Archived decisions

Contact: Mike Barber, tel 01962 857822 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers the main programmes of traffic management work in the Winchester area in 2005/06. These are the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and signing and lining schemes and rural traffic calming schemes promoted in partnership with the Parish Councils. For the first time, the 2005/06 traffic management programme will be funded entirely from the Capital Programme.

2. Background

2.1 Under the revised agency arrangements for traffic management, Winchester City Council has taken direct responsibility for certain traffic management functions throughout the District area on behalf of the County Council. These arrangements are now well established.

2.2 As part of the agency arrangements, regular liaison meetings take place between officers of the County and City Councils to discuss proposed schemes and develop positive partnership arrangements.

3. Progress

3.1 A list of schemes included in the 2005/06 traffic management programme for the Winchester City area are shown in the appendix. The list includes schemes being progressed by the County Council as well as the City Council. Further issues to be investigated in a future programme, beyond 2005/06, are also listed in the appendix.

3.2 Traffic Management issues are raised in a number of ways, usually by parish councils, local city or county Members, or the public. The Police also raise issues of concerns relating to congestion, parking or potential safety hazards. At this stage of the year, typically, schemes are being consulted upon with an aim to become operational or completed by the end of the financial year.

3.3 It should be noted that the programme may be reviewed to include additional schemes, as necessary, where a high priority has been identified. Schemes already in the programme may be subject to delay, modification or deletion as consultations progress, or where the TRO advertising procedure gives rise to objections. For the first time, the 2005/06 traffic management programme will be funded from the Capital Programme and will include the Parish Partnership Schemes. Overall funding levels will continue to support an extensive county-wide programme of schemes with scope for top-up funding on a priority basis to individual Traffic Management Agencies over and above the annual allocation.

3.4 The introduction of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) has settled down well and it should be noted that the City and County Councils are members of the National Parking Adjudication Service (NPAS) Joint Committee. That is the national body, based in Manchester, established under the relevant legislation to provide an independent adjudication service for drivers or vehicle owners wishing to appeal against a penalty charge notice. The county representative, Councillor Phrynette Dickens, is the Assistant Chairman of the NPAS Joint Committee.

3.5 Regulations are expected to be made during the next few months which will enable authorities already operating DPE to introduce camera enforcement of bus lanes under the Transport Act 2000. These will be superseded in due course by regulations under the Transport Management Act when the provisions for civil enforcement outside London come into effect, although this is not expected to be until at least 2007. They will include not only parking and bus lane enforcement, but also some other moving traffic offences such as banned turns, no entry and yellow box markings.

4. Parish Partnership Programme

4.1 Further progress has been made on those schemes already identified in the Parish Partnership Programme within the Winchester District area. The appendix includes those schemes programmed for 2005/06.

5. Impact Assessments

5.1 The Traffic Management Programme proposes a set of measures that would benefit all sectors of the community through improved on-street parking controls, assistance to the safe movement of traffic and further control and reduction of traffic speeds. The impact of specific measures would be assessed as they are developed through to Project Appraisal, where appropriate, and following implementation.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

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