Contact: Michael Rolfe, tel 01730 266411 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines:

(i) progress with the 2004/05 Highway Maintenance Programme;

(ii) details of the 2004/05 Capital Minor Works Programme;

(iii) details of the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Budget;

(iv) details of the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Programme; and

(v) details of the 2005/06 Capital Minor Works Programme.

2. Background

2.1 Members may be aware from previous Panel meetings that the highway maintenance programme is funded from both revenue and capital allocations.

2.2 The revenue maintenance programme funds:

(i) minor works such as pothole repairs;

(ii) routine drainage work including gully cleaning;

(iii) signs and road markings;

(iv) environmental maintenance of grass verges, trees and shrubs;

(v) weed control; and

(vi) highway emergencies.

Minor bridgeworks and winter maintenance are also funded from revenue. Budget allocations are set at a level that ensures the safety 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.

3. Progress with the 2004/05 Highways Maintenance Programme

Revenue Maintenance Programme

3.1 The total allocation for East Hampshire for 2004/05 was £709,000. Progress throughout the year has generally been in line with the spend profile. It is expected that the overall programme will be completed within time and budget constraints. A budget monitoring statement is included within Appendix 1.

Capital Maintenance Programme

3.2 The total allocation for East Hampshire for 2004/05 was £2,481,000. It is expected that the overall programme will be completed within time and budget constraints. A budget monitoring statement is included within Appendix 1.

3.3 A status report detailing progress of all special maintenance, resurfacing and surface dressing is attached as Appendix 2.

4. 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Budget

4.1 This year Hampshire has received a significantly reduced Central Government grant through the Local Transport Plan process. The effect of this, plus other limitations on the budget this year, is a reduced budget for highway maintenance and hence a more limited programme of highway maintenance works.

4.2 The overall Highway Maintenance budget for 2005/06 approved by the Executive Member for Environment is £45.2 million, comprising £21.6 million revenue funding and £23.6 million funding from the Capital Programme provision. The provisional allocations for East Hampshire Revenue and Capital funded works are set out in Appendix 4.

5. 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Programme

Revenue Maintenance Programme

5.1 As described above, the revenue maintenance programme funds three main areas of highway maintenance:

(i) reactive minor repair works on the road and footway network;

(ii) minor traffic management improvements of signs and road markings; and

(iii) environmental aspects of highway maintenance, including grass cutting, weed treatment and tree and shrub maintenance.

5.2 The provisional allocation for East Hampshire in 2005/06 is set out in Appendix 4.

5.3 Additional revenue budgets are held centrally for the performance elements of the County Council's term maintenance contract. The performance based work contained in the contract includes:

(i) gully emptying;

(ii) visibility splay grass cutting;

(iii) winter maintenance; and

(iv) ordinary bridge maintenance.

Capital Maintenance Programme

5.4 The funding allocation for the capital maintenance programme is based on the Highway Assessment Maintenance Priorities (HAMP) rating system and will reflect the agreed intervention levels. The HAMP rating intervention level directs funding to those maintenance schemes displaying a higher `maintenance need'. Details of the 2005/06 allocations are set out in Appendix 3.

5.5 Planned structural maintenance repairs undertaken through the capital maintenance programme include surface dressing, special maintenance and resurfacing schemes. A provisional list of schemes under each of these headings for 2005/06 is attached as Appendix 4.

5.6 The capital maintenance programme also supports the centrally controlled areas of work, including major maintenance schemes and bridge maintenance.

5.7 It is to be noted that revised Health and Safety regulations are increasingly rendering it necessary to impose a Temporary Road Closure Order at many sites where maintenance work is to be undertaken. The width of roadway remaining after providing the required barriers and safety zones around the work location is often insufficient to permit even alternate flows of traffic with traffic signals. This applies particularly with all forms of kerbing work, where manual lifting of any kerbstones is no longer permissible.

6. The Capital Minor Works Programme

6.1 The Capital Minor 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. In the 2004/05 programme £200,000 was allocated county-wide, of which £19,000 was allocated to the East Hampshire district area. The schemes in the programme were:

(i) a new footway from Anstey Bridge to Bentley Station, Bentley; and

(ii) a new footway from South Green Farm to Anstey Bridge, Bentley.

Both schemes have now been constructed.

6.2 The funding allocation for the 2005/06 programme county-wide is again expected to be in the region of £200,000. Subject to final confirmation of the budget it is anticipated that this will enable two schemes to be implemented within the East Hampshire area during this financial year.

Proposals for 2005/06 Programme

6.3 The Capital Minor Works rolling programme is compiled from suggestions made by elected Members, the Police, Parish Councils, Residents' Associations, members of the public and Mobility Groups, etc. A schedule of schemes under consideration for the East Hampshire area is given in Appendix 5. Members are requested to select three schemes from this list that they consider should be given priority.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9178/MR

APPENDIX 1

HAMPSHIRE HIGHWAYS EAST HAMPSHIRE

Revenue Budget 2004/05

Routine Maintenance (carriageway, footway repairs) £307,000

Gully Cleansing £20,000

District Managed Grass £94,000

Aids to Movement (lines and signs) £56,000

Environmental (grass, trees, shrubs) £82,000

Weed Control £46,000

Hazard Clearance £104,000

Total: £709,000

Capital Budget 2004/05 Principal Roads

Principal Roads Routine Structural Repairs £45,000

Principal Roads Special Maintenance £210,000

Principal Roads Resurfacing £14,000

Total: £269,000

Capital Budget 2004/05 Non-Principal Roads

Non-Principal Roads Routine Structural Repairs £413,000

Non-Principal Roads Special Maintenance £374,000

Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing £594,000

Footway Maintenance £115,000

Non-Principal Roads Tactile Paving Crossing Points £7,000

Total: £1,503,000

Total Maintenance Budget Allocation East Hampshire £2,481,000

APPENDIX 2

SPECIAL MAINTENANCE and RESURFACING PROGRAMME 2004/05

The Surface Dressing programme for carriageways for 2004/05 was completed.

APPENDIX 3

2005/06 Provisional Funding Allocation

Revenue Budget 2005/06

Main Allocation

Routine Maintenance (carriageway, footway repairs) £351,000

Gully Cleansing £30,000

District Grass Cutting £129,000

Aids to Movement (lines and signs) £64,000

Environmental (grass, trees, shrubs) £70,000

Weed Control £37,000

Hazard Clearance £20,000

Total: £701,000

Capital Budget - Principal Roads

Principal Roads Routine Structural Repairs £40,000

Principal Roads Special Maintenance £300,000

Principal Roads Resurfacing £130,000

Total: £470,000

Capital Budget - Non-Principal Roads

Non-Principal Roads Routine Structural Repairs £393,000

Non-Principal Roads Special Maintenance £149,000

Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing £229,000

Non-Principal Roads Tactile Paving Crossing Points £7,000

Total: £778,000

Total Maintenance Budget Allocation East Hampshire £1,949,000

APPENDIX 4

2005/06 PROVISIONAL SPECIAL MAINTENANCE, RESURFACING AND SURFACE DRESSING PROGRAMME

MINOR CAPITAL (UNDER £10,000) SCHEMES APPENDIX 5