Contact: Brian Marsden, ext 5077 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the proposed final Transport Capital Programme for 2003/04 be approved as set out in Appendix 1.

(ii) That the proposed revised Transport Capital Programme for 2004/05 be approved as set out in Appendix 2.

2. Reason

2.1 Decisions on the capital programme will support the range of Corporate Strategy Aims covered by the Environment service. The schemes relate to:

(i) Aim 1 (Maximising Life Opportunities) through improved accessibility;

(ii) Aim 2 (Stewardship of the Environment) by promoting alternatives to the car and managing waste;

(iii) Aim 3 (Achieving Economic Prosperity) by assisting access to employment; and

(iv) Aim 4 (Building Strong and Safe Communities) as well as directly enhancing services, eg for public transport users.

2.2 The 2003/04 and 2004/05 programme amendments are proposed to reflect slippage in the programmes and variations in costs in some schemes. Due to the current state of readiness of some schemes, the 2004/05 programme anticipates that a proportion of its spending will not be incurred until 2005/06, or later. Amendments made to this programme are to ensure that spending targets for Integrated Transport are achieved.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Programme revisions outlined in Appendix 4 will leave a proposed 2004/05 capital programme of £16.6 million. The forecasted expenditure of these schemes is currently assessed at £9 million. In addition to the current programme forecast above, late expenditure from the 2003/04 and earlier programmes, preparatory work for future schemes and land purchases, the total Local Transport Plan expenditure for 2004/05 will be in the region of £13.4 million against a target spend of £13.9 million (as agreed in January). An assessment of deliverability within the programme year is continually updated and significant risks such as failure to acquire land or gain agreement through consultation are monitored, along with costs variations as schemes reach the detailed design estimate stage. It is considered that the spending forecasts taken at this time are within manageable tolerances and, should it be appropriate, consideration will be made for additional schemes to be added to the programme to ensure available resources are fully spent. An update together with recommendations will be provided every quarter.

3.2 Failure to increase the 2004/05 capital programme at this time will result in a predicted £1.4 million underspend of the Government (Local Transport Plan) funding.

3.3 An option to increase spend on highway maintenance has been rejected at this time, as this would lead to a reduction in delivered transportation schemes, impacting both on the Annual Progress Report and potentially resulting in a reduction in future Government (Local Transport Plan) funding.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or Other Executive Member 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. 2003/04 Transport Capital Programme

7.1 The 2003/04 spending accounts (excluding the A3 Bus Priority Scheme) are now complete. The County Council fully used its Local Transport Plan (LTP) credit approval allocation as follows:

A3 Bus Priority Scheme

7.2 In October 2004 the A3 Bus Priority Corridor received £4.4 million in Supplementary Credit Approval (SCA), an estimate based on the full funding of £25.1 million having been granted by the Department for Transport (DfT). The current estimated costs for 2003/04 and the remainder of the project are:

7.3 The management of the major scheme funding is more flexible than other capital funding because, through liaison and discussion with the DfT, it is possible to revise annual SCA certificates and roll the allocation forward. Accordingly the DfT has been advised that the A3 Corridor will need a reduction in SCA for 2003/04. In this way the DfT has greater flexibility in managing its programme of schemes, which are assured access to the full funding allocation.

Developer Funded Programme 2003/04

7.4 Expenditure of £4.4 million was also achieved on a £6.2 million supplementary programme of integrated transport measures, which commenced construction in 2003/04, identified in Appendix 1. The £1.8 million remaining expenditure will carry forward into 2004/05.

Capital (Local Transport Plan) Expenditure Carry Forward on Incomplete Schemes

7.5 There is an estimated £3 million expenditure committed to carry forward from the 2003/04 and previous years' programmes into the 2004/05 spending plan.

Final 2003/04 Transport Capital Programme

7.6 The final 2003/04 Transport Capital Programme is set out in Appendix 1, and details of changes to this programme since April 2004 are identified in Appendix 3.

8. 2004/05 Transport Capital Programme

8.1 Resources available in 2004/05 are as follows:

LTP Settlement spend target	£15.783 million
Transfer to Bridges and Maintenance programme	-£1.85 million
Carried Forward spending commitment	-£3 million
Future years' scheme development estimated costs	-£1million
Total Resources for 2004/05 Transport Capital Programme	£9.993 million

2004/05 Spending Plan

8.2 The proposed starts programme detailed in Appendix 2 identifies a 2004/05 capital programme of £16.6 million. The forecasted expenditure of these schemes is currently assessed at £9 million.

8.3 In addition to the current programme forecast above, late expenditure from the 2003/04 programme, and preparatory work for future schemes and land purchase, the total LTP expenditure for 2004/05 will be in the region of £13.4 million against a target spend of £13.9 million.

