingstoke ceased on 1 October 2002, with staff transferring to Hampshire County Council.

(ii) Arrangements with Rushmoor are still to be finalised, but a target date for ending of the agency arrangements is 1 April 2003.

(iii) Highway maintenance in Hart district will continue to be provided by the County Council.

2.2 Hampshire Highways East

(i) Agency for highway maintenance in Winchester ceased on 1 May 2002 and staff transferred to the County Council. However, the county-wide Term Maintenance Contract will not take effect in the Winchester Urban Area until spring 2003.

(ii) Highway maintenance in East Hampshire district will continue to be provided by the County Council.

(iii) Agency arrangements for highway maintenance in Eastleigh ended \on 1 October 2002, with staff transferring to the County Council.

2.3 Hampshire Highways West

(i) Agency for highway maintenance in Test Valley ceased on 1 May 2002. No staff transferred.

(ii) The target date for ending of agency arrangements for highway maintenance in New Forest is 1 January 2003, with staff then transferring to the County Council.

Hampshire Highways South

2.4 On 1 May 2002 23 staff transferred from Fareham, Gosport and Havant Borough Councils to Hampshire County Council to form the nucleus of staff in the newly created Hampshire Highways South. In total there are 35 posts within the establishment. An organisation chart is attached as Appendix 1, which indicates the split between the three offices in Fareham, Gosport and Havant.

2.5 The process of `slotting-in' and selection for the existing staff has followed an agreed protocol with the unions to place staff in the best position according to their experience and location. Initially, there were eight vacancies within the organisation, however, the recruitment process has been successful and all posts are now filled. Unfortunately, it has taken a number of months for the organisation to be fully staffed which has resulted in minor delays in some work areas.

2.6 All three offices are staffed to deliver the day-to-day highways management functions. These include:

(i) routine maintenance - potholes, minor repairs, gullies and drainage, etc;

(ii) special maintenance - planned larger maintenance works and resurfacing;

(iii) safety inspections;

(iv) maintenance of signs and lines;

(v) utility coordination and sample inspections;

(vi) licensing - skips, scaffold, road openings, banners, temporary signs, etc;

(vii) notices - overhanging vegetation, unauthorised signs, etc;

(viii) status enquiries;

(ix) vehicle crossings; and

(x) public and local Member contact.

2.7 At Fareham additional strategic functions will be carried out. These include:

(i) detailed highway and utility inspections;

(ii) street lighting;

(iii) winter maintenance and emergency works coordination;

(iv) financial/administrative support and management; and

(v) Member contact.

2.8 The three offices will work in an integrated way sharing resources and operating across boundaries to deliver priorities. In this regard Assistant Chief Engineers, in addition to their district or borough responsibilities, have strategic functions across the whole of the area.

3. Traffic Management

3.1 The offer has been made to district councils to enter into an agreement on the delivery of the Traffic Management (TM) function which would be in accordance with the existing arrangements in the full agency districts. The agreement will include reference to the County Council for reserved matters (see attached schedule - Appendix 2) and issues on county interest roads (see attached map - Appendix 3), together with the agreement of local Members for all traffic management matters (see attached flowchart - Appendix 4).

3.2 A number of districts have indicated support for this arrangement in principle, subject to considering the details of a new legal agreement, whilst from some a response is still awaited.

3.3 Havant Borough Council has indicated that it will be continuing with the TM function under a Partnership Agreement with the County Council. It is therefore essential that a coordinated approach is adopted for the delivery of this function, together with its other highways related functions. To effect this arrangement regular liaison will continue with appropriate officers.

4. Development Control and Searches

4.1 An internal service review using Best Value principles is presently under way for the activities that are undertaken as part of the Highway Development Control function. The review will cover the main aspects of work, including Land Charge Searches, Major Planning Applications, Minor Planning Applications, Agreements for Highway Works and Contributions, Section 38 Agreements and the Advance Payments Code.

4.2 The work that is being undertaken may ultimately form part of a corporate Development Control Review which could commence in 2003. A Review Group was set up, comprising engineering and planning representatives from the County Council, New Forest District Council, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council and Winchester City Council. The group also had links to the Hampshire Chief Engineers' Group (CEG) and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Planning Officers' Group (HIPOG). The group is also linked into a Bench Marking Group from other counties in the south of England.

4.3 The first stage of the review was the preparation of scoping papers covering the various topic areas. These were then the subject of a Challenge Day, involving a range of stakeholders, including Councillors representing County and District Councils, developers, consultants, housing associations, district council representatives and design engineers. Following the Challenge Day the scoping papers were then modified to reflect the issues that emerged.

4.4 The Review Group was reconstituted to consider the options of the various activities and to provide enhanced links to both the Chief Engineers' Group and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Planning Officers' Group. Its membership was reviewed to include the Chief Engineers from Test Valley and Eastleigh, replacing those from Hart and the New Forest, together with the Head of Development Control from New Forest District Council.

4.5 The second stage of work, which considered the various options for delivery of the services and the strengthening of links to the stakeholders, has now been completed. A report is currently being circulated to the various stakeholders and district councils to enable comments to be received. The timetable indicated that a final report will be taken to the County Council's Environment Policy Review Committee and the Executive Member for the Environment early in the new year.

Recommendation

That the report be noted.

7425/CL