AT A MEETING of the NORTH HAMPSHIRE TRANSPORT STRATEGY PANEL held on Friday 5 November 2004 at The Castle, Winchester.

PRESENT:

Hampshire County Council

Councillors: K. B. Estlin (Chairman); P. R. C. Hutcheson; K. Chapman; R. J. Kimber;

M. J. Roberts; J.G. L. Wall

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Councillors: M. Biermann; S. Parker; I. G. Powney.

Hart District Council

Councillors: S. Parker.

Rushmoor Borough Council

Councillors: R. L. G. Dibbs; J. J. Wall.

12. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believe they had a personal or personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should normally at the time of the debate, declare their interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed.

13. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 23 March 2004, were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Members noted that in future meetings of the Transport Strategy Panel would be

held at The Castle, Winchester and meetings of the Highway and Transport

Advisory Panels at the Local District Council areas.

14. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

There were no Chairman's communications.

15. DEPUTATIONS

There were no deputations.

16. UPDATE ON NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORT POLICIES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 5 in the Minute Book) providing Members with a summary of a number of important policy statements which have been announced by the Secretary of State for Transport.

Members noted the key national policy statements and the effect that the notable key themes of congestion and accessibility will have upon transport in Hampshire.

Members also noted that the published Regional Transport Strategy would have an impact on Hampshire now that statutory guidance had been published on the South East Plan. Public consultation on the Regional Strategy would take place on 17 January 2005 and the Strategy published by Government at the end of 2006.

During the course of discussions Members raised a number of concerns, inter alia:

· Gosport's prospect's for infrastructure.

· Freight operation and access affecting Basingstoke.

· Reading Railway Station and the need to address the bottleneck.

In noting the report Members agreed to continue to work on Government Policies.

RESOLVED:

That the update on national and regional policies be noted.

17. UPDATE ON HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 6 in the

Minute Book) updating Members on developments since the Spring meeting of

the Panel, including the Annual Progress Report 2004, Casualty Reduction and

Speed Cameras, Travel Plans and the MIRACLES project in Winchester.

Members noted that the Annual Progress Report 2004 had already been circulated

to District Councils in July and forwarded to Government. During the course of

the ensuing discussions Members raised a number of concerns, inter alia:

· The installation of vehicle actuated signage outside schools to encourage more children to cycle to school as part of the Safer Routes to Schools Programme.

· The installation of vehicle actuated signage in certain areas to encourage vehicle users to reduce speed.

· The need to link cycle routes due to a lack of cohesion with some routes.

· The improvement of bus routes and communications with Education, Property, Business and Regulatory Services and Environment Departments.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

18. LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 2006 TO 2011 UPDATE AND PROCEDURAL DECISIONS

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 7 in the Minute Book) offering Member a detailed update on the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) guidance received from the Department for Transport (DfT) and the procedural timetable issues that need to be addressed to produce a good LTP by the deadline of 29 July 2005.

Members noted that the Government had set 4 overarching themes and had asked Councils to structure their LTPs around these priorities. It was proposed to take the Government's themes and add to them in the wider context.

Members were pleased to note that in relation to the Strategic Environmental Assessment a Business Forum would be held in February/March 2005 to enable consultation and assessment on the impacts of the Strategy on Environment.

RESOLVED:

That the North Hampshire Transport Strategy Panel advises the Executive Member for Environment that the Panel agrees with the timetable set out in section 3 and the proposed consultation arrangements set out in section 4 of the report.

19. KEY LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN POLICY DECISIONS FOR

HAMPSHIRE

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 8 in the Minute Book) seeking Members views on key policy decisions for Hampshire County Council in its new Local Transport Plan (LTP) and the approach to tackling congestion, balancing funding and priorities and the desirability of introducing themed approaches in specific areas.

Members noted that congestion was a high priority for the Government and new initiatives looking at issues concerning average vehicle delay and average person delay and how vehicles and people were affected by congestion were being considered as part of a Congestion Strategy.

Further to paragraph 4 of the report Members noted that the Government had introduced accessibility planning and identified lack of transport as a major factor affecting people's access to key services such as education, health, shopping facilities and employment. The Government required local authorities to measure what percentage of the population could access the 4 key areas identified by a combination of walking and using buses but this did not include accessing leisure facilities ie mobile libraries.

Members supported the proposal to expand on the services and accessibility to services through the Local Strategic Partnerships and noted that information on accessibility would be made available to them.