8.4 An assessment of deliverability within the programme year is continually updated and significant risks such as failure to acquire land or gain agreement through consultation are monitored, along with costs variations as schemes reach the detailed design estimate stage. It is considered that the spending forecasts taken at this time are within manageable tolerances and, should it be appropriate, consideration will be made for additional schemes to be added to the programme to ensure available resources are fully spent. An update together with recommendations will be provided every quarter.

Additions to the 2004/05 Transport Capital Programme

8.5 In order that the spending on the Capital Programme fully utilises the LTP funding available, the following additions to the programme have been included in the spending plan as set out in this section.

Developer Contributions

8.6 A shortfall in Developer Contribution funded schemes already in the programme has been identified.

8.7 The detailed analytical work on developers' contributions held by the County Council has revealed that, for a number of schemes, there are insufficient developers' contributions remaining to cover the whole cost of the scheme.

8.8 These schemes are:

(i) Moorgreen Road traffic calming. This scheme forms part of the Hedge End Area Transport Strategy (HEATS) which is funded from various developer contributions. Detailed analytical investigations of these contributions has revealed significant limitations, restricting use of the funds available. In order to maximise delivery of the HEATS programme, and make best use of the funds available, it is proposed that Moorgreen Road Traffic Management Scheme is now funded from the Safer Routes to School programme. A School Travel Plan has been prepared, and this scheme meets many of the requirements identified.

(ii) Abshott Road/Huntspond Road and Abshott Road/Warsash Road. 2002/03 programme schemes. Following the detailed analytical investigations on contributions there is a shortfall of available external funding to fund the remaining costs. Both schemes, although substantially complete on-site, have outstanding street lighting invoices expected to be received in 2004/05. (14% LTP requirement.) See following table:

Increase Funding to Casualty Reduction Programme

8.9 The proposed increases to the capital safety programme will enable the County Council to make new and additional funding available to support important new casualty reduction partnerships, targeted towards accident sites with emerging patterns of killed and seriously injured. Additionally, the enhanced programme will enable funding to be made available for the inspection and necessary refurbishment of previously installed local capital safety schemes across the network. Also, further funding will be made available to treat those route lengths with higher than expected proportions of loss of control incidents. With a view to developing larger value safety schemes for the forthcoming 2005/06 financial year, funding would also be made available for necessary preliminary and detailed design studies from within the other programmes and high cost programme elements.

8.10 The breakdown of this revised allocation is as follows:

Bridge Parapets, Road/Rail Interface

8.11 Risk analysis has been undertaken on accidents which could impact on the railway network. A programme of strengthening has been identified and has commenced. In view of the high risk, it is proposed to accelerate this programme by allocating additional funding from the LTP programme to complete projects on Elvetham Road, Fleet and Wide Lane, Eastleigh.

	Starts Value	Spend Forecast	Current Programme Year
Bridge Parapets	£300,000	£250,000	2004/05 bridge maintenance programme
	£300,000	£250,000

Longslade Bottom Pedestrian/Cycle Bridges

8.12 This scheme is currently in the 2005/06 programme under the New Forest Cycle Plan heading. It is proposed that a separate allocation is made within the 2004/05 programme for these bridges to be constructed as part of the Forestry Commission's annual programme.

	Starts Value	Spend Forecast	Position	Current Programme Year
Longslade Bottom Pedestrian/Cycle bridges	£20,000	£20,000	Partnership with Forestry Commission	2005/06
	£20,000	£20,000

Changes to the Approved 2004/05 Programme

8.13 Appendix 4 sets out all the changes to the 2004/05 programme since approval in January 2004, together with the additions set out in paragraphs 8.5 to 8.12.

8.14 The main reasons for changes to the programme are:

(i) alignment of programme to new Strategy Areas;

(ii) latest scheme estimates;

(iii) delays from 2003/04 into 2004/05;

(iv) schemes rescheduled into 2005/06 and preparation pool from 2004/05; and

(v) county-wide review of developer contributions and scheme allocations.

8.15 Additions to the 2004/05 programme summarised in the table below are incorporated in the new 2004/05 programme as detailed in Appendix 2.

	Amended Starts Values	Additional Spend expected in 2004/05
LTP support to Externally Funded Programme	£200,000	£200,000
Increase to Casualty Reduction Programme	£580,000 (total £3.2 million)	£500,000
Bridge Parapets	£300,000	£250,000
Brought Forward from Future Programmes	£20,000	£20,000
	£1,100,000	£970,000

9. Consequences for 2005/06 Programme

9.1 The current assessment of forecasts suggests that a large number of schemes in the 2004/05 programme will start on-site late in the financial year and therefore will incur significant expenditure in 2005/06, perhaps approaching £9 million. This could mean that the indicative 2005/06 draft programme presented in January may have to be reduced so that the Government allocation is not exceeded.

9.2 In making additions to the 2004/05 programme, consideration has been given to projects which would incur little or no LTP expenditure in 2005/06 so as to avoid exacerbating this problem.

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