Archived decisions

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

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines a possible Transport Capital Programme for 2006/07 and beyond, taking into account the likely funding available and the emerging priorities for the new Local Transport Plan (LTP). This is to give Panels a base from which to consider priorities and projects previously identified but not programmed.

2. Background

2.1 Hampshire County Council approved the 2005/06 Capital Programme on 23 February 2005. The Department for Transport (DfT) has indicated that Hampshire should plan for an allocation of £13.093 million from the LTP process for integrated transport in 2006/07. However, it is expected that a revised allocation for 2006-07 will be announced during 2005. The DfT intend to introduce a funding formula to determine allocations for the LTP. The nature of this formula and its implications for Hampshire are not yet known, but there seems to be a strong possibility that it would result in a lower allocation for 2006-07. Therefore the recommendations in this report would need to be kept under review. It may be necessary to amend the programme during 2005 to reflect the revised allocation produced by the funding formula.

2.2 Current forecasts for 2005/06 delivery and likely requirements for transfers to support maintenance, the development of future transport projects and other transport initiatives, suggest that there will be approximately £7 million available to be spent on the 2006/07 programme in that year.

2.3 It is therefore appropriate to prepare schemes during 2005/06 that will be able to deliver a capital LTP spend of at least £7 million in 2006/07. In recent years this has meant a programme start level of £11 million to £12 million (of which £7 million would be delivered in the start year and the remaining expenditure carried forward into the following year).

2.4 Experience shows that some projects are found to be unsuitable during development or are delayed in their development through the design, consultation or negotiation. It is also possible that the Government may award some form of bonus or reward funding through the LTP process. Therefore it is proposed that a potential starts programme is prepared at a higher level of approximately £15 million.

2.5 It is proposed that county-wide programmes should comprise £7.9 million, covering casualty reduction, safer routes to school and other programmes managed on a county-wide basis. The proposed programme levels and brief descriptions of these programmes form Appendix 1 to this report.

3. Potential Area Strategy Programmes - Prioritisation

3.1 The period 2006/07 is the first year of the second LTP, which is currently under preparation. However it is necessary, now, to prepare projects for the 2006/07 programme and beyond. Failure to do so would mean that there was little chance of delivering any significant programme in that year.

3.2 Although the LTP is not complete, the broad principles are clear. The DfT has identified the four priority areas of congestion; accessibility; safety; and air quality, and identified mandatory performance indicators like bus patronage, cycle use and traffic levels where the County Council must set targets. The County Council corporate strategy aims of quality of life improvements for all through maximising life opportunities; stewardship of the environment; building strong and safe communities; achieving economic prosperity; and improving services remain at the heart of the County Council's approach to its LTP.

3.3 The new LTP approach is expected to be broadly similar to the current LTP, with investment aimed at ameliorating the long-term effects of traffic growth through widening travel choice and making the transport networks more efficient, together with specific programmes promoting safety and accessibility (for all the community). There will also be more direct action with respect to access to services, accessibility planning and air quality, but these are expected to become more significant later in the five-year LTP span, when strategies for accessibility and air quality management have been worked up with district councils and other partners.

3.4 For 2006/07 the emphasis will be on deliverable schemes which meet County Council and Government priorities. As discussed in section 2 of this report, a preparation pool totalling £7.1 million in total LTP commitment is proposed. Where schemes will be partly funded from development it is only the County Council share of the investment that is counted against the £7.1 million total.

3.5 Appendix 2 shows a provisional 2006/07 programme for the area strategies and a brief description of each project and how it relates to County Council and DfT objectives and indicators.

3.6 Priority has been given to schemes which contribute significantly to Local Transport Plan, Corporate and Hampshire Strategic Partnership objectives, are good value for money and are assessed as being able to be started on-site within 2006/07. It also balances the proposed programme across geographical areas and different types of transport initiatives.

3.7 Each Transport Strategy Panel is being asked to comment on the programme priorities and advise the Executive Member for Environment accordingly. It should be recognised that these programmes are provisional and would need to be amended if the Government changes the allocation for 2006-07 through its new funding formula.

Recommendation

That the Panel comments on the proposed draft programmes and indicates its priorities for schemes to be provisionally included in the 2006/07 programme and beyond.

9224/JWB

APPENDIX 1

County-wide Indicative Allocations 2006/07

1. Casualty Reduction Programme - £2,500,000.

Highly successful programme comprising low-cost safety scheme programme (60 plus sites per year), targeted road condition improvement and remedial site betterment programmes as well as the casualty reduction partnership and selected larger schemes where there are opportunities for significant casualty reductions.

Objectives - Safety and Safe Communities, Health.

LTP Targets - Safety/Casualty Reduction (mandatory).

2. Safer Routes to School - £2,000,000.

Schemes emanating from school travel plans. National target for all schools to have travel plans by 2011; County Council aiming to achieve the target before that date.

Objectives - Widen Travel Choice, Safety, Health, Local Congestion.

LTP Targets - Travel Mode to School (mandatory), Cycling numbers (mandatory), Bus Patronage (mandatory).

3. Community Transport - £500,000.

Continuing programme of support for community transport projects including grants for the purchase of vehicles for new services and renewal of vehicles for existing services.

Objectives - Accessibility, Life Opportunities, Widen Travel Choice, Communities, Equalities.

LTP targets - Bus Patronage, Accessibility.

4. Concessionary Fares - Bus Cardreaders - £650,000.

One-off programme to install cardreaders on all Hampshire buses in support of the county-wide concessionary fares scheme which is funded by district councils but administered by the County Council. Smartcard technology which would reduce delays at stops and substantially reduce administration costs associated with running the system may be able to be introduced in 2006/07. Potential for additional functions for smartcards is currently being investigated.

Objectives - Reduce ongoing revenue costs, Accessibility.

LTP Targets - Accessibility, Bus Patronage, Bus Punctuality.

5. Traffic Management Schemes - £460,000.

Ongoing programme of minor traffic management schemes incorporating the parish partnerships programme from 2004/05 onwards (previously revenue funded).

Objectives - Communities, Safety, Congestion.

LTP Targets - Safety.

6. Pedestrian Crossings Programmes - £500,000.

Ongoing programme of new formal crossings (Puffins, Toucans and Zebras), improvements to subways and new and improved informal crossings (Refuges, Dropped Crossings and facilities to help people with disabilities to cross roads).

Objectives - Safety, Safe Communities, Severance, Accessibility, Equalities.

LTP targets - Safety, Severance (possible) .

7. Minor Schemes - £200,000.

Long established programme of minor local highway improvements county-wide aimed at improving safety and conditions for pedestrians in particular.

Objectives - Communities, Safety.

LTP targets - Safety.

8. Passenger Transport Information - £180,000.

Continued development and operation of passenger transport information service, part of national arrangement.

Objectives - Improved services (information).

LTP targets - Bus Patronage.

9. Intelligent Transport Systems - £250,000.

Development of new systems and their deployment across the county, including transport information kiosks, real-time information systems.

Objectives - Improved services (information). Efficiency of networks.

LTP Targets - Bus Patronage, Congestion (possible target), Air Quality.

10. Access to Countryside - £200,000.

Improvements to rights of way and access to countryside for all people, incorporating previous recreational cycling programme. To be administered by the Recreation and Heritage Department.

Objectives - Life Opportunities, Environment, Leisure/Economy/Tourism/ Health.

LTP Targets - Accessibility, Cycling, Mode share to school (parts).

11. LTP Monitoring and Initiatives - £250,000.

Includes purchase and renewal of equipment for monitoring LTP targets including air quality, traffic flows, etc. Initiatives include ongoing partnership programme with workplace travel plans and colleges, etc and new initiatives, including pilot projects relating to sign clutter, etc.

