Contact: Peter Syddall, ext 6050 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.

341/PS

Appendix 1

Potential North Hampshire Transport Strategy schemes for 2006-07

Basingstoke and Deane

A33/A339 and A33 Popley Way, Basingstoke -£3.4 million LTP (including External Funding (EF), funding split to be confirmed)

Objectives - Safety, Safe and Strong communities.

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

Improvements at two junctions on A33 producing safety benefits at the second highest casualty location in the County, increased traffic control (through the installation of traffic signals), bus priority measures and pedestrian and cycle facilities that promote new routes to the town centre. Scheme deferred for further investigation but anticipated that this could be started during 2005-06 with the majority of works taking place in 2006-07. Significant developer contributions will be available.

The scheme is to be assessed against the Basingstoke land use and transport model to ensure that it will be future proof.

Quality Bus Partnerships - Basingstoke - Chineham (Route 2) £200,000

A continuing programme of improved passenger facilities and information systems which are proving successful in encouraging bus use.

Objectives - Improved services, Accessibility.

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

Basingstoke ITS Strategy - £300,000 LTP

Objectives - Contributes to 4 Corporate Strategy Objectives

LTP targets - Town Centre Access, congestion (Future)

This scheme involves the enhanced development of ITS within Basingstoke and Deane. A local strategy for the deployment of ITS measures is being formulated. The first stage of such a strategy will be the roll out of CCTV surveillance.

Timberlake Road Subway Improvements/Enhancements £200,000 LTP (plus EF)

Objectives - Strong and Safe Communities, Personal Security, Accessibility.

LTP targets - Town Centre Access, Severance.

Timberlake subway is unattractive, narrow, cramped and is also susceptible to flooding. Despite this over 3000 pedestrians were recorded using the subway during the winter of 2004. It provides a link to the town centre and station from the South West of Basingstoke including the Basingstoke College of Technology. Feasibility studies are considering low costs improvements involving making the best of the existing infrastructure and higher cost improvements involving subway widening and public space improvements.

Chapel Hill Improvements - £100,000 LTP (plus EF)

Objectives - Communities, safety, widen travel choice

LTP Objectives - Range of bus indicators, town centre access and cycling

A scheme is required to provide facilities for pedestrian movements across this junction. The junction causes severance between a new low car residential development to the west of the Station in Basingstoke. The scheme should include bus priority and enforcement mechanism for buses accessing the bus link to the station.

Alencon Link Bus Interchange Improvements - £100,000 LTP (plus EF)

Objectives - Improved services, Accessibility, widen travel choices

LTP Objectives - Range of bus indicators and town centre access

The scheme is required to improve interchange between buses, the station and the shopping centre. At present the length of bus bays is insufficient to allow all buses to route through the station.

Potential Externally Funded schemes:

Basingstoke Missing Footways (Gershwin Road)

Objectives - Strong and Safe Communities, Personal Security, Accessibility, liveability and public realm improvements

LTP Targets - Traffic reduction, Access

The scheme involves the implementation of missing footways and other pedestrian facilities within the area of Gershwin Road.

New Street Bus Contraflow

Objectives - Accessibility, Improved Services, Widen Travel Choice,

LTP Objectives - Range of bus indicators, town centre access and cycling

The scheme is highlighted by the bus operator Stagecoach as the single most important bus scheme in the District. It is totally funded by EF and covers the cost of construction within the first year of operation. Over a million bus customers a year would experience significant time saving benefit from the improvement. There are some concerns about possible congestion the scheme may cause and from local businesses, about loading facilities. Within 2005-06 work will be progressed to address as far as possible these concerns.

Rushmoor

North Camp Phase II - £250,000 LTP

Objectives - Safety and Safe Communities

LTP objectives - better traffic management, a range of bus indicators and accessibility

The scheme will build on the trial currently in operation in Park Road. This seeks to tackle the issue of high levels of through traffic within predominantly residential areas of the A325, A331 and Lychford Road triangle.

Potential Externally Funded Schemes:

Farnborough Town Centre Access Improvements/Solartron Road

Objectives - Congestion, improved services, accessibility

LTP objectives - a range of bus indicators, increasing cycling, congestion reduction

The scheme seeks to address a congestion problem experienced on Solartron Road by providing an additional exit and entrance to the Asda car park and making the Solartron Road Entrance and exit, in only. and town centre car park. In addition to this the opportunity to provide dedicated bus priority to serve the town centre and complete missing links in the cycle and pedestrian networks will be investigated.

Vehicle Activated Signals Aldershot

Objectives - Improved services, congestion

LTP objectives -a range of bus indicators and accessibility

The scheme is to implement bus priority measures at a signal junction in Aldershot. There are no adverse impact of traffic flow and initial business case work indicates that the scheme should pay for itself within the first year of operation.

Hart

Sandhurst Lane Yateley - £80,000 LTP

Objectives - Safety and safe communities

LTP Objectives - Contributes to safety, access/severance and cycle targets

The scheme was identified in the B3272 consultation. It involves implementing a shared use footway on a short stretch of road Sandhurst Road. This will provide a pedestrian and cycle link between Yateley and schools and Sandhurst rail station in Wokingham District.

Potential Externally Funded Scheme:

Holt Lane Hook CycleWay

Objectives - widen travel choices, safety

LTP Objectives - Contributes to safety, town centre access and cycle targets

It will provide a new cycle route between an edge of centre residential development and the main shopping area in Hook.

Appendix 2

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.

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.

5. 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) .

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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).

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

341/PS