Contacts: John Buckett, ext 6599 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report appraises the panel of the proposed 2005/06 capital programme presented to the Executive Member for the Environment on 21^st January 2005.

1.2 The programme is based on the draft programmes submitted to the panels in autumn 2004.

2. Background

2.1 The transport capital programme is funded from the Local Transport Plan (LTP) allocations from Government and from external funding (EF), principally developers' contributions.

2.2 The LTP programme for new schemes to start each year is put together on the basis of the priorities of the Transport Strategy Panels, the County Council's priorities and the level of funding available after taking into account outstanding commitments, ie contractual commitments and ongoing payments on schemes that were committed in previous years.

2.3 Draft programmes were presented to the autumn 2004 meetings of the Transport Strategy Panels based on an assessment of the likely settlement level from Government for 2005/06 and forecast commitment levels.

3. 2004/05 Progress and 2005/06 Settlement

3.1 The 2004/05 programme has been changed in that some schemes have not progressed sufficiently to achieve a start on site within the calendar year and these schemes are proposed to be deferred into the 2005/06 programme.

3.2 The Government announced the Annual Progress Report (APR) assessment and Local Transport Settlement (funding) for 2005/06 in December 2004.

3.3 The APR assessment rating increased from 71 to 76 with the `rating' increased from `average' to `above average'. Disappointingly, this improved rating was not accompanied by any `reward' funding and the £13,492,000 awarded in credit approval for integrated transport in 2005/06 was in line with the previously announced indicative allocation.

3.4 The maintenance allocation of £13,964,000 million is also in line with indicative allocations previously received and represents a fall from the 2004/05 funding levels.

4. Proposed 2005/06 Programme

4.1 The proposed LTP and EF 2005/06 programme for the whole county is set out in the attached appendix. The LTP programme totals £12.58 million and is, essentially, the programme submitted to the Panels in the autumn together with schemes that have slipped into 2005/06 from the 2004/05 programme.

4.2 There is a new county-wide programme of `traffic management'which is principally works previously funded from the revenue budget. This new programme will incorporate the Rural Parish Partnerships programme.

4.3 One scheme, the A33/A339/Popley Way junction in Basingstoke, is proposed to be deferred while both the scheme and the strategy for the A33 and A339 in this area are reviewed.

4.4 Two schemes within the Casualty Reduction Programme, Buck's Horn Oak on the A325 in East Hampshire and A30 Hartfordbridge Flats in Hart, will be developed for potential implementation in 2006/07.

4.5 Some schemes within the 2005/06 programme will be started late in the financial year so some of the spending will be funded from the 2006/07 allocation.

4.6 Progress with the externally funded programme will be subject to the availability of funding which in turn may be related to the progress made with the development itself. In the event of there being insufficient funding from the development or developments involved, the schemes will need to be considered for possible supplementary funding from the LTP allocation.

Recommendation

That the Panel advises the Executive Member for Environment that it endorses the proposed programme for 2005/06.

9133/JWB