Contact: John Buckett, ext 6599 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report discusses the five year transport capital programme put forward in the County Council's provisional Local Transport Plan (LTP) in July 2005 and proposes a way forward to finalising the 2006/07 programme and developing the details of the programme for the remainder of the five year LTP period (2007/08 to 2010/11).

1.2 The report seeks to develop the work previously reported to the Transport Strategy Panels on scheme assessment, refining it to take account of the policy priorities identified in the provisional LTP.

2. Background

Provisional Local Transport Plan Programme

2.1 A five year integrated transport programme was included in the provisional LTP submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in July. This programme reflects the County Council's and the DfT's priorities for transport and also the County Council's wider corporate priorities and those of the Hampshire Community strategy and partners. Details of how LTP objectives are related to schemes are set out in Appendix 1.

2.2 The LTP programme was prepared to meet the provisional guidelines for funding as required by the DfT's LTP guidance for a total of £69.52 million over five years. This sum does not include major schemes (those costing over £5 million each ) which have to be bid for individually.

2.3 The funding levels resulting from the new formula yet to be released by the DfT may reduce allocations in LTP2 by up to 12% compared to LTP 1 base levels.

2.4 In broad terms the County Council's provisional LTP programme is:

£ million

Safety £20.50

Access £19.50

Congestion £19.30

Air Quality Management Areas £ 1.00

Others £ 4.20

Transfer to Maintenance* £ 5.00

Total £69.50

* The transfer to maintenance is £1 million per year for street lighting column replacement.

2.5 The programme is set out in more detail in Appendix 2 and illustrated graphically by diagram 1. The programme in the provisional LTP does not identify individual schemes and is a policy-led approach to programming relating investment to policy priorities, corporate and LTP objectives and targets.

3. Next Steps

3.1 The following actions are required:

(i) A draft programme for 2006/07 is required urgently so that the schemes can be prepared for delivery in the year.

(ii) Schemes need to be identified for 2007/08 and 2008/09 so that feasibility and design work can be carried out in good time.

(iii) Work needs to be carried out in generating and assessing schemes for the whole five year programme.

Timetable and Practicalities

3.2 The final LTP must be submitted by 31 March 2006. To meet the County Council's committee cycles this means that work on the programme should be substantially complete by December 2005 to be reported to the relevant committees and Cabinet in January 2006 and to Full Council in February, with printing in March. The decision-making process must include consideration of consultation responses to the LTP and environmental assessment documents.

3.3 The DfT is not expected to announce the funding level for 2006/07 and provisional levels for the remaining four years until December. For planning purposes, it is proposed that the programmes are prepared at the same resource level as set out in the provisional LTP, accepting that there will be a need to adjust the programmes at short notice once the DfT makes its announcement.

3.4 The remainder of this report covers a draft 2006/07 programme and a proposed way forward for developing the rest of the LTP programme.

4. Proposed 2006/07 Programme

4.1 A provisional 2006/07 programme is set out in Appendix 3. It comprises schemes which have been developed by the County Council working with district colleagues, together with a continuation of county-wide programmes at their current levels (except for the addition of `Access to the Countryside' as proposed in the provisional LTP, which would incorporate the existing `Recreational Cycling' programme). The County-wide Programme will continue at similar levels to previous years. Appendix 4 provides an overview of the programme levels. More detail on the schemes included will be reported in March 2006.

5. Development of Further Years' Programmes

Programme Content and Prioritisation

5.1 It is proposed that the schemes to be included in the programme should principally be generated as set out in Appendix 1.

5.2 It is proposed that the programmes for 2007/08 onwards are developed on the basis of the policy-led allocations set out in Appendix 2 (as amended through consultation, including the comments of this Panel).

5.3 Assessment of individual proposals would then be determined largely on the basis of how a scheme contributes to the objectives of the relevant programme area. For each programme area a scheme would be assessed against policy context, value for money and deliverability. If a scheme scores high on policy and value for money then deliverability would be used primarily to identify the timing of the project.

5.4 It is proposed, therefore, that the more general assessment discussed at earlier Panel meetings be used initially to assess for which programme area or areas a particular scheme would qualify. Schemes making a significant contribution to more than one programme area are likely to be given priority but the assessment process must be more sophisticated than a totting up process, which gives undue weight to the breadth of a scheme's attributes and insufficient weight to the level of impact it is likely to make.

