Archived decisions

Contact: Jim Soutar, ext 6049 email: jim [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out the finalised Capital Programme for 2004/05, the draft programme for 2005/06 and the preparation pool of schemes to be considered beyond 2005/06, focusing particularly on the New Forest area. The Panel is asked to note the 2004/05 programme and to endorse the 2005/06 draft programme.

2. Integrated Transport Capital Programme

2.1 On 23 January 2004 the Executive Member for Environment agreed the County Council's Environment Capital Programme being submitted to Cabinet on 23 February 2004. The report updated progress on and proposed amendments to the 2003/04 Integrated Transport Programme and set out the proposed Capital Programme for 2004/05 to 2007/08. These programmes were submitted for approval to the County Council on 25 February 2004.

2.2 The Integrated Transport Capital Programme is primarily funded by Government, either through specific grant and credit approvals (for schemes costing over £5 million) or through the general allocation of credit approval in the Local Transport Plan Settlement (for schemes costing less than £5 million). Additional funding is also available for specific schemes from external bodies, primarily contributions associated with major new developments, but in some cases from district councils' own Capital Programmes. Relevant schemes are included in the capital programme when it is anticipated that this external funding (EF) will be available and a scheme is sufficiently developed for implementation. In some cases schemes may be funded through both EF and Government funding.

2.3 On 19 December 2003 notification was received from the Government Office for the South East on its assessment of the County Council's Annual Progress Report submitted in July 2003 and its allocation of resources. The total block allocation is £31.179 million, comprising £15.783 million for integrated transport and £15.396 million for maintenance. This compares with indicative allocations of £13.120 million and £7.893 million respectively, notified in the December 2000 LTP settlement. The integrated transport total includes £900,000 for schemes in the A27 corridor, and reward funding of £1.763 million for the County Council's continued strong performance. A ring fenced allocation for 2004/05 of £7.5 million has also been made for the A3 Bus Priority Corridor which was accepted as a major scheme by the Government on 28 October 2003.

2.4 The new programme has been produced on the basis that, from the £31.2 million available for 2004/05 through the LTP process, £17.3 million will be spent on highway maintenance and bridges, and £13.9 million on integrated transport. In 2005/06 the forecast resource totals are £17 million for highways maintenance and bridges and £14 million for integrated transport. The 2005/06 figures anticipate that the allocations will continue to be well in excess of the previously published indicative allocations for those years (as in 2004/05). The years 2006/07 and 2007/08 will be the first two years of the next five year LTP. For planning purposes it has been assumed that the allocations will be the same as 2005/06. For integrated transport the 2004/05 resources will need to cover expenditure required to complete the 2003/04 and earlier programmes and development costs of post 2004/05 projects, including major schemes as well as the cost of implementing the 2004/05 programme. A 2004/05 starts programme has been approved by the County Council, which will be managed to deliver the required spending during the financial year.

2.5 The new programme is based on the draft programmes presented to the former Area Transport Strategy Panels in autumn 2003. Each scheme was assessed against LTP objectives, the County Council's Corporate Objectives and the Government's ten-year transport objectives of economy, environment, accessibility, safety and integration. These Panels supported the programmes as submitted. However, some additional schemes had been added or brought forward where they are specifically related to the County Council's Public Service Agreement with regard to promoting bus patronage (a total of £4 million) and reducing road accident casualties (a total of £2.6 million). There is also additional funding for the Safer Routes to School Programme (a total of £1.25 million) which was identified as a priority by the Environment Policy Review Committee. In some cases LTP funding has been introduced to supplement schemes which are largely funded from developers' contributions but there is a shortfall. Some schemes have been delayed, either from 2003/04 into 2004/05 or from 2004/05 into 2005/06, because of programme slippage either on that particular scheme or a related project.

2.6 The integrated transport capital programme for the New Forest Transport Strategy area is shown in Appendices 1 to 4. Appendix 1 shows the casualty reduction and county-wide/other programmes for 2004/05 and 2005/06. Details of some county-wide programmes will be subsequently submitted to the Executive Member for Environment for approval. Appendix 2 shows, for information, the 2004/05 programme, and includes the previous strategy areas together with the current status of individual schemes. In some cases the title has been amended as compared to previous reports. These are primarily to clarify matters given that the new programme includes schemes previously reported to the former ten Transport Strategy Panels. Where appropriate details are given in the remarks column. The proposed programme for 2005/06 shown in Appendix 3 is based upon the draft programmes presented to the former Area Panels last autumn. Appendix 4 shows the current list of Preparation Pool schemes. The development of the new LTP for 2006-2011 could lead to significant amendments. This could include proposed deletions of schemes because of poor ratings against objectives and new schemes resulting from the development of the new LTP. A report will be presented to the autumn meeting of the Panel.

National Cycle Route

2.7 The cycle route down the old Brockenhurst to Ringwood railway line has two bridges missing along the Longslade Bottom stretch. The route forms part of the National Cycle Network and means that cyclists have to cycle down embankments that are steep and provide cause for concern regarding safety of the cyclist. A partnership has been formed between Sustrans, the Forestry Commission and Hampshire County Council to reinstate the bridges. The Forestry Commission has agreed to design and build them and enter into a maintenance agreement with Sustrans once the work is complete. The design will support the safe passing of two horses (deck 3.4 metres wide) and will not be suitable for vehicular access. It will also be sympathetic in appearance to the sites and landscape.

2.8 There is an allocation of £10,000 in the Recreational Cycling budget to pay for part of the works, however the estimate is £25,000 for both bridges.

2.9 Members' views are requested as to whether they consider that it should be recommended to the Executive Member for Environment to include a sum of £25,000 in the 2004/05 Capital Programme to enable both bridges to be constructed in the same contract.

3. Proposed Planning Obligations Reform

3.1 The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a consultation paper in November 2003 on the reform of the planning obligations policy. Such a change would affect the way in which developers contributions towards transport improvements are assessed and collected. Developers currently pay a contribution towards appropriate infrastructure and other improvements or measures following a negotiating process with the relevant local authority. The Government is minded to introduce a change whereby applicants for development could instead pay a 'planning charge'. This would lead to a tariff based approach to contributions from development. Draft regulations and a revised circular will be published for consultation in March/April 2004.

Recommendation

That the Panel notes the approved programme for 2004/05 together with the addition of Longslade Bottom and endorses the proposed programme for 2005/06.

8543/MJS

APPENDIX 1

2004/05 and Draft 2005/06 County-wide Casualty Reduction Programme

The object of the programme is to meet the County Council's Public Service Agreement targets for casualty reduction.

APPENDIX 1 (contd)

2004/05 and Draft 2005/06 County-wide/Other Capital Programme

APPENDIX 2

2004/05 Capital Programme - New Forest Transport Strategy Area

(FOR INFORMATION ONLY)

APPENDIX 3

2005/06 Draft Capital Programme - New Forest Transport Strategy Area

APPENDIX 4

Preparation Pool - New Forest Transport Strategy Area