Contact: Brian Millen, tel (01256) 764444 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers a wide range of activities undertaken by specialist teams within the Environment Department and gives details on programmes for:

(i) Intelligent Transport Systems;

(ii) Bridgeworks;

(iii) Regeneration of Older Urban Areas;

(iv) Development Related Works; and

(v) Street Lighting.

2. Intelligent Transport Systems Group (ITS)

2.1 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. Further responsibility now sits with the ITS group for the monitoring of and improvement to operation of the highway network, as a result of the Traffic Management Act.

2.2 The Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management approved expenditure of £200,000 in the 2005/06 Transport Capital Programme, for extending the implementation of ITS in Hampshire. Buses operating in the Eastleigh area will be fitted with automatic vehicle location technology so that they can be tracked and incorporated into the county-wide real time passenger information system (STOPWATCH). The funding will also allow Hampshire and Portsmouth Real Time Information (RTI) systems to be integrated, allowing bus data and information exchange and the provision of real time information on services in the Havant, Gosport and Fareham areas. This information will be provided on electronic displays at bus stops and via the internet and mobile phones.

2.3 The continuing development of the Hampshire Traffic and Travel Information Centre (TTIC) in Winchester has enabled a number of systems to be deployed and operated in Hampshire. Collectively these applications help provide improved traffic and travel information and contribute to the delivery of the County Council's transport policies. The provision of timely and accurate information can help reduce congestion, manage incidents and improve accessibility. The funding will allow further improvement to the central systems in the TTIC, enhancing information collection and outputs. The work will also provide the basis for developing tailored and personalised journey planning and travel information.

2.4 Progress on schemes during 2005/06 within Hart is as follows:

(i) As part of environmental improvements in Fleet town centre, the three existing Pelican crossings are to be relocated and changed to Puffins, with one additional Puffin crossing to be located near Church Road. The detailed designs are ongoing and the scheme will be delivered in 2005/06.

(ii) New puffin crossing at Fleet Road, Hartley Wintney. This scheme, which had been delayed due to complications relating to common land issues, is now expected to be progressed during 2005/06.

(iii) Modifications to the traffic signals at the Hawley Lane, Fernhill crossroads near Blackwater to provide a separate right turn stage for traffic turning south into Fernhill Road is now complete, including anti-skid surfacing.

(iv) New, externally funded Toucan crossing at Dunley's Hill, North Warnborough is on schedule for completion in this financial year.

(v) Work on part of the traffic signal junction at Blackwater requiring repair to the no right turn signal, repair of a duct and separating Vicarage Road and White Hart Parade approaches, completed August 2005.

3. Bridgeworks

3.1 This programme summarises:

(i) schemes started in 2004/05, but carrying over in to 2005/06; and

(ii) schemes due to start in 2005/06.

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

3.3 Raynesway Construction Southern Limited (RCS) carry 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

3.4 Most work on bridges is capital funded via the Local Transport Plan (LTP), but inspections, routine maintenance and environmental maintenance of subways are revenue funded.

Load Assessment and Strengthening

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

Road/Rail Interfaces

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

Aluminium Parapets

3.7 The Highways Agency have identified that aluminium vehicle parapets made by BACO, installed before 1994, are not to current standards. All such parapets on county bridges were prioritised and RCS completed a contract for their replacement between September 2004 and April 2005. Three bridges, in East Hampshire, Eastleigh and Rushmoor, were omitted from this contract for operational reasons and were carried over to 2005/06.

Works in the Hart Area

Malthouse Bridge, Church Crookham

3.8 This Grade II listed brick arch, that carries The Street over the Basingstoke Canal at Church Crookham, has a 7.5 tonne weight limit and restricted width, particularly for pedestrians. In April 2004, a handrail was provided on the north parapet of the bridge and, between March and June 2005, Mildren Construction installed a new steel footbridge just to the south of the road bridge.