A particular area of concern was the Solent Area and it was recommended that the area be put forward for congestion targets and that other possible areas should be held in abeyance and not declared at the moment. Members stated the importance of tackling congestion in these areas and supported the need for a meeting of the A325 Blackwater Valley Network Members Steering Group to address these issues.

During the course of the ensuing discussions, Members raised a number of concerns, inter alia:

· The congestion at Junction 6 of the M 3 at Basingstoke to the town centre.

· Farnham and the M 3 air pollution.

· Level of traffic at junctions 4 and 4a of the M 3 at Blackwater Valley and the major housing developments.

RESOLVED:

That the North Hampshire Transport Strategy Panel advises the Executive Member for Environment that in preparing the Local Transport Plan:

(i) The County Council should put forward congestion targets for the Solent

Area at this time.

(ii) That Surrey County Council be contacted to advise that Members of the

Panel support the need for a meeting of the A325 Blackwater Valley

Network Members Steering Group to discuss the issues of congestion.

(iii) Accessibility planning consultation should be primarily through Local

Strategic Partnerships as set out in Section 4 of the report.

(iv) Themed approaches with investment concentrated on specific areas should

be promoted.

(v) The idea of long term urban transport master plans should be progressed.

(vi) That smaller urban areas be considered as part of the transport master plan.

(vii)Investment should continue to be broadly in line with Department of

Transport indicative allocations between integrated transport and

maintenance/bridges.

(viii)Vehicle actuated signage be installed in areas where there is the need to

reduce vehicle speed in line with the speed limit.

20. KEY LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN POLICY DECISIONS FOR

TRANSPORT STRATEGY PANELS

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 9 in the Minute Book) updating Members on the key issues and decisions for Hampshire County Council in the context of the new Local Transport Plan (LTP) and the approach to tackling congestion, balancing funding and priorities and the desirability of introducing themed approaches in specific areas.

Members raised a number of concerns particularly in respect of accessibility to Railway Stations including Farnborough and Officers advised that a report on accessibility to all Railway Stations would be submitted to a future meeting of the Panel.

A particular area of concern highlighted was Aldershot Town Centre and it was agreed that a Members Sub Group comprising of 3 Members from Hampshire County Council and 3 Members from Rushmoor Borough Council be established to discuss a priority project for Aldershot and recommendations for inclusion in the next LTP to be reported to the Panel meeting in March 2005.

RESOLVED:

1. That Members endorsed the following:

(i) Further development work on the Chineham Station scheme during the next

Local Transport Plan period.

(ii) Consideration of enhancement works to the A33 corridor.

(iii)Continued implementation of the Blackwater Valley public transport strategy

over the next Local transport Plan period.

(iv)The suggestion on the Aldershot town centre project of combining the efforts

and resources that would be used to develop a transport study with Rushmoor

Borough Council's work on the Local Development Framework and the

Creation of a Special Planning Document.

(v) The suggestion of the Aldershot town centre project becoming a priority

project for the next Local Transport Plan and the establishment of a Member

Steering Group to oversee the project.

(vi)The findings of the Brighton Hill roundabout working group that the junction

improvements be advanced as an accident remedial scheme with some

benefits for all users.

(vii)The four junction improvement options in paragraph 3.12 at Winchester

Road roundabout for further investigation.

2. That the North Hampshire Transport Strategy Panel advises the Executive

Member for Environment of its views on the suggested themed campaigns

within the North Hampshire area.

3. That a Members Sub Group comprising of Councillors J.K. Glen; R.J. Kimber

and M.J. Roberts and 3 Councillors to be nominated by Rushmoor Borough

Council be established to discuss Aldershot Town Centre and recommendations

for inclusion in the next LTP to the Panel meeting in March 2005.

21. OTHER TOPICS SPECIFIC TO NORTH HAMPSHIRE

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 10 in the Minute Book) updating Members on topical strategic issues relevant to the North Hampshire Transport Strategy Panel.

RESOLVED:

That the issues raised in the report be noted.

22. CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2005/06

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 11 in the Minute Book) updating Members on the need to prioritise schemes within the indicative Transport Capital Programme for 2005/06.

RESOLVED:

That the proposed draft Capital Programme and potential schemes for 2005/06 Local Transport Plan funding be noted.

23. MEETINGS OF THE PANEL DURING 2005

The following arrangements for meetings of the Panel during 2005 were noted:

Friday 4 March, Friday 10 June and Friday 4 November - all three meetings would commence at 9.30am and be held at The Castle, Winchester.