Archived decisions

Contact: Richard Cowling, ext 5202 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The County Council's Transport Capital Programme identifies funding for individually named integrated transport improvement schemes and also includes other county-wide improvement programmes and block budget allocations.

1.2 The table below shows the county-wide improvement programmes that are applicable to the Winchester area, and identifies the funding allocation made from the Local Transport Plan (LTP) for the 2004/05 year. The table also identifies where further information about the works appropriate to each programme can be found on the agenda.

1.3 This report provides a progress update on the named integrated transport schemes within the 2004/05 Transport Capital Programme that have been approved for implementation in the Winchester area. These are summarised in the attached appendix. The report also provides a progress update on schemes started in earlier programmes which were incomplete at the last Panel meeting.

1.4 Individual schemes within the Transport Capital Programme are financed from the LTP, which consists of Central Government supported capital expenditure (SCE) and/or external funding (EF) received from developers or other contributors.

1.5 The 2005/06 Transport Capital Programme will be considered in January 2005 by the Environment Policy Review Committee and then the Executive Member for Environment. The programme will be influenced by the level of the Local Transport Settlement for 2005/06 for Hampshire, which will be announced by the Government in December 2004, and by the level of spending commitments carried forward into 2005/06 from the 2004/05 programme. Area Transport Strategy Panels are being asked to prioritise schemes within their areas to assist the Executive Member for Environment.

2. Transport Capital Schemes 2002/03

Knowle Hospital - Bus Service - £187,500 EF

2.1 This scheme is to provide improved bus services in and around the new Knowle Village residential development. Initial enhancements to Service 19 commenced in September 2001 and the original intention to run buses through the village itself remains. However, this plan hinges on the use of a newly installed bus gate using hydraulic bollards to prevent normal vehicular access through the gate. Discussions regarding the maintenance liability for these bollards have not been concluded. Bus trials through the gate were completed in July and the bus company has confirmed it will be resolving issues raised by the trials. The Passenger Transport Group (PTG) would like to include a service through the gate when the contract for Service 19 is renegotiated for April 2005. The PTG also wishes to enhance Service 91 (Exton to Fareham) by running it through the gate into Knowle Village.

3. Transport Capital Schemes 2003/04

Bar End Park and Ride Extension - £3.2 million EF

3.1 All building and civil engineering contracts have been substantially completed. The landscaping contract reached substantial completion in May 2004.

3.2 Patronage figures for the extension site (470 spaces) show utilisation is regularly nearly 50%. The phase 1 facility (147 spaces) is now running at 90% - 95% capacity daily. Ideas for developing the catchment area for the Park and Ride service are being considered, including extending the bus route to the Hospital on Romsey Road. Consultation with Winchester City Council and the Hospital regarding the service extension is ongoing. A six month trial of this extension is being proposed, jointly funded by Winchester City Council and the County Council. The Hospital, Police Headquarters and University College Winchester have all been approached to subsidise the proposed extension but none have agreed to do so at this time.

3.3 A scheme to extend pedestrian lighting along Bar End Road from the Park and Ride site is being developed. Winchester City Council has agreed in principle to match-fund the cost of these works.

3.4 Land purchased at Magdalen Hill North Down, in mitigation for the Park and Ride scheme, is currently being developed. The scheme will create a butterfly conservation area on the land at the eastern fringe of Winchester, known as Magdalen North Down. The scheme includes specialist wildflowers to attract butterflies, a sunken walkway, a `jubilee' tree planting area, new landscaped areas and footpaths across the entire length of the site.

3.5 During the design, emphasis has been placed on facilitating access for all at the site. Wheelchair friendly surfacing has been used for all footpaths and for access into the site from the main road. A car park for disabled badge holders has been included, and Kassel kerbs have been incorporated at the bus stop nearest to the site entrance.

3.6 Scheme earthworks were completed during July and August 2004. The wildflower seeding operation was completed in September and the landscaping works are due to commence in November. Management responsibility for the site will be handed over to Butterfly Conservation once the site works are complete. It is expected that the site will have matured in two to three years' time, with cattle grazing in fenced-off enclosures. The site will be opened to the public at the appropriate time.

Bishop's Waltham Village Centre - £46,000 SCE

3.7 This scheme includes a change of priorities at the junction of Bank Street and Free Street, together with improvements to aid pedestrians. The layout of these measures has been trialled using temporary materials and, as a result, problems were identified on a section of footway build-out on the south side of Bank Street, where limited visibility has made use of the priority system difficult for drivers. It is now proposed that the successful change of priority at the Bank Street/Free Street junction is made permanent, and that the build-out on the south side of Bank Street is removed. A second trial layout has been undertaken. Consultation has proven this trial to be successful; therefore it is intended that construction to make this trial layout permanent will begin before the end of the calendar year.

