Contact: Chris Williams, ext 6720

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That approval be given to the Country Towns Initiative programme for 2003/04 as follows:

Expenditure (£'000)

Romsey Church Place £200

Alton Town Centre £ 25

Hythe Promenade £ 20

Fordingbridge Market Place £ 5

2. Reason

2.1 In order to implement the Country Towns Initiative programme which has an agreed budget provision of £250,000.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Alternative options to the allocations between projects have been considered, having regard to their content, scale and timing, but rejected in order to maintain a balance between competing interests and compliance with programme objectives.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Introduction

7.1 This report makes revised recommendations regarding the allocation of the 2003/04 Country Towns Initiative budget. The programme for 2004/05 and beyond will be considered in a future report.

8. Aims and Objectives of the Programme

8.1 The broad aim of the programme is to improve the environment and commercial attractiveness of rural centres by carrying out environmental enhancements, improving safety and making them more attractive and functional places in which to live, work and shop.

8.2 The programme's objectives and selection criteria were agreed on 26 June 2000. These are included in an appendix, together with an indication of the Initiative's links to other County Council programmes.

8.3 Candidate schemes have been appraised against these objectives and the extent to which they support Government and County Council strategic initiatives.

9. Current Programme for 2002/03 and 2003/04

9.1 On 14 May 2002 the programme for the Country Towns Initiative was approved as follows:

2002/03 Expenditure (£'000)

Hythe Promenade 150

Romsey Church Place 100

Total 250

2003/04

Romsey Market Place 100

Romsey Church Place 100

Supplementary Schemes 50

Total 250

9.2 The schemes at Hythe Promenade and Romsey Church Place have both been the subject of extensive public consultation and detailed design work is in hand.

9.3 The contribution of £100,000 to Romsey Market Place was linked to the Council's wider Romsey Town Centre Enhancement Scheme, part of the Romsey Movement and Access Strategy, approved on 14 January 2003. Specifically, the aim was to contribute to an enhanced quality of design, materials and street furniture in the Market Place element of the scheme consistent with this important, historic town centre location. That scheme, together with associated works, has slipped back in the Capital Programme and is not now expected to proceed within the period of the rolled forward Country Towns Initiative programme. It is proposed, therefore, that this money is reallocated within the programme.

9.4 The Supplementary Schemes heading for 2003/04 was included to allow the programme to respond to unforeseen needs and opportunities and to fund smaller schemes from other sources linked to local authority highways, environmental and Market Towns programmes. Specific schemes were not identified in the original programme.

10. Revised Programme for 2003/04

10.1 The proposed programme for 2003/04 comprises additional funding for major schemes initiated in the 2001/04 programme together with minor schemes brought forward under the Supplementary Schemes heading in partnership with local authorities. All schemes have been assessed against the selection criteria, aims and principles of the Country Towns Initiative programme following consultation with local authorities.

10.2 Project Appraisals and detailed designs, where appropriate, will need to be approved by the Executive Member for Environment before being authorised to start on-site.

10.3 The revised programme for 2003/04 is proposed as follows:

Expenditure (£'000)

Romsey Church Place £200

Supplementary Schemes

Alton Town Centre £ 25

Hythe Promenade £ 20

Fordingbridge Market Place £ 5

Total £250

Romsey Church Place

10.4 Working in partnership with Test Valley Borough Council, proposals for a major townscape improvement scheme in the town centre have been prepared in consultation with local stakeholders and exhibited recently for public scrutiny and comment. The scheme is linked to the local authority's strategy for heritage and tourism development in the town.

10.5 Changes to the scheme are anticipated following consultations and it is not possible to be accurate at this stage as to expected costs. However, it is clear from preliminary estimates that there would be a significant shortfall of funding to implement the likely final scheme in its entirety. This is partly due to the high quality of materials sought, the additional features introduced into the scheme during stakeholder consultations and the fact that additional works are having to be absorbed into the scheme resulting from the delay in the town centre works referred to in 9.3 above. A reallocation to this project of the £100,000 previously intended for Romsey Market Place would result in a total of £300,000 being allocated over the period 2002/04 to the scheme. This would be essential to allow an initial phase comprising the core area approaching Romsey Abbey to proceed. An approach to the Lottery Heritage Fund has proved unsuccessful, but Test Valley Borough Council has indicated a willingness to consider a further contribution from its own resources in 2004/05 to help complete the scheme. A further decision concerning design and future phasing of the remainder of the scheme will be needed depending on the outcome of this.