Crondall Road Retaining Wall, Crookham

3.9 This retaining wall supports the C46, Crondall Road, on the west side of a branch of the River Hart, just north of the A287. The wall was undercut in several areas and a specialist contractor, SSE Limited, carried out repairs in February 2005. Remedial works to the fencing were carried out in August 2005.

Elvetham Road, Fleet, Road/Rail Interface

3.10 Network Rail are being consulted about protective measures for the lengths of Elvetham Road, C401, that run close to the Southampton/Waterloo railway line, west of Fleet Station. Work is planned to be carried out in 2005/06 and details of timing and traffic management will follow.

Aluminium Parapets

3.11 RCS replaced parapets on four bridges in the Hart area during November and December 2004; Coxheath Road bridge over the Basingstoke Canal in Church Crookham and three bridges on the A287 Odiham Bypass.

4. Regeneration of Older Urban Areas

4.1 Detailed proposals are now under development for a first phase of improvements in Yateley, utilising funding from the Regeneration of Older Urban Areas 2003/05 programme, the Local Transport Plan and other sources. The scheme is integral to the emerging Yateley Village Design Framework.

4.2 The scheme for the Church End Green area of Yateley town centre was displayed at consultation events in May and June 2005. The proposals received a good level of support and a Traffic Regulation Order process has been initiated.

4.3 The anticipated start date for construction on the Church End Green scheme is spring 2006.

5. Development Related Works

5.1 Development related works carried out within the Hart District Council area by Hampshire Highways are set out in Appendix 1. Details of external funding and schemes relevant to that funding held by the County Council's Environment Department are detailed in Appendix 2.

6. Street Lighting

Maintenance Contract 2002/2007

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 from `calendar' to `working' days. It is not possible to be more precise at the present time due to the commissioning time for the new computer system.

6.2 The partnership arrangement has now been in place for six months, there have been some changes to the assessment of the contractor's performance, such as changing the method of time measurement from `calendar' days to `working' days and reducing the number of days to complete works in general. The new arrangements have split the original Street Lighting Team into two new groups with the Contract Delivery Team located mainly at Cosham working alongside the Contractor and the Corporate Management Team at Winchester dealing with public interface, probity and audit, as well as the management of the Community Safety Initiative, new works and the Column Replacement Programme.

Community Safety Initiative 2005/06

6.3 The programme for 2005/06 is as follows:

Potley Hill Phase 2, Yateley - scheme withdrawn by Town Council.

Other Schemes

6.4 Cove Road, Fleet - works reported as complete.

6.5 Moulsham Lane, Yateley - works reported as complete.

Energy

6.6 Following the start of the new supply contract in April 2004, consumption has tended to rise at a slightly higher rate than expected but still within budget. The main problem facing the County Council is, however, the prospective increase of 70% plus in energy costs in April, 2006 when a new supply contract will be required.

New Computer System

6.7 The new street lighting computer management system, Deadsure, designed to monitor the street lighting maintenance contract, became operational on 10 February 2005. The new system was required as the previous system, SLIMs, was mainframe-based and the mainframe was switched off at the end of March 2005. There are still a number of problems to resolve, particularly as regards data and reports, 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 innovative system for the future.

7. Impact Assessments

7.1 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.

558/BM

COUNTY COUNCIL HELD DEVELOPER FUNDING APPENDIX 2

Current Programme

£

Total Held to fund the above Capital programme Schemes ...................... .................. 2,473,061

Possible Future Schemes

Total funding allocated to future schemes above..................................... ........................... 1,217,163

Maintenance: .................................................................................................. 11,064

Traffic Signal Maintenance London Road, Blackwater

Anti-skid surfacing, Blackwater

Bus Services: ........................................................................................................... 146,388

Elvetham, Fleet

Hook

Unallocated .................................................................................................... 534,765

Total Held: ..................................................................................................... 4,382,441

Contributions Received since last HTAP and included in above *

Possible Future Funding

Note: The above will only produce contributions IF the development proceeds.