Romsey Road Corridor Improvements - £50,000 SCE

3.8 This scheme, which was substantially completed in July, consists of a series of minor footway and traffic management improvements, identified in an earlier consultation exercise to improve pedestrian facilities along the Romsey Road corridor. These measures consist of a new pedestrian refuge on Romsey Road near the entrance to the Police Headquarters and further works, such as drop kerb crossings, tactile paving and localised resurfacing, along Romsey Road to the roundabout at Badger Farm Road. The stop line at the junction with St James' Lane has been repositioned to improve visibility from the side road with the aid of an edge of carriageway marking on the southern side of the road.

B2177/B3354 Corridor, Twyford - £128,000 SCE

3.9 This is a traffic management scheme to provide pedestrian and speed management improvements in the village of Twyford. The scheme consisted of gateway features on the north and south approaches to the village located at the 30 mph speed limit. Other measures included pedestrian courtesy crossing points, road markings to provide a visual narrowing of the carriageway, localised footway widening and a new bus shelter. Construction was completed in October 2003. Monitoring of traffic speeds to quantify the impact of the scheme was undertaken in April 2004 and an initial analysis of the results shows a reduction in traffic speeds through the village (85%ile speeds down from 49 mph to 38 mph northbound and 46 mph to 37 mph southbound at one particular site), although a more detailed analysis is due to be carried out.

4. Transport Capital Programme - 2004/05

Winchester Pedestrian Lighting Improvements - £50,000 SCE

4.1 This proposal includes street lighting improvements at City Road and Eastgate Street. The works will enable modern lighting standards to be achieved and are expected to improve conditions, especially for pedestrians. The proposals are also expected to contribute towards improved road safety generally.

4.2 The works at City Road extend between its junction with Sussex Street and the junction with Jewry Street. The existing lighting is being replaced and upgraded to modern standards. It will be the same as that used at the station interchange improvement and will improve the street scene.

4.3 The lighting improvements for Eastgate Street are proposed to extend between its junctions with Bridge Street and Friarsgate, and incorporate the roundabout at the junction with The Broadway. The existing lighting along this route is of varying quality and is particularly poor at the roundabout. The proposal will bring the system up to modern standards and improve conditions for pedestrians and the street scene in the Conservation Area.

4.4 The works in City Road were completed in April. The works in Eastgate Street are programmed to start in October.

Knowle Village to Funtley Footpath (Knowle Hospital) - £40,000 EF

4.5 This proposal aims to improve the existing public footpaths between the Knowle Village development and Funtley. Details of land ownership have now been confirmed and detailed proposals are currently being considered by the local Rights of Way officers of the County Council's Recreation and Heritage Department.

B2177/B3354 Corridor, Colden Common - £200,000 SCE

4.6 This scheme has been developed in partnership with Colden Common Parish Council which supports the proposals. The £200,000 traffic management scheme consists of lowering the speed limit along the B3354 through the village from 40 mph to 30 mph. New gateways will be located at the start of the proposed 30 mph limit on the approaches to the village from the north and south. Other measures include edge of carriageway white lining, pedestrian central islands and traffic islands. Public consultation was carried out in October 2003, which showed a good level of support for the proposals. Some minor changes were made as a result of comments received. The Traffic Regulation Order for the new speed limit was advertised on 10 September 2004 for three weeks. Work is scheduled to begin in December 2004, with completion in February 2005.

Denmead Traffic Management - £200,000 SCE, £20,000 EF

4.7 This proposal forms a package of traffic calming, pedestrian facilities, and traffic management improvements in Denmead. These include enhanced village gateway signing, pedestrian refuges on Hambledon Road and Forest Road (with highlighted road space for cyclists), minor footway improvements, improved and new bus stop facilities, a highlighted 'School Safety Zone' on Hambledon Road, junction realignment at Hambledon Road/Southwick Road junction (to be trialled first), a kerb build-out on Southwick Road and an extension of the 30 mph limit on Hambledon Road to the roundabout at the junction of Hambledon Road and Forest Road.

4.8 Extensive local consultation has been undertaken to develop these proposals, including a public exhibition in October 2003 and a display of plans at the Denmead Festival in August 2004. Implementation of measures will commence in October 2004 in a phased approach: virtual footways are to be constructed in October, followed by new gateway features. In spring 2005 there will be resurfacing of a section of Hambledon Road. Finally, once the resurfacing has been completed, pedestrian refuges will be built along the resurfaced section of road.

Recommendation

That Members note the progress with schemes in the Transport Capital Programme and support the schemes approved for inclusion in the Capital Programme for 2004/05.

8940/RC

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