Contact: Andy Viccars, tel 01329 824591 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report reviews the traffic management programme for 2005/06 undertaken by Fareham Borough Council.

2. Introduction

2.1 Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and Traffic Investigation Programmes are approved by the Fareham Borough Council Executive after consultation with County Council officers. The programmes for 2005/06 were approved in April 2005.

2.2 Appendices 1 and 2 attached show the approved programmes and progress to date. In addition to the sites for TROs shown in Appendix 1, the Executive agreed to the implementation of Phase 6 of the `No Parking on Grass Verges' Programme.

3. Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1 The funding allocation for 2005/06 is £14,000 for routine TROs. A further £14,000 has been allocated specifically for the implementation of Phase 6 of the `No Parking on Grass Verges' programme. One site (Sweethills Crescent) shown in Appendix 1 was funded by developers. It is anticipated that the final Orders implemented after investigations will match the annual allocation of funds for the 2005/06 financial year. This includes some sites included in the 2004/05 programme which could not be progressed last year due to lack of funds.

3.2 An additional TRO was pursued during 2004/05 as a result of investigations carried out by the Casualty Reduction Partnership. This Order, a change to the speed limit on a section of West Street, Portchester, will be brought into force in November 2005. It is possible that developer funding will be secured for this Order.

3.3 Additional TROs are included in some capital schemes currently being progressed. This includes Highlands Road Environmental Improvement Scheme and Portchester Home Zone These will be processed in accordance with the scheme programme and will be funded from the allocated budget.

3.4 Temporary road closures and diversions for road works, including works carried out by the public utility companies, are now processed by the Borough Council. The temporary closures are processed on request and include closures requiring an Order, those that can be dealt with by site notices and emergency closures.

4. Traffic Investigations

4.1 The Market Quay Development is complete and officially open to the public. Involvement in the completion and handing over of the car park, cycleway, footway and taxi rank has resulted in minor delays to the traffic investigations programme.

4.2 Funding is released by the County Council for specific schemes through the Hampshire Local Transport Plan (LTP) and from developer contributions. District Councils have been asked to continue providing assistance to deliver schemes from the LTP programme. In particular this financial year Fareham will assist in delivering off-site highway improvements associated with the `Safer Routes to School' programme. These schemes have therefore been included in Fareham's programme in addition to the normal programme of traffic investigations.

4.3 The 2005/06 traffic investigation programme includes ongoing schemes from previous years and is set out in Appendix 2.

5. Fareham Decriminalised Parking

5.1 The Borough Council has set aside a sum of £175,000 to introduce decriminalised parking. Drafting of the application to Central Government has commenced and once the Agency Agreement has been drafted and agreed the consultation process will commence. Preparation for implementing the scheme is under way and a senior officer steering group has been set up. The review of TROs, lines and signs has been carried out and a schedule of defects produced. The Orders are being entered into a mapping system, ready to consolidate them under the 1991 Road Traffic Act. Discussions are in progress with Havant, Gosport, Eastleigh, Winchester and Test Valley Councils to see if there are any opportunities for joint working to make use of economies of scale.

6. Other Highway Related Schemes

Crofton Lane Shops

6.1 Environmental improvements to the footway, lay-by and private forecourts on the frontage of the parade of shops are substantially complete. Delay to works occurred due to the original contractor going into administration. However, works have been completed by Swanwick Construction Limited. The scheme, valued at £35,000, has been jointly funded by Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council

Highlands Road Shopping Precinct

6.2 An environmental improvement scheme, primarily to the public highway, is progressing with substantial completion due in September. These works have included the resurfacing of both the private forecourt and public footways to the frontage of the shops, rearrangement and resurfacing of the parking layout and reconstruction of the adjacent footways in Highlands Road, Stow Crescent and Gudge Heath Lane. Also included are additional seats, cycle parking, planting and railings. The scheme, valued at £170,000, has been jointly funded by Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.

7. Air Quality Monitoring

7.1 Local authorities have a statutory duty for local air quality management (LAQM) under the Environment Act 1995. They are required to carry out regular reviews and assessments of air quality in their area against standards and objectives in the national Air Quality Strategy and which have been prescribed in regulations for the purpose of LAQM. Where it is found these are unlikely to be met, authorities must designate Air Quality Management Areas and prepare and implement remedial air quality action plans to tackle the problem.

7.2 As part of the review and assessment process a detailed Air Quality Assessment was submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in July 2005. Defra responded stating its view that there is enough evidence to declare an Air Quality Management Area, in respect of nitrogen dioxide, for Gosport Road, Fareham. The Council is therefore starting the process of declaring an AQMA for Gosport Road, Fareham. The Council's Executive has approved £14,000 for real-time continuous monitoring of nitrogen dioxide, the results of which will be used as part of the further assessment process to ascertain if the AQMA is correctly positioned or is still necessary.

7.3 It is important that when an AQMA is declared, work needs to begin on the formulation of an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). This will include an appraisal of the measures that may need to be considered in order to reduce concentrations within the AQMA with the aim of meeting the air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide. As the main source of nitrogen dioxide is from local traffic, the Action Plan will need to be incorporated into the Local Transport Planning Progress Report for putting in place action plans which by their nature are multi-disciplinary and will involve a number of departments within Fareham Borough Council, Hampshire County Council as well as other agencies.

8. Impact Assessment

8.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has not been undertaken.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9302/AV

APPENDIX 1

LIST OF TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDERS 2005/06

*County Interest

APPENDIX 2

PROGRAMME OF SCHEMES AND TRAFFIC INVESTIGATIONS 2005/06

(COMPLETED AND PROGRESSING)