Contact: Peter Murnaghan, ext 6920 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report advises Members on the process to be undertaken to produce a Corridor Development Strategy for the South Hampshire Rapid Transit 1 (SHRT-1) corridor, following discussion on the draft document at the last meeting.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 The project supports all the aims in the Corporate Strategy. In particular it would aid economic prosperity and stewardship of the environment in South Hampshire by contributing to a sustainable public transport system for the area.

3. Planning the Corridor Development Strategy

3.1 On 17 September 2003 Members discussed the draft Corridor Development Strategy and supported the need to provide direction for planners, developers and others in delivering complementary measures to the Fareham, Gosport to Portsmouth corridor alongside the SHRT-1 scheme (LRT). The concessionaire will be responsible for providing the system and operating it. Additional measures to benefit the wider community fall outside the concessionaire's responsibilities. This strategy is all the more necessary in view of the quest to seek cost savings of the bidding consortia.

3.2 At the last meeting comments were invited on the draft document and officers were tasked with preparing a plan of action to take the strategy forward for local consultation and subsequent adoption. Both Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils have provided comment on the strategy and these will be reflected in the final document. An extensive study of cycling links has been undertaken to identify particular needs in terms of improved links to LRT stops. Officers of the four authorities have also met to agree the types of schemes that need to be incorporated in the strategy, to consider complementary planning and funding opportunities, and to agree a format for local consultation.

3.3 At this stage it is difficult to be precise, or to provide comprehensive measures for all the topic areas in the strategy, but the process to date has provided a first list of schemes which allows an indicative cost and delivery programme to be drafted. This will be circulated and presented at the meeting.

3.4 It is proposed, for the purposes of consultation, that the draft strategy does not identify individual scheme proposals, but seeks acceptance of the need for complementary measures and provides examples of the type of measure that could be provided to improve the community through which LRT will pass. An oral update will be given at the meeting.

4. The Next Steps

4.1 The draft strategy will be finalised for local consultation and a report on outcomes and responses submitted to the next meeting of the Panel.

Recommendation

That the progress to date be noted and that the Corridor Development Strategy be finalised for the purposes of local consultation.

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