Contact: Clive Griffiths, ext 7962

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers the Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) reported for 2001/02 concerning the condition of the highway network in Hampshire, outlines the requirements for 2002/03 indicators and provides comment concerning analysis and use of the data.

2. Background

2.1 BVPIs have been introduced by Government in recent years to measure performance nationally. The County Council is responsible for collecting and collating data for a number of condition indicators which report on the condition of the network. There is, however, some concern amongst local authorities that these condition indicators are superficial and do not fully represent the state of the network.

2.2 For the 2001/02 survey there was a requirement to collect data for the principal (A) road network; the classified non-principal road network (B and C roads); and the unclassified network (U roads). For 2002/03 survey data will be required for heavily-used footways in town centres and those adjacent to schools and hospitals.

2.3 The data is collected at the required frequency using specialist data collection contractors. The information is analysed in accordance with Audit Commission Guidelines using United Kingdom Pavement Management System (UKPMS) software. The BVPI figures are sent to the Audit commission in June each year.

3. Data Collection

3.1 The data required to produce each condition indicator is collected to nationally agreed criteria and, depending on the individual survey requirement, is either visual condition information Coarse Visual Inspection (CVI), or Detailed Visual Inspection (DVI) or mechanical condition information, such as `rut-bar' which measures the degree of wheel track rutting, Traffic Speed Condition Surveys (TRACS) which measures wheel track rutting, cracking and general surface condition automatically, and deflectograph, which analyses data to establish the residual life of the road. The cost of these surveys annually is approximately £200,000.

3.2 It is important to note that the rules and parameters for collecting and reporting this data changes annually, new surveys are added, some are removed and other survey requirements simply evolve with different rules being applied. This constant change means that comparing one year's data with another is of limited value.

4. 2001/02 Survey Results

Principal Roads (PI 96)

4.1 This was collected in two formats; by mechanical means (deflectograph ), and CVI. Deflectograph information is collected on the A roads on a three year cyclic basis, and CVI is collected annually across the entire network of approximately 650 kilometres. See Appendix 1 for the national and regional picture. The results are reported as a percentage of the highway network and are defined by the Audit Commission as the percentage length of the network which has exceeded the point at which surface or structural repair of the carriageway should be considered (ie has a negative residual life and the road is severely worn out). The lower the percentage the better. Hampshire deflectograph results were reported at 9% and CVI results reported at 0.6%.

Non-Principal Classified Roads (PI 97a)

4.2 This was collected as CVI data and reported as 18.1%. See Appendix 2 for the national and regional picture. Data was collected across the entire network of approximately 2,500 kilometres.

Unclassified Roads (PI 97b)

4.3 This was collected as CVI data and reported as 17.8%. See Appendix 3 for the national and regional picture. Data was collected across one third of the network of approximately 1,500 kilometres.

5. 2002/03 Surveys

5.1 This year's guidance will require Hampshire County Council to continue to provide CVI on all classes of road and deflectograph on A class roads. For the first time a new DVI survey will be required on the heavily-used footway network, as described in paragraph 2.2, equating to approximately 200 kilometres.

6. Using the Data

6.1 The BVPI figures are used by the Government to allocate budgets for highway maintenance.

6.2 The data also provides the Audit Commission with a measure of a local authority's ability to manage and improve its highway network and the County Council will use the detailed information from the surveys to prepare works programmes using UKPMS.

6.3 As reported at the meeting on 4 December 2002, the County Council is implementing a UKPMS. The system is designed to collect and analyse the data sets defined above, and ultimately generating prioritised programmes of maintenance work across the network.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

7735/CG