Contact: Jon Foley, ext 7559 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That, subject to final decisions regarding the 2004/05 Capital Programme, approval be given to set aside £50,000 (from the £200,000 provisionally identified for Local Transport Plan Monitoring/Initiatives) for a Travel Plan Partnership Fund to provide match funding for businesses, other organisations and schools to provide facilities, at or adjacent to premises, to assist in reducing dependency on car travel. This is intended as a pilot initiative.

2. Reason

2.1 Recent experience from the County Council's Travel Plan Coordinators has demonstrated that one barrier which prevents organisations considering developing or implementing a travel plan is the difficulty they have funding measures on their site.

2.2 The same barriers have also been experienced by other local authorities and the concept of a Partnership Fund is already being used and received well elsewhere. It is a positive indication of the way in which a local authority can assist other organisations help themselves and kick start the process.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 The County Council could opt not to provide any funding. This would limit the ability of the County Council to realise its Local Transport Plan target on implementation of travel plans.

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 outlines a proposal for £50,000 of the County Council's 2004/05 Capital Programme to be made available, on a match funding basis, to businesses, other organisations and schools with travel plans for the provision of sustainable transport measures on their site. This is intended as a pilot initiative. It is proposed that this £50,000 would be allocated from that part of the Capital Programme already identified (£200,000) for Local Transport Plan Monitoring/Initiatives.

7.2 The fund would create facilities, at or adjacent to premises, which would complement the aims of the Local Transport Plan and encourage the use of more sustainable modes by employees, students, pupils and their parents. It could also increase uptake of Travel Plans.

7.3 The Partnership Fund would also convey a positive image in the community of the way in which the County Council assists businesses, other organisations and schools to help themselves.

7.4 The need for a travel plan could encourage registration on the County Council's databases and help improve data integrity.

8. Background

8.1 Over the last 18 months the Department for Transport (DfT) has made available funding, on a matched fund basis, for businesses, other organisations and schools to introduce measures for cyclists but has advised that it will make no further funding available. In June 2003 the Transport Minister called on local authorities to initiate similar schemes from their local Transport Settlement funding. The DfT will make support material available to assist local authorities in developing local schemes; this would be used by the County Council in finalising details of the proposed Partnership Fund.

8.2 The proposed approach is consistent with the Department for Education's recent announcement on school travel initiatives.

8.3 Examples of items for which organisations may wish to seek funding are set out in Appendix 1.

9. Promotion of the Travel Plan Partnership Fund

9.1 The fund will be promoted to businesses, other organisations and schools in Hampshire. For businesses and other organisations this will be done by contacting all those registered on the County Council's travel plan database. It will also be advertised to members of each commuter forum in the county and the Hampshire Economic Partnership Transport Working Group.

9.2 It will also be advertised by contacting all schools that have been working with the School Travel Plan Coordinator to develop a travel plan and those who have registered an interest in developing a travel plan in the near future.

10. The Bidding Process

10.1 It is proposed that the funds are used to provide up to 50% match funding for on-site sustainable transport measures to an organisation which has a registered travel plan or is in the process of developing a travel plan. (`Registered' means registered on the County Council's respective databases.)

10.2 The process of registering the bid may highlight that the organisation has a travel plan of which, through no fault of its own, the County Council was not aware. In this instance the organisation could register the travel plan at the time of bidding (and include a copy of its plan with the submission).

10.3 The match funding would have a limit of £5,000 per organisation per annum.

10.4 The applications would be made to the relevant Travel Plan Coordinator who would manage the fund and approve grants through consultation with the appropriate area strategy team. The grant would be payable on receipt of an invoice once the work had been undertaken, of which evidence would also be required (eg photograph of infrastructure, copy of publicity, etc).

11. Application Process

11.1 It is proposed that a simple form will be produced and distributed to those organisations identified above. The bidding organisation will be required to complete this form and submit it to the County Council.

11.2 If the fund is over subscribed, first priority will go to those that have a travel plan in place, and second priority will go to organisations that are developing a plan.

11.3 A small number of conditions would apply to the Partnership Fund as suggested in Appendix 2.

12. Timescales for Implementing the Project

12.1 It is anticipated that the timescale for the programme of activity would be to finalise the details of the bidding process using DfT guidance by mid December. Bids would then be invited for the partnership funding, to arrive by 27 February 2004. Applications for funding will be considered and an announcement of the decision made by 31 March 2004. Funds will be allocated and measures introduced by 31 March 2005.

13. Provision of a Partnership Fund in the Future

13.1 If this pilot is successful it would be appropriate to consider making this an annual fund. A report will be presented to the Executive Member for Environment in autumn 2004 to provide feedback on the scheme and options for a way forward.

8210/JF

APPENDIX 1

EXAMPLES OF ITEMS FOR WHICH ORGANISATIONS COULD BID FOR FUNDING

Cycle parking - stands, shelter and associated infrastructure

Changing facilities

Lockers

Lighting, signage

Pedestrian footway improvements

On site crossings

Dropped kerbs

On site bus stop facilities, including seating, lighting, shelter and timetable
holders

Marking out of car share bays and appropriate signage

Motorcycle parking bays/covered parking

Covered walkways from cycle parking/bus stops

Car share database development/subscription

Marketing and promotional materials

APPENDIX 2

SUGGESTED CONDITIONS FOR THE BIDDING PROCESS

1. The fund would only be available for infrastructure, marketing and possibly surveys.

2. The fund would be restricted to organisations actively implementing and developing a travel plan.

3. The fund would only be available to existing sites. New developments or extensions to buildings, which are committed to a travel plan by a condition or a Section 106 Agreement, would not be able to apply.

4. Only one application per annum per organisation would be allowed.

5. The funding must be matched by actual investment and backed with receipts from suppliers. In kind donations would not be considered as part of the matching funding.

6. Applicants would be responsible for undertaking the works themselves or through a sub contractor.

7. Receipts should be provided for expenses incurred or work undertaken. The fund would only pay for up to 50% of the receipts or bills up to the agreed amount, which would be less than £5,000.

8. The fund would pay no more than 50% of the original application or 50% of the receipted amount if this were less than the application. Additional costs and non-budgeted expenses would not be considered.

The works paid for by the fund must be completed within three months of the application being approved and the facilities and invoices must be available for the County Council's inspection at any point after this time.