10.6 Possible future funding support for the Market Place scheme referred to in 8.3 above will be the subject of a further report when its future in relation to the Highways Capital Programme is known.

Alton Town Centre

10.7 The Council has been working in partnership with East Hampshire District Council for promoting land for economic development, improving footpaths to public car parks and providing improved access to premises, rear of Alton High Street. The scheme is being promoted and funded jointly with the local authority, Alton Town Council and English Heritage.

10.8 Works on footpath and building improvements have been recently carried out by the partners and an additional funding of £25,000 is required to complete the scheme, specifically for the provision of a new footbridge over the River Wey as a key link to the recently improved Old George Alley. The scheme conforms to CTI programme criteria for environmental improvement, economic regeneration and partnership working.

10.9 The local authority is keen to start the bridge works and is seeking to expedite a contribution so as to maintain the momentum of the works and bring the full scheme into play. The bridge forms an important part of the footpath network and a key access to the former George Inn, an important C15 listed building, which is being brought into commercial use with grant aid from the Council. In view of these special circumstances, approval has been sought from the Executive Member for Environment to authorise in advance of this report the sum of £25,000 from the approved budget for construction of the bridge.

Hythe Promenade

10.10 This partnership scheme with New Forest District Council and Hythe Parish Council is identified in the 2002/03 programme. Public consultation has revealed considerable local support following upon earlier work carried out by the Civic Trust Regeneration Unit. Works would comprise the creation of a public performance area, car park, public amenity areas and waterside boardwalk in this badly rundown area of historic Hythe. It links to a coordinated package of Council highway capital schemes for the adjoining pier, light railway and transport interchange.

10.11 The scheme is at contract design stage and current estimates indicate a funding shortfall. This is partly due to additional health and safety measures required in relation to the proposed boardwalk. The current CTI contribution is £150,000 and that of the local authority and Parish Council is £172,000, with a further contribution from the highways maintenance budget. A further contribution of £20,000 from the CTI budget would assist a substantial first phase to be implemented in the current financial year. A preliminary bid to the Lottery Heritage Fund to complete the scheme has been unsuccessful and a resubmission is being made. However, there is no certainty of success and a further decision on design and phasing is likely to be required.

Fordingbridge Market Place

10.12 The proposed highways improvement scheme for the Market Place is included in the Highways Capital Programme for 2003/04. Because of the conservation area location and historic significance of the site, it is considered consistent with programme objectives to include environmental features in the form of special seating, tree planting and a future artwork/memorial feature. The latter would be developed in partnership with the Fordingbridge Society. Following local concerns about the timing of any seating provided, it is proposed to consider installation of this in the forthcoming financial year when it is known how the scheme has settled in. Any proposal to complete the seating will be the subject of a future report in 2004/05.

11. Roll Forward of Programme

11.1 Works are in progress in Petersfield Square and High Street, Fawley Square and Alton town centre. Further schemes in the programme for Hythe Promenade and Romsey Church Place are at an advanced stage of public consultation and design.

11.2 The current programme is a three year rolling programme and this has proved successful. Slippage of schemes in the Highways Capital Programme, which are possible candidate partners, has delayed the roll forward of the programme. A future report will be brought forward in due course for the period to 2005/06.

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APPENDIX

HAMPSHIRE COUNTRY TOWNS INITIATIVE

The Country Towns Initiative (CTI) programme was set up in 1990 to carry out schemes of environmental enhancement in the rural towns. The idea of environmental quality as a bedrock to commercial and social vitality is universally accepted. The main aim is to improve the commercial and social attractiveness of rural towns by carrying out environmental enhancements, improving highway safety and making their centres more economically and socially active.