5.5 The provisional priority listing previously identified through discussions with the Districts is included as Appendix 5. The County Council's Executive Member has written to the relevant Executive Member or Portfolio Holder of the District Councils seeking the authorities' views on the listing, to help confirm priorities. The Panel is asked to consider that the list properly reflects District Council and Area Transport Strategy priorities for the future development of the five year Programme.

5.6 The programme for the final LTP would then be reported back to the Transport Strategy Panels in the new year.

5.7 A Resource Pack has been included with the papers for this meeting which provides a brief description of each of the potential schemes for inclusion in the 2006/07 programme.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 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 the Transport Strategy Panels:

(i) provide comments on:

(a) the detailed spending plan set out in Appendix 2;

(b) the provisional programme for 2006/07 set out in Appendix 3; and

(c) the local priorities identified in Appendix 5 for the future development of the five year programme; and

(ii) note the approach to programme development set out in Section 5 of this report.

592/JWB

INDEX TO APPENDICES

PAGE

Appendix 1 Detailed Local Transport Plan Objectives 6

Appendix 2 Local Transport Plan Programme Five Year Overview 9

Appendix 3 Provisional Programme 2006/07 11

Appendix 4 Description of County-wide Programmes 13

Appendix 5 Provisional List of District Priorities for Local Transport Plan 20

Five Year Programme Funding

APPENDIX 1

Detailed Local Transport Plan Objectives

Safety

Casualty Reduction (provisional £14.05 million in 5 years)

As now (see Appendix 2) generated through analysis of accident and casualty information by specialist staff.

Safer Routes to School (provisional £6.45 million in 5 years)

As now (see Appendix 2) generated through assessment of proposals coming out of school travel plans.

Access

Town Centre Access (and Urban Transport Master Plans) (provisional £11.8 million in 5 years)

The town centre access programme is designed to improve access for all road users within town centres with particular emphasis on the needs of pedestrians and equality issues. A priority programme is being drawn up (see elsewhere on this agenda), to be informed by community street audits where district councils and local groups will advise on the measures required. Later in the LTP period the Urban Transport Master Plans will begin to come to fruition which will look at the transport needs of the wider urban area. Winchester is to be the pilot for this programme.

Severance (including pedestrian crossings, bridges, etc) (provisional £4.7 million in 5 years)

Schemes in this category will range from refuges and closed circuit television cameras to subway improvements and pedestrian bridges. Each will need to be assessed in terms of value for money, affordability and deliverability as well as technical justification (ie numbers of users and potential users).

Accession Partnership schemes (provisional £1.0 million in 5 years)

Programme to be derived following the experience with three pilot schemes (in New Forest, Basingstoke and Whitehill/Bordon). Priority schemes will be able to demonstrate significant improvements in accessibility .

Countryside Access (provisional £1.5 million in 5 years)

Programme to be administered by the Recreation and Heritage Department of the County Council promoting access to countryside recreation sites, the rights of way network and recreational cycling routes.

Community Transport (provisional £500,000 in 5 years)

As now (see Appendix 2) through partnership working by the County Council's specialist team with voluntary groups.

Congestion

Access to Gosport (provisional £4 million in 5 years)

Schemes to be developed through the Gosport Peninsula Access Panel.

Other Capacity Improvements (provisional £2 million in 5 years)

Schemes to be developed through assessment using transport and traffic modelling (including investment in new systems) of problems together with proposals from district councils and other stakeholders.

Quality Bus Partnerships (provisional £7.5 million in 5 years)

As now through consultation with operators on the initiatives likely to bring maximum benefits in terms of patronage levels and quality of service.(includes information systems).

Interchange (provisional £ 800,000 in 5 years)

Schemes developed through liaison with operators and other stakeholders, often related to development proposals.

Park and Ride (provisional £5 million in 5 years)

Identified need for an additional scheme in Winchester but also potential elsewhere. (May need to be major schemes with separate funding.)

