Archived decisions

Contact: Michael Hedderly, ext 5492 email: [email protected]

1. The County Council has been invited to comment on two consultation documents in its role as a rail industry stakeholder. These are:

(i) The South Western Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy, issued by Network Rail on behalf of the rail industry as a draft for consultation.

(ii) The South Western Franchise Consultation Document, issued by the newly established Rail Group within the Department for Transport. The outcome of the consultation exercise will be the Invitation to Tender to be issued to the five pre-qualified bidders in mid-March 2006.

1.2 Bearing in mind the wide geographical area covered by the proposals, and the mutual interests shared with Southampton and Portsmouth unitary authorities over many aspects, it is considered beneficial not only to coordinate responses but ideally to present joint responses to Network Rail and the Department for Transport.

1.3 The deadlines for response to these consultation documents were 6 and 13 January 2006 respectively. However, an extension has been granted to enable the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management to approve the County Council responses.

Recommendation

That the Committee considers this report and offers any comments which it believes the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management should take into account in making his decision.

9334/MH