Archived decisions

Contact: Kevin Fuller, tel (02380) 427000 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) Hampshire Country Towns Initiative;

(iv) Development Related Works; and

(v) Street Lighting.

2. Intelligent Transport Systems (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, the operation of the highway network as result of the Traffic Management Act.

2.2 The former Executive Member for Environment approved expenditure of £200,000 in the 2005/06 Transport Capital Programme for extending the implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems (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 Test Valley is as follows:

(i) new pedestrian and cycle crossings at the existing traffic signals at the junction of Castle Lane and Templars Way, Knightwood, Chandlers Ford, are complete;

(ii) a new Puffin crossing at Eastern Avenue, Andover, partly funded by developer contributions and partly by the 2004/05 pedestrian facilities programme, is now operational;

(iii) Newbury Road, near Enham Arch railway bridge, Andover. New development funded Puffin crossing will be installed in the autumn; and

(iv) a Bus Departure Information System (BDIS) summary display for Andover bus station, was installed in October 2005. The Romsey Bus Station BDIS is substantially completed with system testing underway.

3. Bridgeworks

3.1 This programme summarises:

(i) schemes started in 2004/05, but carrying over into 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 (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 substandard 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 been started that will continue over several years, as funding is made available.

Aluminium parapets

3.7 The Highways Agency has identified that aluminium vehicle parapets made by BACO and 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.

4. Street Lighting

Maintenance Contract 2002/07

4.1 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 present due to the commissioning time for the new computer system.

4.2 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' 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.

Column Replacement Programme 2005/06

4.3 A £1.8 million programme of work is planned for 2005/06 and commenced in late March 2005. The programme for the Test Valley area is as follows:

Icknield Way, Andover - works completed July 2005

Picton Road, Andover - works completed July 2005

Woodley Estate footpaths, Romsey - works programmed to start mid-October 2005

Richmond Lane, Romsey - works started October 2005

Pheasant Close, Barton Stacey - works completed June 2005

The Green, Barton Stacey - works completed June 2005

Community Safety Initiative 2005/06

4.4 No bids were received for this year from the Test Valley area.

Energy

4.5 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

4.6 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.

5. Impact Assessments

5.1 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

561/KF

APPENDIX 1

COUNTY COUNCIL HELD DEVELOPER FUNDING APPENDIX 2

Current Programme

£3,238,000 £1,554,000 £670,311.92

Total Held to fund the above Capital Programme Schemes ........................................... £807,057.16

Possible Future Schemes

Total funding allocated to future schemes .............................................................................. £33,902.40

Maintenance: ..................................................................................................... £30,805.62

Maintenance of soakaways - Andover

Bus shelter maintenance - Romsey

Maintenance of Bunny Lane

Maintenance of Soakaways - Nursling **

Unallocated ...................................................................................................... £491,497.13

Total Held: ...................................................................................................... £1,363,262.31

Contributions Received since last HTAP included in above

Possible Future Funding

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