Archived decisions

Contact: Richard Cowling, ext 5202 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The County Council's Transport Capital Programme identifies funding for individually named integrated transport improvement schemes and also includes other county-wide improvement programmes and block budget allocations.

1.2 The table below shows the county-wide improvement programmes that are applicable and identifies the funding allocation made from the Local Transport Plan (LTP) for 2005/06. The table also identifies where further information about the works appropriate to each programme can be found on the agenda.

1.3 This report provides a progress report on the named integrated transport schemes within the 2005/06 Transport Capital Programme, as approved by the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management on 13 September 2005, for implementation in the Winchester area. These are summarised in the attached appendix. The report also provides a progress update on schemes started in earlier programmes which were incomplete at the last meeting.

1.4 Individual schemes within the Transport Capital Programme are financed from the LTP, which consists of Central Government supported capital expenditure (SCE). In addition, schemes may receive external funding (EF) from developers or other contributors.

2. Transport Capital Schemes 2002/03

Knowle Village Bus Service £187,500

2.1 This scheme provides improved bus services in and around the new Knowle Village residential development. Initial enhancements to Service 19 commenced in September 2001. The hydraulic bollard gate, which allows access into the development for buses, is now fully operational with the maintenance issues resolved.

2.2 Service 94 was retendered as part of the 2005 retendering of bus service subsidy contracts in the Fareham and Gosport areas. As a result, from 24 July 2005, First continue to run the 94 but to a new timetable that gives Knowle a more regularly timed service throughout the day. This was the earliest opportunity to take the 94 in and out of Knowle via the bus gate, but operational constraints meant that only certain journeys could be routed via the Knowle village loop. The Wednesday evening leisure bus 91 has been withdrawn and instead a 6-month trial contract has been placed (commencing July 2005) with a local taxi firm running a weekly pre-book minibus. Membership of this scheme could be extended to Knowle if the trial is successful.

3. Transport Capital Schemes 2003/04

Bishop's Waltham Footway £54,000 LTP, £2,000 EF

3.1 This scheme includes a change of priorities at the junction of Bank Street and Free Street, together with improvements to aid pedestrians. The layout of these measures has been trialled using temporary materials, which has identified problems with a section of footway build-out on the south side of Bank Street, where limited visibility has made use of the priority system difficult for drivers. It is now proposed that the successful change of priority at the Bank Street/Free Street junction is made permanent and that the build-out on the south side of Bank Street be removed. A revised pedestrian provision involving a footway on the north side of Bank Street has been trialled using temporary guard railing to cordon off part of the carriageway. This has been generally well received by the community and Bishops Waltham Parish Council. Works commenced in September 2005 with an expected duration of 3-4 weeks to form the footway as a permanent measure providing a continuous link from Free Street towards the town centre.

Barfield Park and Ride Extension (Land in Mitigation) £3,200,000 EF

3.2 The project to develop the mitigation land at Magdalen North Down into a butterfly conservation area is proceeding as planned. All major construction works (footpaths, sunken walkway and fencing/gating) are now complete. The major planting and landscaping work is complete. Due to the need to work around the construction phase, the sowing of specialist wildflower seeds is being done in two phases. The first phase of seeding new was completed last year. The second and final stage will take place this autumn. Work to control weed growth in the unseeded areas has been continuous since the spring. The ground must be substantially weed free before it can be cultivated in preparation for sowing. It is planned that the site will be officially opened early next summer, to give sufficient time for the site to `mature' to a suitable degree. The site has been open to the public since the spring and there have already been events organised by Butterfly Conservation to attract disabled groups to the site. Feedback to date has been encouraging although some people have expressed disappointment that the only car parking provided on site is available to disabled badge holders only. Negotiations are ongoing between Hampshire County Council Estates and Butterfly Conservation (BC) regarding the formal handover of the site to BC (for a 21 year lease period) and the commencement of annual maintenance payments to BC for the upkeep of the site.

Romsey Road Corridor Improvements £60,000 LTP

3.3 This scheme, which was substantially completed in July 2004, consists of a series of minor footway and traffic management improvements identified in an earlier consultation exercise to improve pedestrian facilities along the Romsey Road corridor. These measures consist of a new pedestrian refuge on Romsey Road near the entrance to Police Headquarters and further works, such as dropped kerb crossings, tactile paving and localised resurfacing, along Romsey Road to the roundabout at Badger Farm Road. The stop line at the junction with St James' Lane has been repositioned to improve visibility from the side road with the aid of an edge of carriageway marking on the southern side of the road. Following completion of the main works on the Romsey Road corridor, the stage 3 safety audit recommended a number of minor amendments to the lining, which were carried out in March 2005.