Aims and Objectives

The programme reflects Government and County Council corporate strategies towards conservation, economic regeneration and the creation of sustainable, small and rural centres. It acts as a catalyst to inspire further investment in the locality by demonstrating a climate of future confidence.

The Initiative brings into sharp focus the three Council Corporate Aims:

(i) developing the Quality of Life in Hampshire;

(ii) stewardship of the Environment; and

(iii) achieving Economic Prosperity.

Working in partnership with the local community and local councils is a key aspect which implements the Corporate Strategy aim of developing `Partnership for Strong Communities in Hampshire'.

This emphasis on partnership working brings together resources from other County Council budgets (particularly highways) and from outside sources, principally district and parish councils and Central Government.

Links to Other County Council Programmes

The Initiative carries out works principally within public streets, so it is inevitable that the programme links closely with the County Council's Highways Capital and Maintenance Programmes. Added value is achieved by merging highways and environmental design objectives.

The programme links specifically to the following County Council Initiatives:

(i) Corporate Strategy and High Priorities 2003/04;

(ii) Sustainable Development Strategy;

(iii) Crime Reduction Strategy;

(iv) Hampshire County Structure Plan;

(v) Local Transport Plan;

(vi) Market Towns Programme; and

(vii) Local Strategic Partnerships.

The CTI shares many common values with Regeneration of Older Urban Areas and the Market Towns programmes - environmental quality and community engagement amongst them. At a practical level, the programme addresses the distinctive needs of the rural communities. It also works closely with the Market Towns programme for promoting `health checks' and capacity building in the rural towns.

Selection Criteria

The selection guidelines are to target opportunities in rural towns which:

(i) have historic or environmental importance, serve a substantial local, rural catchment and represent a service centre the support of which would reinforce the objective of maintaining sustainable, local communities;

(ii) exhibit significant environmental problems/opportunities which have been identified, for example in Local Plans, studies or `health checks';

(iii) where highways works are programmed and additional funding sources from the Highway Authority, Central Government or local authorities have been identified;

(iv) where the scheme ties in with a wider appraisal of needs of the locality, eg a town centre or regeneration initiative; and

(v) where the formation of partnerships, eg with local authorities, parish/town councils, can be expected and where there is broad public support.

The Initiative focuses on the main areas of activity, normally the historic core, where the beneficial impact and ability to enhance the commercial and social vitality of the town is greatest. It concentrates on land owned by public authorities, usually the highway and highway related land, although some work on private land may also be carried out.

Emphasis on Quality

The Initiative leads by example, aiming for high standards of workmanship and materials, and stressing appropriateness, quality and long life. Works are mainly (not exclusively) on public land or highways and include:

(i) landscape planting and paving, often associated with remodelling the highway, traffic calming/safety works and pedestrian priority;

(ii) creating opportunities for developing street activities, markets, outdoor eating, etc as part of a strategy for the economic and social development in the town;

(iii) removing unsightly street clutter, for example overhead wires and redundant signs, whilst inserting underground services for markets, Christmas events, etc;

(iv) creating attractive, new features, for example seating areas, community spaces, works of public art; and

(v) repairing and improving buildings, boundaries and some highly public areas in private ownership.

The programme aims for works to be carried out to a very high standard of workmanship and materials, with the intention being to lead by example. A number of national and local awards have been gained in this respect. As a general rule, schemes will:

(i) encourage street activity during both day and evening, including enhanced street lighting for highways safety and personal security;

(ii) shift the emphasis to beyond `standard' treatments so far as resources permit, using materials only which enhance the street scene, including the use of traditional materials; and

(iii) use heavier than normal landscape planting to create an immediate impact, ensure that all street furniture is attractive and well coordinated and, where possible, promote opportunities for public art.

Previous schemes have been carried out in the following locations: South Street, Titchfield; Whitchurch Square; Stockbridge High Street; Bishops Waltham town centre; Overton village centre; Ringwood High Street and Market Place; Fordingbridge town centre; Romsey Corn Market; Cross and Pillory Lane, Alton; Bridgefoot Path, Emsworth; Broad Street, Alresford; Liphook Square and Lymington Quay.