Archived decisions

Contact: Brian Millen, tel 01256 764444 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) Development Related Works; and

(iv) 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 a 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 Havant, Gosport and Fareham. 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 in the Basingstoke and Deane area is as follows:

(i) as part of the county-wide STOPWATCH RTI contract, the Stagecoach bus fleet in Basingstoke has now been fitted with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) equipment and the 64 buses operating in the area are being tracked. Electronic information signs will be deployed on routes 1 and 6, following system testing and validation of bus arrival times. Information will also be disseminated through the internet and mobile telephone (SMS) facilities;

(ii) Bus Departure Information System (BDIS) - an additional three post-mounted electronic displays to complete the scheme at Basingstoke Bus Station will be installed. Following building work, two main summary display screens will also be installed at the North Hampshire Hospital;

(iii) new Toucan crossing at Worting Road near Gabriel Park, Basingstoke forms part of a wider cycle route scheme and is reported in the Update on Schemes in the Capital Programme elsewhere on the agenda;

(iv) new signal junction at Popley Way/Sherbourne Road, Basingstoke. Detailed design completed. Developer led scheme, with construction likely in early 2006;

(v) new signal junction at Popley Way/Chineham Lane, Basingstoke. Complete; and

(vi) new Toucan crossing at Hackwood Road near Southern Road. Detailed design underway.

3. Bridgeworks

3.1 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.

3.2 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

3.3 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

3.4 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 sub-standard bridges is ongoing.

Road/Rail interfaces

3.5 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

3.6 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. Details for works on individual bridges in the Basingstoke and Deane area are given below.

Buckskin Lane Footbridge, Basingstoke

3.7 The decking of this footbridge over the C225 Buckskin Lane, near Worting Road roundabout, was deteriorating badly and has been completely replaced. RCS carried out the work, which included new anti-slip surfacing and cleaning of the timber parapets, in June 2005.

Painting Contract, Basingstoke

3.8 A parapet painting contract has been awarded to Southern Coating Contractors for five subways in Popley Way and Worting Road bridge over the A340, Ringway West. Painting started in August and is expected to finish in November 2005. The work on Worting Road bridge involves some off-peak lane closures on Ringway West and the slip roads to Worting Road.

Ship Inn Footbridge, Ashford Hill

3.9 A footbridge is being provided just east of the road bridge, as part of a new footpath on the B3051, between the Post Office and Ashford Hill. The site is on the edge of a Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest and extensive consultations were needed with English Nature. Design and consultation are now complete and RCS hope to start work on site in autumn 2005. Further details will follow as they are finalised.

Green Way Footbridge, Basingstoke

3.10 This footbridge crosses the B3400, Churchill Way West between the West Ham and Worting Road roundabouts. The footbridge is not to current standards, particularly for accessibility, and will need major repairs over the next few years.

3.11 A Toucan crossing for pedestrians and cyclists is planned across the B3400 adjacent to the footbridge, as part of the Gabriel Park to West Ham Leisure Centre cycle route. Once the Toucan crossing is in place, the footbridge will be redundant and will be demolished. Consultations about the crossing scheme are ongoing and further details of timing and traffic management will follow.

Knights Little Bridge, Near Headley

3.12 This bridge carries the A339, which was de-trunked in April 2003, over the River Enborne near Headley on the Hampshire/Berkshire border. It was identified that the bridge needed major repairs and a successful bid for extra funding was made via the LTP.

3.13 The deck will be replaced and waterproofed, and new parapets and safety fences will be installed, with work on site programmed for February to July 2006.

3.14 It is planned that two lanes of traffic will be maintained during the works, this will involve the use of a temporary bridge alongside the existing one. Further details will follow as they are finalised.

Boars Bridge, Little London

3.15 This bridge carries the C32, Boars Bridge Road over Bow Brook at Little London and is sub-standard for load carrying. A replacement bridge is currently being designed, with construction planned for 2006/07. Further details will follow as they are finalised.

Daneshill Rail Bridges, Basingstoke

3.16 There are four bridges carrying the A339 Ringway East over the railway lines at Daneshill. Between March and July 2005 Dyer and Butler installed safety fences and concrete barriers over the bridges, as part of the programme for protective measures at road/rail interfaces.

Overton (Scrubbs) Bridge, Near Micheldever

3.17 This bridge carries the C29 Overton Lane over the Southampton-Waterloo railway line north of Micheldever and has high priority for safety measures. The installation of approach safety fences is being discussed with Network Rail and plans are to carry out the work in 2005/06. Further details will follow as they are agreed.

Aluminium Parapets Replacement Programme 2005/06

3.18 Between September 2004 and March 2005 RCS replaced the parapets on six structures in Basingstoke:

(i) Rucstalls Flyover;

(ii) Churchill Way East/Basing View underpass;

(iii) Cliddesden Road subway;

(iv) Cranbourne Lane subway;

(v) Hackwood Road North subway;

(vi) Hackwood Road South subway; and

(vii) Long bridge on the A33 at Sherfield-on-Loddon.

4. Development Related Works

4.1 Development related works carried out within the Basingstoke and Deane area by Hampshire Highways are set out in Appendix 1. Details of external funding and schemes relevant to that funding held by the County Council's Environment Department are detailed in Appendix 2.

5. Street Lighting

Maintenance Contract 2002/07

5.1 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.

5.2 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. 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

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

Houndmills Road, Basingstoke - works currently underway

Brunell Road, Basingstoke - works currently underway

Joule Road, Basingstoke - works currently underway

Community Safety Initiative 2005/06

5.4 The programme for 2005/06 is as follows:

Sandys Road, Basingstoke - works complete.

Charles Street, Basingstoke - works complete.

Camrose Way, Basingstoke - works complete.

Fairlawn Road, Tadley (phase 2) - works complete.

Mount Pleasant Drive, Tadley - scheme withdrawn by Tadley Town Council.

Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing - Scheme withdrawn by Parish Council.

Cuffelle Close/St Gabriels Lea footpath, Chineham - scheme withdrawn by Chineham Parish Council.

Sorrells Close, Chineham - works complete.

Energy

5.5 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

5.6 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.

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 this report be noted.

629/BGM

APPENDIX 1

Highways Act 1980

Section 38 Agreements in the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane

APPENDIX 2

COUNTY COUNCIL HELD DEVELOPER FUNDING

Current Programme

£

Total Held to fund the above Capital Programme Schemes ..................... 3,673,272

Possible Future Schemes

Total funding allocated to future schemes above........................................ 2,348,103

Maintenance:.......................................................................... 36,257

Soakaway maintenance Overton and Whitchurch

Highway maintenance - various locations

Bus Services:........................................................................... 90,383

Beggarwood Bus Service

Unallocated .............................................................................. 1,045,340

Total Held: ...................7,193,355

Contributions Received since last HTAP and included in one of the following tables above :

Current Programme, Possible Future Schemes or Unallocated.

Possible Future Funding

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