Archived decisions

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

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the progress in delivering the 2005/06 Environment Capital Programme including a review of the transport programme spending plan at the half year point.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This transport capital programme is derived from the Local Transport Plan which is a corporate document promoting the corporate strategy through transport investment. The non-transport programmes are predominantly concerned with quality of life and in particular Aim 2 (Stewardship of the Environment).

3. Transport Programme Progress

3.1 The following table is an overview of the revised spending plan for integrated transport.

Table 1

LTP Capital allocation for 2005/06	£13.492 million
	Plan at November 2005 £m
Forecast spend on previous years' scheme during the year	2.70
Allocated resources for developing future years' schemes during the year	1.00
Spending on current year programme schemes during the year	9.14
Transfer to LTP maintenance	0.65
TOTAL SPEND	13.49

3.2 The actual spend for the first half of the year was £3.981 million. This equates to approximately 30% of the forecast spend for integrated transport. This level is in accordance with typical spending profiles where spending accelerates through the latter half of the year. The current approved LTP programme is set out in Appendix 1.

4. Progress in Annual Progress Report Categories

4.1 Progress against spending targets set out in the 2005 Annual Progress Report is detailed on table 2. While the overall spending position is improved on the 2004/05 half year report there are some concerns with the spending performance and forecasts in some categories.

Table 2

4.2 The Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management will consider amendments to the programme at his December meeting to reflect variations in individual scheme costs and timetabling and to add new developer funded works.

4.3 Proposed key changes to the LTP and Developer Funded (EF) programmes:

(i) North Baddesley - Rownhams Cycle Scheme (LTP) - increase allocation from £400,000 to £490,000;

(ii) Hayling Billy Cycle Scheme, Havant Station Access (LTP/EF) - increase allocation from £270,000 to £310,000;

(iii) Community Safety Initiative (LTP) - transfer £16,000 to the street lighting column replacement programme;

(iv) Safer Routes to School Programme (LTP) - amendments to the programme;

(v) Fontley Road Footway, near Fareham (Winchester district) (EF) - increase allocation from £100,000 to £200,000

(vi) Chilbolton Avenue Puffin, Winchester (EF) - addition to the programme £60,000;

(vii) Derby Road/Passfield Avenue, Eastleigh roundabout scheme - withdraw from the programme;

(viii) crossing at Park Gate, Fareham - withdraw from the programme;

(ix) Funtley Footways, Knowle Village - defer to 2006/07 programme; and

(x) A335 Wide Lane Cycle Scheme, Eastleigh - defer to 2006/07 programme.

Developer Funded Programme

4.4 The following table is a revised spending plan for the 2005/06 EF programme. The current approved EF programme is set out in Appendix 2.

Table 3

	Plan at November 2005 £m
Forecast spend on previous years' scheme during the year	£1,370,000
Allocated resources for developing future years' schemes during the year	£180,000
Spending on current year programme schemes during the year	£3,000,000
TOTAL SPEND	£4,550,000

4.5 The Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management will also consider a protocol for adding small residual developer contributions to the minor works programme.

5. 2005/06 Capital Highways Maintenance and Bridges

5.1 The overall value of the programme is unchanged, although there have been some movements between the various items since the last progress report.

5.2 It has become apparent that three of the larger schemes, namely Knights Little, Allington Lane and Redbridge, will not now be completed before the end of 2005/06. Accordingly, actual payments within the current financial year are unlikely to reach the level of the agreed allocation, and approval will need to be sought from the Executive Member to carry forward the commitment to 2006/07.

6. Non-Transport Schemes

6.1 Details of the non-Transport 2005/06 Capital Programmes, covering environmental improvements, Regeneration of Older Urban Areas (ROUA), Country Towns Initiatives (CTI) and the Hampshire Villages Initiative (HVI), together with the Waste Management Programme are set out in Appendix 2. Schemes are progressing in accordance with the programme which is unchanged since the last report.

6.2 In the ROUA programme, phase 2 works in Old Totton are progressing following completion of the first phase. Works at Church End Green, Yateley are expected to be implemented in summer 2006, with proposals for The Square, Hamble well advanced.

6.3 CTI schemes at Swanmore and Odiham are expected to start on site in early spring and mid summer respectively.

6.4 HVI improvement works at South Warnborough have been completed, with schemes at Horndean and West Liss due to start early in 2006.

6.5 Appendix 2 provides further details of progress in implementing the non-transport capital programme. This also includes schemes started in previous financial years which are incurring expenditure in 2005/06. In total, expenditure of about £3.8 million is expected to be incurred during 2005/06 in implementing these schemes. In contrast to the transport capital programme, which is heavily supported by Government borrowing approvals and other external sources of finance, the non-transport programme will be mainly funded from the County Council's own internal resources.

Coast Protection

6.6 Under the provisions of the Coast Protection Act 1949 the County Council supports coast protection schemes undertaken by District Councils. The County Council supports this programme by coordinating and facilitating financial arrangements involving district councils and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This support is underwritten by Government borrowing approvals and Defra has reserved a total of £166,652 for 2005/06 in respect of six schemes. This compares with a nominal amount of £100,000 which was included in the approved capital programme for contributions to coast protection schemes. Adjustments will be made to the capital programme cash limit to reflect the actual contributions payable in respect of these six schemes.

6.7 The named schemes are:

(i) Shingle Recycling, Hayling Island (£16,250);

(ii) Eastoke Point Coastal Defence Study (£85,000);

(iii) Solent Dynamic Coast Project (£9,675);

(iv) Western Solent Defence Strategy Study (£4,950);

(v) Strategic Monitoring Programme for the South East - SCOPAC (£46,652); and

(vi) Christchurch Bay Coastal Defence Strategy Study (£4,125).

6.8 It is anticipated that Defra will transfer this support entirely to District Councils in future, in which case it will not be included in future capital programmes or monitoring reports.

7. Impact Assessments

7.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has not been undertaken. Impact Assessments are normally reported in the project appraisal for each scheme during its development. Schemes within the Environment Department Capital Programme are not expected to compromise the County Council's policies for equality and diversity, but to improve access for all users.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9320/JWB