Archived decisions

Contact: Richard Chinn, tel: 023 80427000

1. Summary

1.1 This report informs Members of:

(i) reorganisation of the Environment Grouping;

(ii) progress on the implementation of the Highway Network Management Blueprint:

(a) Highway Maintenance; and

(b) Traffic Management Partnership Agreements; and

(iii) progress on the Development Control Review.

2. Reorganisation of the Environment Grouping

2.1 The County Surveyor's and Planning Departments of Hampshire County Council have, during the past few years, worked together in the form of the `Environment Grouping' with a Joint Management Board and common support services. John Ekins, the County Surveyor, is due to retire in January 2003 and the opportunity has been taken to restructure the two departments into a single Environment Department under the control of a Director.

2.2 The new Director, Alison Quant, took up the post on 28 October, having joined the County Council from the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, where she held the post of Director of Environment. Prior to that she was Assistant Director of Environment and Transport at Cambridgeshire County Council.

2.3 The operational activities of the former County Surveyor's and Planning Departments have been restructured and integrated into four broad functional areas. David Tarrant has been appointed as the Deputy Director and leads on Strategy, with Alan Mills and Merrick Denton-Thompson appointed as Assistant Directors for Management and Performance and Innovation respectively. The Assistant Director for Design and Implementation has yet to be appointed. The new Management Team Structure is shown below.

Director

Alison Quant

STRATEGY

David Tarrant

Land use/Management

Natural Resources

(incl. Minerals and Waste)

Environment Partnerships

Transport

Development Control (Highways/Land Use)

(Community Strategy/Corporate Strategy Input)

PERFORMANCE AND INNOVATION

Merrick Denton-Thompson

Environmental Challenge Team

Sustainability Initiatives

Research and Information

Organisation Performance and Development

(including Best Value and Comprehensive Performance Assessment)

E-Government

Executive Support

Communications

3. Highway Network Management Blueprint

Highway Maintenance

3.1 When the Panel met on 22 July 2002 the new county-wide Term Maintenance Contract had commenced, highway agency arrangements had ceased and the County Council had taken direct management control for highway maintenance in the following districts:

(i) Test Valley;

(ii) Winchester;

(iii) Fareham;

(iv) Gosport; and

(v) Havant.

3.2 The maintenance service in Hart and East Hampshire was already being delivered by the County Council as had been the case historically.

3.3 Progress since then is as follows:

(i) On 1 October 2002 highways staff transferred to the County Council from Eastleigh and Basingstoke, leaving just New Forest District Council and Rushmoor Borough Council still operating highway agency arrangements.

(ii) Staff within these remaining two districts will transfer on 1 January 2003 and 31 March 2003 respectively, following which the new management arrangements will have been fully implemented.

4. Traffic Management Partnership Agreements

4.1 A draft Agreement has been prepared for consultation with District Councils wishing to undertake traffic management on the basis of the offer which has been made by the County Council. A clause has also been included in the draft Agreement to provide for District Councils to undertake the design and implementation of Capital Programme schemes, as allocated by the County Council, in addition to traffic management work. Where District Councils wish to sign up to these arrangements it is hoped that the new Agreements will be finalised so as to allow a smooth continuation of the traffic management function in the former full Agency Districts and a suitable date arranged for other districts.

4.2 No decision has yet been made by Hart and East Hampshire District Councils to take up the traffic management function, but in the former Island Agency districts Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Winchester City Council are undertaking traffic management work in the whole of their district areas and hope to sign the new Agreement as soon as possible. New Forest District Council has agreed in principle and the new

arrangements are expected to start in January 2003. As reported on 22 July 2002, Test Valley Borough Council has resolved to sign up to the Agreement, subject to concluding the legal arrangements. A commencement date for the new arrangements is also to be agreed.

5. Highways Development Control Service Review

5.1 Progress on the overall Development Control Service Review was reported to the Environment Policy Review Committee on 15 July 2002. The Highways Development Control Service forms an element of this review and includes the various activities of Land Charge Searches, Major and Minor Planning Applications, Agreements for Highways Works, Section 38 Agreements and Advance Payments Code.

5.2 The review, which has involved both County and District Council staff, is nearing completion. A report has been prepared on the various options for the delivery of the service and is currently being circulated to various stakeholders and district councils to enable comments to be received. The timetable indicates 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.

7501/RC