Air Quality

Air Quality Management Areas (provisional £1 million in 5 years)

Measures to be identified as part of air quality management led by district councils where Air Quality Management Areas have been or are likely to be declared. Currently includes Winchester, Eastleigh, Lyndhurst, Totton and Farnborough.

Others

Various (provisional £4.2 million in 5 years)

Includes investment in monitoring systems (£350,000), innovation , schemes designed to promote the environment and minor rural partnerships. Innovation is likely to include joint working on workplace and community travel planning while an pilot schemes are proposed (following discussions with the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England) for schemes to reduce sign clutter in both urban and rural locations. It is anticipated that schemes in these areas will be a combination of centrally derived specialist schemes and local schemes put forward to deal with specific problems or issues.

APPENDIX 2

Local Transport Plan Programme Five Year Overview

Planned Spend £m (Provisional LTP2)
	Total
Access
Town centre access / Town plans	11.80
Pedestrian Bridges / Severance	4.70
Accession partnership schemes	1.00
Countryside access	1.50
Community transport	0.50
	19.50
Congestion
Access to Gosport	4.00
Other capacity improvements	2.00
QBP - infrastructure	6.00
QBP - information / ITS	1.50
Interchange improvements	0.80
Park and Ride	5.00
	19.30
Safety
Casualty reduction	14.05
Safer routes to schools	6.45
	20.50
Air Quality
AQMAs - Traffic management	1.00
	1.00
Others
Innovation	0.92
Monitoring	0.35
Environment	0.75
Minor schemes - rural partnerships	2.20
Street lighting columns	5.00
	9.22
Total	69.52

Diagram 1

APPENDIX 3

Provisional Programme 2006/07

APPENDIX 4

Description of County-wide Programmes

Title: Community Transport

Detail: The major objective of the Community Transport programme is to provide grants to individual community transport schemes for the purchase of accessible vehicles. This will create a more secure basis for the operation of these type of schemes.

LTP Objectives: 1) To increase accessibility to services. 3) To reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 4) To widen travel choice. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives. 7) To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Stewardship of the environment. Improve Services.

Targets: Accessibility

Scheme Generation: To work in partnership with the Accession modelling tools to identify areas of need. To work in partnership with community transport schemes to identify need and develop schemes.

Current Programme: £300,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Accessibility

Title: Minor Schemes

Detail: County-wide minor works, including the provision of missing footway links, pedestrian refuges and improved sightlines at junctions.

LTP Objectives: 2) To promote safety. 4) To widen travel choice.

Wider Objectives: Promote strong and safe communities.

Targets: To increase the use of walking in Hampshire. Contribute towards the reduction in road user casualties.

Scheme Generation: In consultation with Road Safety, Transport Policy, Area Highways Offices, District Councils and local members.

Current Programme: £200,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Others

Title: Passenger Transport Information

Detail: A continued contribution to the support and development of the Traveline public transport information service, including support to the Transport Direct website, to allow easier access to multi-modal journey planning across the region.

LTP Objectives: 3) Reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 4) To widen travel choice. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives.

Wider Objectives: Maximise life opportunities. Stewardship of the environment. Promote economic prosperity. Promote strong and safe communities.

Targets: BVPI 102 Passenger transport patronage. Bus punctuality. BVPI 103 Satisfaction with the provision of public transport information.

Scheme Generation: In association with local public transport operators and SWPTI consortium members.

Current Programme: £160,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Congestion

Title: Pedestrian Crossings

Detail: The implementation of a range of pedestrian crossings, including controlled and uncontrolled crossings and pedestrian refuges, in areas where there are insufficient accidents to justify funding from the casualty reduction programme.

LTP Objectives: 2)To promote safety. 6)To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Promote strong and safe communities. Improve services.

Targets: Road casualty reduction. Disabled facilities at crossings.

Scheme Generation: As part of wider Area Strategy, and in consultation with Safety Engineering

Current Programme: £200,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Safety

Title: Countryside Access

Detail: A series of small improvement projects funded through the LTP with an emphasis on improving access on foot or bike on routes used for both utility and recreational purposes. Priority schemes include those that improve access for disabled users and for routes that enable users to avoid roads where safety is a real issue.

LTP Objectives: 2) To promote safety. 4) To widen travel choice. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives. 7) To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Stewardship of the environment. Improving quality of life.

