Contact: Peter Eade, tel 01256 360093 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines progress with regard to the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance and Minor Capital Works Programmes and gives an update on the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance budget.

2. Background

2.1 As previously reported, the highway maintenance programme is funded from both revenue and capital allocations.

2.2 The revenue maintenance programme funds minor works such as pothole repairs, routine drainage work (including gully cleaning), signs and road markings, environmental maintenance of grass verges, trees and shrubs, weed control and highway emergencies. Minor bridgeworks and winter maintenance are also funded from revenue allocations. Budgets are set at a level that ensures the safety and serviceability of the highway network.

2.3 The capital maintenance programme funds planned maintenance including special maintenance, resurfacing and surface dressing, and also provides for essential repairs to the structure of the highway, such as programmed patching.

3. Highway Maintenance Budget and Programme 2005/06

3.1 The county-wide Highway Maintenance budget for 2005/06, approved by the former Executive Member for Environment, is £51.254 million. This sum comprises £22.090 million revenue funding and £29.164 million funding from the capital programme. The capital funding provision includes an additional £3.678 million of capital funding specifically for highway maintenance works, the emphasis being on improving the surface of carriageways and footways. These budgets are spread across the 11 districts for local service delivery and used to fund centrally managed programmes such as surface dressing, winter maintenance and performance elements of the Highways Term Maintenance Contract.

Revenue Maintenance Budget and Programme

3.2 The total revised allocation for Basingstoke and Deane for 2005/06 is £836,028. This has been enhanced from the initial allocation due to allowances for inflation and a release of reserves. Progress throughout the year has been in line with the spend profile and it is expected that the programme will be completed within time and budget constraints. A budget monitoring statement is included as Appendix 1. It should be noted that orders for some activities (eg routine maintenance gangs) have been raised in advance to cover the whole financial year.

Capital Maintenance Budget and Programme

3.3 The total allocation for Basingstoke and Deane for 2005/06 is £1,550,000 which includes £492,000 from the £3.678 million county-wide additional funding previously reported. Additionally, this includes £17,000 for the replacement of sub-standard safety fencing on principal roads. The funding allocation for the capital maintenance `planned works' programme is based on the proven Highways Assessment of Maintenance Priorities (HAMP) rating system and has reflected the agreed intervention levels. The HAMP rating intervention level directs funding to those schemes displaying a higher maintenance need. Planned repairs undertaken through the capital maintenance programme include surface dressing, special maintenance and resurfacing schemes.

3.4 This year's schemes are progressing well with the expectation that the `planned' maintenance programme will be delivered within time and budget constraints. Progress on all of this year's schemes is shown in Appendix 2.

3.5 Surface dressing is an extremely cost-effective way of prolonging the life of the carriageway, sealing any existing cracks and restoring skid resistance. The total county-wide allocation for 2005/06 is £3,220,000 (including approximately £1,250,000 safety engineering related surface dressing) which is managed centrally. All carriageway sites on this year's programme for the Basingstoke and Deane area have now been successfully treated. A list of this year's schemes is shown in Appendix 2.

4. Minor Capital Works

4.1 The Minor Capital Works Programme (previously known as the Under £10,000 Programme) is funded from the capital allocation based on the Local Transport Plan submission to the Department for Transport. In 2005/06 £200,000 was allocated county-wide, of which £20,000 was allocated for Basingstoke and Deane. The schemes included in the programme are:

(i) Hydes Platt to Early Lands, Little London Road, Silchester - provision of new footway, £9,000. Scheme designed and under consultation with Members and Parish Council; and

(ii) Vyne Road, near Chute Recreation Ground, Sherborne St John - provision of new footway, £9,000. Scheme under design and soon to be presented for consultation with Parish Council

Total £18,000

These schemes are scheduled to be completed by the end of the financial year.

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.

647/PE