4. Transport Capital Schemes 2004/05

B2177/B3354 Colden Common £200,000 LTP

4.1 This traffic management scheme consisted of lowering the speed limit along the B3354 through the village from 40 miles per hour (mph) to 30 mph. New gateways were located at the start of the new 30 mph limit on the approaches to the village from the north and south. Other measures included edge of carriageway white lining, pedestrian central islands and traffic islands and resurfacing the carriageway. The scheme was completed in March 2005. Post-scheme monitoring of vehicle speeds through the village was carried out in September 2005 and showed a reduction in surveyed speeds of between 5 and 10 mph. Speeds are now consistent with the new 30 mph limit. In addition to the traffic management scheme the bus stop poles along the length of the scheme will be upgraded in October 2005.

Denmead Traffic Management £200,000 LTP, £20,000 EF

4.2 This proposal forms a package of traffic calming and traffic management improvements in Denmead which includes the provision of improved speed limit gateway signing, pedestrian refuges on Hambledon Road and Forest Road and minor footway improvements including localised enhancements at bus stops. Works commenced on-site in July 2005 with completion expected in Autumn 2005.

4.3 Further measures are proposed at the junction of Hambledon Road and Southwick Road that include road markings and coloured surface areas to influence motorists to reduce speed and to guide drivers manoeuvring at the junction. A public consultation exercise was undertaken in October 2003 and preliminary design work is currently underway. Further consultation with the Parish Council has been ongoing to finalise the proposals.

Central Hampshire Transportation Strategy (CHTS) Village Initiatives £60,000 LTP

4.4 Village initiative schemes have been completed in West Meon and in Hambledon. The scheme in West Meon consisted of a minor improvement to aid pedestrians crossing the A32 and was completed in August 2003. The scheme in Hambledon consisted of traffic management works aimed at speed management in the village and consisted of improved village entry gateways, modifications to the B2150 junction with West Street and other traffic management improvements on the B2150. These measures were completed in September 2003. A village initiative scheme has recently been implemented in Easton (works completed in August 2005), involving a change of priorities at a the junction of Easton Lane and Chapel Lane to influence traffic speed reduction through the village centre.

5. Transport Capital Schemes 2005/06

Sparkford Road Traffic Management £40,000 LTP, £5,000 EF

5.1 Sparkford Road lies on the west side of Winchester City and runs between St. James' Lane and Airlie Road. This scheme was originally intended to be a sub-scheme within the Romsey Road Corridor improvement works mentioned previously in this report. It aims to better manage vehicle speeds along the steep gradient of Sparkford Road in the vicinity of the entrance to University College Winchester. The University generates substantial pedestrian and motor traffic and there is insufficient footway infrastructure to safely facilitate this traffic. The scheme will create a new footway link into the University from opposite the entrance to the cemetery and a link out of the University for pedestrians travelling north towards St. James' Lane. This new footway will end at the northern-most traffic calming build-out, which will itself be modified to include drop kerbs to make crossing Sparkford Road at this point easier. The traffic calming build-out to the south of the University entrance will have its priority reversed so that vehicles travelling up hill will have the priority. This is being done to allow the larger vehicles that use Sparkford Road (buses and maintenance/delivery vehicles servicing the University) to maintain momentum up the hill. This measure will also help lower speeds down the hill as vehicles travelling down hill will now have to give way at both build-outs, rather than only the upper one. Finally, to allow easier passing of large vehicles and thus remove the need for vehicles to mount the footway on the West side of Sparkford Road, a new vehicle overrun area will be added. Potential damage to tree roots has precluded this overrun area being placed at what was considered to be the ideal location.

5.2 Detailed design is now complete and the University is in agreement with the details of the scheme. A Project Appraisal for the scheme was submitted in August and it is intended that works will commence in October this year. It is intended that the University will construct a small part of the scheme. This is because the University is currently applying for planning permission for a new Students' Union facility to replace an existing building adjacent to the road. The new footpath link from opposite the cemetery entrance is in the immediate vicinity of this new building and hence the building works areas overlap, and would therefore be affected by the construction of the new building if it were implemented beforehand.

Winchester Real-Time Information replacement £350,000 LTP

5.3 Real-Time Information (RTI) systems play a key role in improving information regarding bus services, assist in enhancing the passenger experience and in promoting bus travel as an alternative to the car. An RTI system has been deployed in Winchester since 1995/96 but is becoming obsolete making operation and maintenance increasingly difficult. Works are now underway to upgrade Winchester's RTI system as part of the county-wide STOPWATCH RTI contract. New Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology is now being fitted to the Stagecoach bus fleet operating out of Winchester. 30 bus stops will benefit from new displays which will advise passengers of bus arrivals. Works are scheduled to be completed by the end of the financial year. RTI will also be disseminated on the internet and via mobile phone messaging.

Fontley Road Footway (near Fareham) £100,000 EF

5.4 This scheme resulted from the new housing development at Knowle Village, near Fareham. There are minimal existing pedestrian facilities between the M27 over-bridge and the junction with Segensworth Road. Pedestrians are forced to walk along the carriageway, which has a 40 mph speed limit. This scheme will result in a new footway along the west side of Fontley Road, between the nurseries at the north end of Fontley Road and the bus stops at the southern end.

5.5 A feasibility study was completed in February 2004. This identified five options for placement of the footway. This was narrowed down to two options when issues such as personal security were considered. After further consideration and consultation, a single option was identified for progression into preliminary design. This design is for a footway to be constructed on the east side of Fontley Road (the same side as the houses). To accommodate this, the carriageway for a half-mile length will need to be realigned and a priority build-out installed for traffic passing under the rail bridge. Work on preliminary design began in July 2005 and was completed in August. The scheme is now on hold until a budget for implementation can be found, as due to the physical constraints of the location all of the viable options from the feasibility report require more funds that those originally allocated to the scheme. All scheme stakeholders have been consulted and support the basis for the preliminary design.

Knowle Village to Funtley Footpath (near Fareham) £40,000 EF

5.6 As with the Fontley Road Footway scheme described above, this scheme emanates from the Knowle Village development. The purpose of the scheme is to mitigate for the extra vehicular traffic resulting from the development by improving an existing rural footpath between the site and Funtley village. This footpath, which is an existing public right of way (footpath number 85), runs down the east side of the railway line and then cuts across farmland until it reaches Funtley. The surface of the footpath is in a poor condition and can become very wet underfoot during the winter months. One portion of the footpath suffers from overgrown vegetation on each side which makes the path unpleasant to walk along. The improvements to the footpath consist of a new surface in places, consisting of limestone scalpings to retain the rural nature of the path, new kissing gates to replace the existing styles (which are suitable for use by medium sized disabled equipment such as wheel chairs) and a trimming back of the overgrown vegetation.

5.7 Detailed design of the footpath improvement was completed in August 2005. However, the location of the site prevents easy access for contractors' vehicles and access via private land has had to be negotiated. Initial, verbal agreements with the landowner's representatives before the detailed design was completed suggested that access would be allowed for the autumn. However, the landowner is now preventing access until summer 2006. Efforts to find an alternative access route have not been successful and therefore the scheme cannot be constructed at this time and is on hold.

Salters Lane (Harestock Corner) Junction Improvement £140,000 EF

5.8 The junction of Stockbridge Road with Salters Lane/Harestock Road (Harestock Corner) is a staggered crossroads with no pedestrian crossing facilities. It lies approximately 200 metres from the end of a 60 mph speed limit zone and is in the buffer zone between the rural road network and urban area of Winchester. Speed surveys have shown that vehicles exceed the 40 mph limit. The scheme aims to improve speed management between the 40 mph speed limit gateway and the 30 mph gateway near the Stoney Lane junction and provide improved crossing facilities both at the Harestock Corner junction (in the form of a pedestrian refuge and re-aligned footways to move the desire line away from the mouth of the junction) and further along Stockbridge road (in the form of refuges and footway links). The majority of funding for the scheme comes from the Park development on Salters Lane.

5.9 A working group, consisting of County and City Councillors plus representatives of the Parish Councils and Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), has been involved from the beginning of the project. The working group has decided which of the options from the initial feasibility study were progressed to preliminary design. The preliminary design was used for public consultation, which used public exhibitions and feedback forms with 11 questions to assess the level of support for the scheme. Over 150 feedback forms were collected and these showed a majority level of support for the scheme.

5.10 As a result of the public consultation, detailed design work commenced in July and was completed in August. A Project Appraisal report was submitted in September, with a decision due in early October. If a favourable decision is forthcoming, construction works are likely to take place over the winter months.

Access to East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) £20,000 LTP

5.11 This scheme deals specifically with the access and safety issue of equestrians needing to cross the C9 in Morestead, in order to access the bridleways and livery yards in the area. The scheme provides six horse crossings incorporating traffic signs and new infrastructure. This scheme is part of a larger pilot project called the Whole Network Approach which concentrates on routes that increase access for walkers, cyclists and horse riders on the rural roads (including the C9/C88) and off-road highway network in the area between Winchester and Corhampton.

5.12 A number of different road crossing designs were investigated and consulted on by local stakeholders. Horse crossing signs have been erected where necessary and road markings have been placed at one of the priority crossing sites. These markings are a trial to see how effective they are prior to being used on the other five priority road crossings. The required vegetation clearance to improve sight lines has been identified and landowners and the parish council are in the process of being contacted before work can commence.

5.13 A report has been produced by the CTC outlining potential actions to improve the pilot area for use by cyclists. These proposals are currently being considered with a view to incorporating into the Whole Network Approach project.

5.14 A sign review throughout East Meon Parish is currently being undertaken at the request of the parish council. It is anticipated that this will result in required improvements to direction signs and removal of unnecessary signage within the East Hampshire AONB.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 This report provides a position statement only on the progress of schemes in the capital programme, therefore an impact assessment, in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has not been undertaken. Such impact assessments are normally reported in the project appraisal report for each individual or package of schemes.

Recommendation

That this report be noted

507/RC

APPENDIX

2005/06 Capital Programme