Targets: Increase in recreational and utility cycling, contribute towards road casualty reduction.

Scheme Generation: Using the Countryside Access Plans and in consultation with Recreation and Heritage, Countryside Service and Cycle Strategy.

Current Programme: £50,000 per year (Recreational Cycling)

LTP Spending Area: Access

Title: Central ITS

Detail: Development of Intelligent Transport Systems for use in Traffic Management, Monitoring Congestion (use in developing measures to tackle congestion) Information Systems for public transport and other road users.

LTP Objectives: 3) To reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 4) To widen travel choice. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality. 7) To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Achieving economic prosperity. Improving services. Traffic Management Act.

Targets: Contributes to passenger transport information. Disabled facilities at crossings. Bus patronage. Bus punctuality.

Scheme Generation: In consultation with transportation operators and as part of County Council approach to monitoring, tackling congestion.

Current Programme: £200,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Congestion

Title: Minor Traffic Management

Detail: This programme covers several areas including speed control measures, and allocation to District Traffic Management agents to implement traffic regulation orders. The development of traffic management schemes including lorry control, strategic signing, parking control and demand management.

LTP Objectives: 2) To promote safety. 3) To reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality.

Wider Objectives: Stewardship of the environment. Promote economic prosperity. Promote strong and safe communities.

Targets: To contribute towards the reduction in congestion, and an increase in safety.

Scheme Generation: In consultation with the District Councils and safety Engineering.

Current Programme: £460,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Other (plus positive impacts on safety and congestion)

Title: Rail Stations / Interchanges

Detail: Infrastructure improvements at rail stations across Hampshire. The improvements will include improved waiting facilities, improved cycle parking facilities, improved CCTV facilities, improved station directional and display signage and the upgrading of stations as interchanges with other modes of transport.

LTP Objectives: 3) Reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 4) To widen travel choice. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives. 7) To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Maximise life opportunities. Stewardship of the environment. Promote economic prosperity.

Targets: Contribute to the increase in public transport patronage, bus punctuality, access for disabled users.

Scheme Generation: In consultation with local transport operators, District Councils, Transport Policy group using Accession planning.

Current Programme: £50,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Congestion

Title: Air Quality and Noise Monitoring

Detail: County-wide budget to progress a range of air quality capital initiatives throughout the County, in partnership with district councils. Type of projects are likely to include, monitoring, modeling and minor capital works designed to contribute towards the reduction of pollution levels.

LTP Objectives: 3) to reduce the impact and effect of congestion. 5) To contribute towards improvements in air quality. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives.

Wider Objectives: Stewardship of the environment. District Council air quality action plans. Contribute to the shared priority of improved air quality.

Targets: Contribute to the targets for the AQMAs in Eastleigh, Lyndhurst, Totton and Winchester.

Scheme Generation: Individual schemes will be handed from Transport Policy Group in liaison with each district council through the Air Quality Action Plan.

Current Programme: £50,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Air Quality

Title: Casualty Reduction

Detail: An ongoing programme that covers a range of measures including single site, multi site and route treatments. These measures typically involve signing, surface treatments, resurfacing or retexturing and carriageway markings.

LTP Objectives: 2) To promote safety. 7) To encourage value for money and efficient asset management.

Wider Objectives: Promote strong and safe communities. Improving quality of life.

Targets: Contributes to LPSA targets for casualty reduction.

Scheme Generation: Schemes generated using county-wide accident data.

Current Programme: £3 million per year.

LTP Spending Area: Safety

Title: Safer Routes to School

Detail: This programme concentrates on providing the measures identified in approved school travel plans and making improvements in school crossing patrol sites.

LTP Objectives: 1) To increase accessibility to services. 2) To promote safety. 3) To reduce the impact of congestion. 4) To widen travel choice. 6) To support wider quality of life objectives.

Wider Objectives: Maximise life opportunities. Stewardship of the environment.

Targets: Proportion of schools with a travel plan, Bus patronage, Increase in cycling, Mode share for journey to school

Scheme Generation: Schemes generated by the Safer Routes to School team, in association with local schools with travel plans.

Current Programme: £1.5 million per year.

