Contact: Peter Mitchell, tel 023 9244 6159 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report details the programmes for:

(i) Regeneration of Older Urban Areas;

(ii) Intelligent Transport Systems;

(iii) Bridgeworks;

(iv) Development Related Works; and

(v) Street Lighting.

2. Regeneration of Older Urban Areas

Town Centre, Havant

2.1 The County Council's Regeneration of Older Urban Areas 2003/2005 programme includes a budget allocation of £50,000 for technical studies in Havant town centre. The Borough and County Council are now using that funding by working in partnership on plans to regenerate Havant town centre. Urban design consultants, Roger Evans Associates, have been jointly commissioned to prepare an Urban Design Framework to guide the long-term planning of the town. The framework will be prepared during the next six months and include consultation with the Local Area Committee, Community Boards, businesses and residents.

2.2 In the short-term the Urban Design Framework will provide input to the Borough Council's capital programme, with guidance for a range of environmental improvement schemes funded through the Liveability programme.

3. Intelligent Transport Systems Group (ITS)

3.1 The ITS Group of the Environment Department manages the feasibility, design, implementation, operation and maintenance of traffic control and traffic and travel information systems throughout Hampshire. In 2004/05 ITS deployment reached significant levels, increasing the amount of on-street ITS equipment operated and maintained by the Group. The Traffic

Management Act and the guidance for the Local Transport Plan (LTP) currently being developed have placed further responsibility on the Group for the monitoring of and improvement to the operation of the highway network.

3.2 Progress on schemes during 2004/05 within Havant is as follows:

(i) Works are currently ongoing to install a new Puffin crossing for Stakes Road, Purbrook. The works will be completed during February/March 2005.

(ii) New traffic signals on A3 London Road, Purbrook (Purbrook Bus Gate) are now operating.

3.3 The following schemes are proposed for implementation during 2005/06 in Havant:

(i) Change layout of the signals at the A3 Maurepas Way and Hambledon Road being carried out as part of A3 Quality Bus Partnership works.

(ii) Refurbishment of the pelican crossing at Bedhampton Road near Kingscroft Lane in Havant.

(iii) Real Time Information (RTI) will be installed as part of the A3 Quality Bus Partnership. Discussions are underway to implement the integration of the Hampshire and Portsmouth RTI system. Up to 18 displays will be deployed on the route and the information will also be disseminated via web and mobile phone (SMS) facilities.

(iv) Closed circuit television poles and fibre cabling are being installed in February and there follows a six week installation and testing programme for the cameras, with work being completed early in 2005/06. In stages 1 and 2 the work also includes the installation of help points with emergency buttons in selected shelters.

4. Bridgeworks Programme 2004/05 and 2005/06

General

4.1 The Bridges Section of the Environment Department is responsible for all existing county highway structures, together with new structures built as part of roadworks, housing and industrial schemes. This covers inspection, maintenance, replacement, load assessment and strengthening.

4.2 Raynesway Construction Southern Limited (RCS) carries out most maintenance through a term contract. Some specialist works, such as graffiti removal, and larger schemes, such as bridge replacements, are awarded by tender.

Funding

4.3 Most work on bridges is capital funded via the LTP, but inspections, routine maintenance and environmental maintenance of subways are revenue funded.

Load Assessment and Strengthening

4.4 This programme was brought about by EU legislation that allowed 40 tonne lorries on British roads from 1 January 1999. The assessments are now complete and strengthening of sub-standard bridges is ongoing.

Road/Rail Interfaces

4.5 Following the Selby crash in February 2001, parapets and safety fences have been prioritised at road/rail interfaces, most of which are bridges. A rolling programme for protective measures has been started that will continue over several years, as funding is made available.

Aluminium Parapets

4.6 The Highways Agency has identified that aluminium vehicle parapets made by BACO, installed before 1994, are not to current standards. All such parapets on county bridges have been prioritised and a contract for their replacement has been awarded to RCS. Work on-site started in September 2004 and is due for completion in March 2005. Details for individual bridges are given below.

Structural Painting

4.7 A contract for structural painting is being prepared and details on bridges affected will follow, as they are finalised.

Havant Programme 2004/05

Aluminium Parapets

4.8 RCS replaced the parapets on Hermitage East bridge, over the Hermitage Stream on the B2149, New Road, Havant in January 2005. Dyer and Butler has replaced the parapets on Hambledon Road subway, under the A3 near Waterlooville town centre, as part of the major A3 Improvement contract.

Havant Station Footbridge

4.9 This footbridge, jointly owned by Network Rail (NR) and Hampshire County Council, links housing and residential areas to the shopping centre and station. Some elements are in poor condition and the footbridge has been the subject of extensive discussions with NR, Havant Borough Council, David Willetts, MP and local Councillors. The chosen strategy is for some short-term repairs, followed by a bid for a possible future replacement structure. The lighting has already been upgraded and RCS will be carrying out further work in March 2005. This will include new fence panels, cleaning the roof and removing the damaged guttering on the approach ramps, and new surfacing on the whole bridge. This work will involve some Sunday closures of the footbridge, with a signed diversion, and these dates will be publicised once they have been decided.

Havant North Street Bridge

4.10 This bridge, of varying construction, runs for about 260 metres under Prince George's Street, North Street and Elm Lane in Havant town centre. Some areas were in poor condition and Dyer and Butler repaired these during July and August 2004.

Park House Farm Way Bridge

4.11 This bridge carries Park House Farm Way over the Hermitage Stream near two schools and was sub-standard for load carrying. Dyer and Butler completed construction of a new bridge deck and parapets in November 2004.

Farringdon Road Bridge

4.12 This bridge carries Farringdon Road over the River Lavant near the Marsh Plant depot and was sub-standard for load carrying. RCS completed construction of a new bridge deck and parapets in June 2004.

Havant Programme 2005/06

Emsworth Mill No. 1 Footbridge, Emsworth

4.13 This footbridge links South Street to The Promenade on the east side of Quay Mill. The concrete beams are in poor condition and were due to be repaired, but further inspection has shown that complete replacement is a better solution. It is hoped to carry out the work in summer 2005, but this will depend on the results of local consultations and Environment Agency requirements.

5. Development Related Works

5.1 Section 38 Development work currently being undertaken by Hampshire Highways within Havant area is detailed in Appendix 1.

5.2 External funding and schemes relevant to that funding, which currently is still held by Havant Borough Council, are detailed in Appendix 2.

6. Street Lighting

Maintenance

6.1 The maintenance contract continues to provide over 99% of all street lights on at any one time, with performance levels improving since the change to `working days'. The maintenance contract was originally measured in calendar days and this has been changed to Monday to Friday, or `working days'. Further improvements are anticipated when the `Working Closer Together' Project commences in early March 2005. This Project will see the present street lighting team being split into two new sections: Corporate and Contract Delivery. The Contract Delivery team will be situated with the Contractor, Southern Electric Contracting, at its offices in Cosham and Basingstoke.

Column Replacement

6.2 The column replacement programme for the current year will be completed by the end of February. The present position as regards schemes in the Havant area is as follows:

(i) Swanmore Road, Havant - works completed 6 December 2004;

(ii) Calshot Road, Havant - works completed 6 December 2004; and

(iii) St Thomas Avenue, Havant - completed 10 December 2004.

6.3 A £1.7 million programme for 2005/06 is scheduled to commence in April 2005 and the proposed roads in Havant involved, at present awaiting programme dates from the contractor, are as follows:

(i) Cunningham Road;

(ii) Laburnham Road;

(iii) Lone Valley;

(iv) Underdown Avenue;

(v) Maralyn Avenue;

(vi) Dunsbury Way;

(vii) Forth Avenue;

(viii) Hiltingbury Road;

(ix) Spindle Close;

(x) Frogmore Lane;

(xi) Gladys Avenue;

(xii) Hazelton Way;

(xiii) Spring Vale;

(xiv) Cedar Crescent;

(xv) Manor Road;

(xvi) Beach Road;

(xvii) St Georges Road;

(xviii) Wakefords Way;

(xix) Crawley Avenue;

(xx) Oakshott Drive;

(xxi) Rotherwick Close; and

(xxii) Froxfield Road.

Community Safety Initiative (CSI)

6.4 The CSI programme for 2004/05 has been affected by a number of late withdrawals. The programme for the Havant area is as follows and all works have now been completed:

(i) Appleshaw Green, Havant;

(ii) Belmont Grove/Bedhampton Road footpath, Havant;

(iii) Holybourne Road/Petersfield Road footpath, Havant;

(iv) Puffin Walk footpath, Havant; and

(v) Spencer Road, Havant.

6.5 The draft 2005/06 programme can be seen below and the final programme is due to be approved by the Executive Member for Environment on 22 March 2005:

(i) Brockhampton Lane, Havant;

(ii) Mill Lane, Langstone;

(iii) Seafront, Hayling Island;

(iv) Hipley Road, Havant;

(v) Spinnaker Close, Hayling Island; and

(vi) Park Parade, Havant.

Energy

6.6 Following the start of the new supply contract in April 2004, consumption has tended to rise at a higher rate than expected. The reason for the unexpected rise in the early part of the year has been investigated but no clear explanation has arisen. However, this trend has now reduced and energy is expected to be contained within the readjusted budget.

New Computer System

6.7 The new street lighting computer management system Deadsure took over the responsibility of monitoring the street lighting maintenance contract on 8 February 2004. The new system was required as the previous system, SLIMs, was mainframe-based and the mainframe is due to be switched off at the end of March 2005.

6.8 There are still a number of problems to solve but the inclusion of the street lighting GIS database and the expectation of the web browser and mobile field-based operational returns make this an exciting prospect for the future.

Havant Railway Station - Pedestrian Bridge

6.9 Vandals finally damaged the lighting installation on this bridge to such a high degree in late October 2004 that the whole system of lighting needed to be replaced. This was achieved just before Christmas and, apart from a complaint regarding spill light, the new lighting is performing well. The total cost of the scheme was £15,000.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9199/PM