Contact: Peter Eade, tel 01256 360093 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines progress with regard to the 2004/05 Highway Maintenance and Minor Capital Works Programmes and provides an update on the 2004/05 Highway Maintenance budget. Two important issues for the Environment Department, namely the Traffic Management Act 2004 and Asset Management, are also discussed.

2. Background

2.1 As previously reported, the highway maintenance programme is funded from both revenue and capital allocations.

2.2 The revenue maintenance programme funds minor works such as pothole repairs, routine drainage work (including gully cleaning), signs and road markings, environmental maintenance of grass verges, trees and shrubs, weed control and highway emergencies. Minor bridge works and winter maintenance are also funded from revenue allocations. Budgets are set at a level that ensures the safety and serviceability of the highway network.

2.3 The capital maintenance programme funds planned maintenance, including special maintenance, resurfacing and surface dressing, and also provides for essential repairs to the structure of the highway, eg programmed patching.

3. Highway Maintenance Budget and Programme 2004/05

3.1 The county-wide Highway Maintenance budget for 2004/05, approved by the Executive Member for Environment, is £52,513,000. This sum comprises £21,284,000 revenue funding and £31,229,000 funding from the capital programme provision. These budgets are spread across the 11 districts for local service delivery and are also used to fund centrally managed programmes such as surface dressing, winter maintenance and performance elements of the highways term maintenance contract.

Revenue Maintenance Budget and Programme

3.2 The total revised allocation for Basingstoke for 2004/05 is £1,043,000. This includes £201,000 from the special allocation for the A339. Progress throughout the year has been in line with the spend profile and it is expected that the programme will be completed within time and budget constraints. A budget monitoring statement is included at Appendix 1.

Capital Maintenance Budget and Programme

3.3 The total revised allocation for Basingstoke for 2004/05 is £2,389,400, which includes £483,500 extra funding. This is mainly from the £3.5m county-wide additional funding to improve highway maintenance. It also includes £50,000 to repair clay shrinkage damage on roads during the summer of 2003. The funding allocation for the capital maintenance `planned works' programme is based on the proven Highways Assessment of Maintenance Priorities (HAMP) rating system and has reflected the agreed intervention levels. The HAMP rating intervention level directs funding to those maintenance schemes displaying a higher maintenance need. Planned maintenance repairs undertaken through the capital maintenance programme include surface dressing, special maintenance and resurfacing schemes.

3.4 As reported previously, an extra £1 million was awarded to Hampshire by Government to address clay shrinkage problems associated with the long hot and dry summer of 2003. £50,000 was allocated to the Basingstoke and Deane area for 2004/5 to be spent on repairing carriageways. Locations for this work are shown at Appendix 2.

3.5 This year's capital schemes are progressing well with the expectation that the `planned' maintenance programme will be delivered within time and budget constraints. Progress on this year's schemes is shown at Appendix 2.

3.6 Surface dressing is an extremely cost-effective way of prolonging the life of the carriageway, sealing any existing cracks and restoring skid resistance. The total county-wide programme for 2004/05 is £2,727,000, which is managed centrally. All carriageway sites in this year's programme for the Basingstoke and Deane area have now been successfully treated. This year's schemes are listed at Appendix 3. Footway surface dressing is programmed for early October 2004.

4. Minor Capital Works

4.1 The Minor Capital Works programme (also known as the Under £10,000 Programme) is funded from the capital allocation based on the Local

Transport Plan submission to the Department for Transport. £16,600 was allocated for the Basingstoke and Deane area in 2004/05 and the schemes included in the programme are:

(i) Silchester Road, Pamber Heath.

Construction of footway £10,000

(ii) Broad Layings, Woolton Hill £6,600

Construction of lay-by near Woolton Hill Post Office

Total £16,600

4.2 These schemes are all scheduled to be completed by the end of the financial year.

5. Traffic Management Act 2004

5.1 The Traffic Management Act received Royal Assent in July 2004 and places a new duty on the County Council to keep traffic moving and minimise congestion and disruption for all users of roads, footways and cycle tracks.

5.2New and extended powers have been introduced to assist with this new duty, key to which is the requirement to appoint a Traffic Manager who will be the focal point within the Authority with regard to activities that that affect movement on the road network and to ensure the co-ordination of all works on the highway.

5.3 A new permit system for those wishing to work on the highway has been included, along with improved works co-ordination, provision of better travel information to the public and decriminalisation powers to give civil penalties for traffic violations. It is not clear yet when the new legislation will be enacted but it is anticipated that it will be introduced in stages as the specific regulations and Codes of Practice are finalised.

5.4 There are powers for the Government to intervene should an Authority not perform adequately in this new duty and performance measures will be developed for this.

5.5 The Environment Department is already well placed to meet most of the requirements but some organisational changes may be required to meet the challenges of the new Act. These are presently being considered.

6. Asset Management

6.1 New Government resource accounting rules and the Best Practice approach to the management of the highway network have led to the requirement to start development of Asset Management Plans in the UK for highway networks. Asset Management planning is a relatively new concept in the UK but is well established in New Zealand, Australia and the USA.

6.2 The basic principles are that the whole life value of the highway network asset is taken into account when considering deterioration, maintenance and improvements of the asset. This not only includes the structural condition of the highway network but also its `serviceability', eg making best use of the asset in the safest way. The Environment Department has for some time had policies and procedures which already form key elements of Asset Management planning but further development is now required. This includes things such as the need to more accurately record and value the asset and look at whole life costing, longer term needs and scheme strategies.

6.3 The County Surveyors' Society has produced an Asset Management framework for guidance and it will be a requirement to report on the progress of County Asset Management Plans as part of the LTP process.

6.4 Consultants OPUS, who are recognised as world leaders in this field, have been appointed to help with the development of Asset Management planning for the Environment Department.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9057/PE

APPENDIX 1

As at the end of October 2004 81% of the Budget has been committed or spent.

APPENDIX 2

Non Principal Road Special Maintenance Programme 2004/05

Non Principal Roads Resurfacing Programme 2004/05

Principal Roads Special Maintenance and Resurfacing

Additional Non Principal Road Special Maintenance Schemes funded from £3.5M

Additional Non Principal Road Haunching Schemes funded from £3.5 M

Additional Footway Schemes funded from £3.5 M

Clay-shrinkage roads funded by GOSE

APPENDIX 3

Carriageway Surface Dressing Programme 2004/05

Status - All completed June 2004

Footway Surface Dressing Programme 2004 / 2005

Status - Due for completion end October 2004