LTP Spending Area: Safety

Title: LTP Monitoring

Detail: County-wide budget to progress a range of monitoring initiatives collecting information and data needed to help assess progress towards targets identified in the LTP.

LTP Objectives: This programme will contribute to the monitoring required to establish if the County Council is meeting the targets developed for each of the LTP Objectives. It will contribute to the collection of baseline and ongoing monitoring information, in particular on congestion, air quality, accessibility planning and road safety

Wider Objectives: Monitoring will also be carried out where appropriate in relation to measuring progress towards objectives contained in other county strategies as well as national, regional and sub-regional polices

Targets: There are no specific targets identified in relation to conducting monitoring or its effectiveness. However this element of the capital programme is used to assist the monitoring of progress towards all of the targets contained in the LTP.

Scheme Generation: Capital investment associated with monitoring progress towards meeting the objectives and targets laid down in the Local Transport Plan (LTP).

The exact composition of the programme is yet to be finalised but it is envisaged that this could encompass equipment required to further develop congestion monitoring through the use of information technology; collection of various data associated with the audits required to inform strategies for the second LTP.

Current Programme: £150,000 per year (also includes the Initiatives budget)

LTP Spending Area: Others

Title: Community Safety Initiative

Detail: To investment in new street lighting columns in strategic locations to increase safety and reduce the fear of crime. This scheme has matched funding from District level.

LTP Objectives: 2) To promote safety.

Wider Objectives: Promote strong and safe communities. Reduce the fear of crime.

Targets: Contribute towards Town Centre Access and Severance targets.

Scheme Generation: In association with District Authorities.

Current Programme: £60,000 per year

LTP Spending Area: Others plus Accessibility (severance)

Comments: The new lighting columns do create an additional maintenance issue once adopted by the County Council, but this programme is exceptionally popular with Parishes and Districts.

APPENDIX 5

Provisional List of District Priorities for Local Transport Plan Five Year Programme Funding

North Hampshire Transport Strategy Area

Basingstoke

1. Pedestrian and cycle access to town centre (severance issues)

2. Junction Improvements - A30/A339 - Ringway

3. Overton station access

Rushmoor

1. Aldershot town centre

2. North Camp traffic management

3. Solartron Road - tidy up traffic arrangements

4. Farnborough station interchange (plus access between platforms)

Hart

1. Congestion Reduction in Fleet

Central Hampshire Transport Strategy Area

Winchester

1. Park and Ride 2 for Winchester

2. Badger Farm and Romsey Road bus priority

3. Town centre traffic management

4. Pedestrian measures in town centre

East Hampshire

1. Town centres - Alton, Bordon/Whitehill, Petersfield

2. Rural accessibility

3. Safer routes to school

Test Valley

1. Andover town centre accessibility

2. Andover bus station

3. Winton school campus link to town centre

4. Monxton Road (Larch Drive - John Hanson school - path)

Solent Transport Strategy Area

Winchester

1. Pedestrian improvements in southern parishes (Bishops Waltham, Wickham, Whiteley)

2. Access to Whiteley

Gosport

1. Access to Gosport Peninsula (including major schemes)

2. Quay Street - linked to major development

3. Newgate Lane (Peel Common and Speedfields)

4. A32/Salterns Lane Junction

5. Gosport Pontoon

Fareham

1. Fareham Interchange (relocating bus station)

2. Fareham town centre (reduce through traffic)

3. Access to the Fareham-Gosport Peninsula (schemes as above, listed under Gosport)

Test Valley

1. Phase 2 of Romsey town centre

2. Review Romsey movement and access plan

3. Romsey station access

East Hampshire

1. Extension of A3 bus corridor into Clanfield

2. Horndean village access

3. Access to Rowlands Castle

Havant

1. Havant rail bridge

2. Broadmarsh (including pedestrian and cycle link)

3. A259 Emsworth - Access

Eastleigh

1. Chickenhall Lane link (major scheme)

2. Archers Road footbridge

3. Eastleigh town centre

4. Access to Hamble

New Forest (Solent Strategy)

1. Totton Town Centre

2. A326 Waterside (public transport, junctions, cycle routes)

New Forest Transport Strategy Area

New Forest (New Forest Strategy)

1. Lyndhurst air quality

2. Market towns/town centre access (Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood)