Archived decisions

Contact: Dominic McGrath, ext 6054 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 A possible Transport Capital Programme for 2006/07 was presented to the last meeting of the Panel that took into account the likely funding available and the emerging priorities for the new Local Transport Plan (LTP).

1.2 This report provides a list of potential schemes for the area strategy programme that is put forward for Members to comment, consider priorities and, subject to those considerations, endorse. The report also repeats the indicative county-wide programme presented at the last Panel meeting. It should be stressed that the final content of all the county-wide and area programmes will be subject to the actual funding levels yet to be set by Central Government.

2. Background

2.1 The Department for Transport (DfT) has previously 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 later this year. It is understood that this allocation will be based on a funding formula derived by Central Government. The implications of this formula for Hampshire are not yet known, but it could result in a lower allocation than the suggested £13.093 million. Hence there is a strong possibility that the possible programmes contained in this report will need to be reviewed and potentially revised downwards. However, in terms of forward planning it is important to have at least an indicative list of schemes and projects at this time in order to ensure that a full programme can be delivered in 2006/07.

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. In recent years this has meant planning for a programme level of £11 to £12 million (of which £7 million would be delivered in the start year and the remaining expenditure being carried forward into the following year).

2.3 Experience shows that some projects are found to be unsuitable during

development or are unduly 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 programme is prepared at a higher level of approximately £15 million.

3. Potential Area Strategy Programmes

3.1 Appendix 1 sets out the officers' recommendations for the area strategies and a brief description of each scheme or project and how it relates to County Council and DfT objectives and indicators.

3.2 Taking account of a potential county-wide programme of £8.4 million (shown in appendix 2), out of the suggested potential total programme of £15 million, £6.6 million remains for area strategy schemes. Where schemes will be partly funded from development it is only the County Council share of the investment that is counted against the £6.6 million total. In terms of need and scale of transport problems it is considered reasonable to suggest that the largest allocations should be allocated to the Solent and North Hampshire areas, followed by the Central Hampshire and New Forest areas. In broad terms the identified potential schemes listed in Appendix 1 result in the following totals (excluding external funding):

Solent £4,070,000

North Hampshire £2,030,000

Central Hampshire £1,100,000

New Forest £550,000

3.3 These totals exceed the indicative £6.6 million but this does allow flexibility in determining a final programme, taking into account the present uncertainty about actual funding levels and further work confirming the deliverability of schemes. Members are invited to consider priorities to assist in producing a final programme.

3.4 Each Transport Strategy Panel is being asked to comment on, and subject to those comments, endorse the list of possible schemes and advise the Executive Members for Environment accordingly.

Recommendations

That the Panel

(i) notes that the overall cost of the possible pool of county-wide and area strategy schemes listed in the report exceeds the actual level of funding likely to be allocated by central government, but this is necessary in order to ensure adequate forward planning;

(ii) notes that the actual programme will be subject to the level of funding yet to be confirmed by Central Government; and

(iii) be requested, subject to any views expressed at the meeting, to endorse the list of possible area strategy schemes.

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Appendix 1

Potential NFTS Schemes for 2006-07

Lyndhurst Approaches Signing and Traffic Management - £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. Associated traffic measures at the junction in Lyndhurst High Street are also to be developed.

Objectives - Environment, Community

LTP targets - Air Quality, congestion (possible).

New Forest Car Free Tourism - £150,000

Purchase of vehicles or grants towards purchase in support of tourist bus services to operate in the New Forest to encourage non-car tourism.

Objectives - Environment, Economy, Tourism, Countryside Access

LTP targets - Bus patronage, Air Quality

New Street Lymington, Town Centre Accessibility £100,000

New Street is a busy, well used pedestrian route from a town centre car park to the High Street. The footway and crossing facilities are currently very poor as widths' are restrictive and do not allow pedestrians easy passage to the shopping area. The proposal involves improving the junction with the High Street by raising the carriageway surface and highlighting the desired crossing point. The remainder of the one-way section could also be raised to a shared level surface to improve accessibility and standards of use

Objectives - Environment, Safety, Market Towns, Economy, Tourism,

LTP targets - Accessibility, Safety

Appendix 2

County-wide Indicative Allocations 2006/07

1. Casualty Reduction Programme - £3,000,000.

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.

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