Objectives - Monitoring and review to improve services, Environment.

LTP targets - Workplace travel , Congestion, Air Quality.

12. Community Safety Initiative (Street Lighting) - £60,000.

Longstanding programme of partnership schemes with district councils and others particularly directed to lighting schemes for pedestrians.

Objectives - Safe Communities, Personal Security, Accessibility.

LTP targets - Accessibility, Severance, Town Centre Access.

13. Rail Stations/Interchanges - £150,000.

Ongoing programme of improvements to interchange facilities particularly at railway stations.

Objectives - Improve Services, Communities, Safety.

LTP Targets - Public Transport Patronage, Bus Patronage, Cycling, Town Centre Access.

APPENDIX 2

Initial Area Strategy Schemes for 2006/07 and Beyond

1. A33/A339 and A33/Popley Way, Basingstoke - estimated LTP requirement £2 million.

Improvements at two junctions on A33 producing safety benefits, increased traffic control (through the installation of traffic signals) and bus priority and pedestrian and cycle facilities promoting new routes to town centre. Scheme deferred for further investigation but anticipated that this will be completed during 2005. Significant developer contributions will be available.

Objectives - Safety, Safe and Strong communities.

LTP targets - Casualty Reduction, Bus Patronage and Punctuality, Cycling, Town Centre Access, Severance.

2. Quality Bus Partnerships - £1.25 million.

Details and locations to be determined but essentially a continuing programme of improved passenger facilities, bus priority and information systems which are proving successful in encouraging bus use.

Objectives - Improved Services, Accessibility.

LTP targets - Bus Patronage, Accessibility, Town Centre Access.

3. Winchester Parking Variable Message signs - £200,000.

Improved vehicle signing for car parks in Winchester. City Council contribution expected.

Objectives - Improved information for motorists, environment, accessibility.

LTP targets - Air Quality, Accessibility.

4. Town Centre Access Plans - £1.5 million.

New programme based on Community Street Audits (as carried out in Alton) and assessments of access needs for all road users, designed to promote use of local town centres and improving their attractiveness.

Candidate centres for early assessment include Alton (continued), Basingstoke, Farnborough, Andover, Bordon/Whitehill, Hythe, Romsey, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Emsworth, Lee-on-the-Solent, Lymington and New Milton.

Objectives - Strong and Safe Communities, Equalities, Market Towns, Economy, Personal security, Accessibility.

LTP targets - Town Centre Access, Cycling, Bus Patronage.

5. Pedestrian Bridges - £1.5 million.

Replacement of existing sub-standard pedestrian bridges over railways to be compliant with Disability Discrimination Act in partnership and to improve accessibility. Candidate sites for early implementation are Archers Road Eastleigh and Havant Station. Progress will be subject to obtaining necessary rail possessions and securing appropriate funding packages supporting these projects.

Objectives - Accessibility, Equalities, Communities.

LTP Targets - Severance, Town Centre Access, Accessibility.

6. Colbury/Lyndhurst signing - £300,000.

Responsive direction signing system which would advise motorists of the appropriate route to take from the M27 towards New Forest destinations when there were congestion problems in the Lyndhurst area.

Objectives - Environment, Community.

LTP targets - Air Quality, congestion (possible).

7. Accessibility Planning Initiatives - £250,000.

It is anticipated that there will be new initiatives coming from accessibility planning which will be identified using the new `Accession' software and through consultation and partnership working with appropriate authorities and interested groups. A provisional sum of £200,000 has been identified here in anticipation of this development.

Objectives - Life Opportunities, Accessibility, Health.

LTP Targets - Accessibility.

8. Village Transport Programmes - North Hampshire and Central Hampshire Transport Strategies - £100,000.

Continuing programme of village transport schemes, primarily traffic management measures related to safety and accessibility within small communities.

Objectives - Safe and Secure Communities, Safety, Accessibility.

LTP Targets - Safety, Accessibility.