AT A MEETING of the EAST HAMPSHIRE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORT ADVISORY PANEL of Hampshire County Council held at the Civic Offices of East Hampshire District Council at Petersfield on Tuesday, 7 March 2006.

PRESENT:

Hampshire County Council

Councillors:

p T.G. Knight (Chairman)

p Mrs E.M. Byrom p M.N. Kemp-Gee

a A. Carew p A. R. Ludlow

p M.F. Cartwright p Sam Payne

p S.C. James

East Hampshire District Council

Councillors:

p M. Ashton p K. Graham

p R. Ayer a Mrs Z. Faddy

a F. Cowper p Mrs S.E. Schillimore

p R. Chilton p A. Whittle

District Local Strategic Partnership

a Mrs S. Williams

13. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

14. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2005 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Matters arising:

Councillor A. Whittle's name to be added to the list of Members present at the previous meeting.

15. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman made the following announcement in respect of the Highway and Transport Advisory Panels:

"As you may be aware Hampshire County Council has been reviewing its democratic structures and processes with a view to improving the way we engage with local communities and in terms of value for money.

As part of this review we have been considering how to create the best balance between the three main elements of the work of County Councillors

· Decision - making

· The local role of Members

· Scrutiny and challenge

At our Council meeting on the 30^th January we agreed to make changes, including a new approach to supporting Members in their local role, which we are calling Hampshire Action Teams and Networks. Our aim is to improve the way we use and share information locally to let us focus on action and adding value in the local community .

In order to resource the new approach some current activities will need to end and it has been agreed that the current Highways and Transport Advisory Panels and Transport Strategy Panels are no longer required in their previous form. Both of these mechanisms will therefore be ended following this round of Highways Transport Advisory Panels making this the last meeting of this group.

The new arrangements for HCC Councillors will be much more informal and focused on problem solving including highways and transport issues. The Environment Department is moving more staff out to area offices, so your Area Manager will be able to cover traffic management, implementation of local improvement projects and developing solutions to local transport problems. It is envisaged that HCC members will specifically meet a couple of times a year to decide which problems are the highest priority to investigate within the staffing and funding available, consider priorities for the following year's capital programme and look back at the things that have been done to see if they have been successful in addressing the priorities for improvement. We also envisage more informal contacts and discussions with Area Managers in the Highway and Transport Service to keep members abreast of developments and progress on local issues.

We want to take this opportunity to thank people for their participation in these groups previously and to assure all our partners about our intentions for the future. We want to be clear that this does not mean District members will no longer be able to give us their ideas about possible highways projects nor that we will no longer provide information about progress on local projects; it simply means that the way we arrange these things will be different, and improved for Members. District Members should liaise directly with their County equivalents and no doubt you will want to act jointly when this involves actions by both Councils.

We will be talking to all our partners about the new mechanisms as they are put into place. We intend to ensure that there will be an improved level of local information provided to Members, and that local discussion of key matters will still take place.

Thank you all for your work with us to date, we hope that we will continue to work together to secure ongoing improvements to the services we provide to the people of Hampshire in ever more effective ways."

16. DEPUTATIONS

There were no deputations.

17. UPDATE ON SCHEMES IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAMME

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 5 in the Minute Book) which provided an update on transport schemes within the 2005/06 Capital Programme and schemes for the 2006/07 Capital Programme previously approved by the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management in January 2006.

It was reported that the A31 Lymington Bottom Scheme had given rise to local concerns about the difficulty of safely joining the A31 from side roads in the vicinity. The Director of Environment assured Members that once all the works were completed the new layout should considerably improve the problem of speeding vehicles and the scheme would continue to be monitored in the future.

In respect of the Alton Accessibility Scheme Stage 2, Members' attention was drawn to the problem of the steps leading from the railway station directly onto Paper Mill Lane. At the present time there was insufficient width at that point for a road refuge or a waiting area. Network Rail had disputed ownership of the steps and discussions were continuing with them in regard to the matter and also in ways to try to resolve the safety issue. Members supported the officers' efforts to resolve the problem.

Members requested that when new cycleways were being constructed that the schemes be coordinated with the installation of new street lighting to avoid further disturbance to the ways at a later date.

Concern was expressed at the dirty condition of the replacement Bus Shelters in Petersfield. The Director of Environment explained that work was ongoing and the shelters had yet to be handed over to the Town Council.

RESOLVED:

That the progress with the schemes in the Transport Capital Programme be noted and those approved for inclusion in the Capital Programme for 2006/07 be supported.

18. UPDATE ON HIGHWAY AND MINOR WORKS PROGAMME

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 6 in the Minute Book) which outlined the progress made on the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance and Capital Minor Works Programmes, and details of the Highway Maintenance Budget, Highway Maintenance and Capital Minor Works Programmes for 2006/07.

The Director of Environment confirmed that across the county there was a proposed six per cent drop in funding allocation compared with the previous year 2005/06. The proposed total Maintenance Budget Allocation for the East Hampshire area in 2006/07 was £1,818,000. The funding included a share of the £3 million of additional countywide support made available for highway maintenance. East Hampshire's share would be smaller this year compared to previous years, when the district's needs had been greater.

In response to a Member's question, the Director of Environment explained that the U230 Mill Lane, Alton Scheme for 2005/06 had had to be deferred due to the necessity to carry out more urgent works elsewhere. Headley Road, Petersfield had not been included in the surface dressing programme as it required works of a structural nature to be carried out.


RESOLVED:

(i) That sections 2 to 5 of the report be noted;

(ii) That the Executive Member for Environment be recommended to give priority to the following schemes, from those listed in Appendix 5, in the order shown:-

(a) C26 Medstead Road, Beech £10,000

(b) U231 Conde Way, Whitehill £10,000

(c) U230 Firgrove Road, Whitehill £3,000

(d) A325 Wolfe Lodge to Lion Court, Bordon £20,000

19. TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 7 in the Minute Book) on the programme of traffic management work in the East Hampshire area in 2005/06 and 2006/07. The Panel was advised that for the first time the 2005/06 programme was entirely Capital funded and included Traffic Regulation Orders, signing, lining and traffic claming schemes.

The Director of Environment amplified the report and responded to Members' detailed questions. Officers undertook to provide further information to individual Members as appropriate.

It was noted that, in consultation with the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the southern part of the A32 from the M27 motorway to the A272 at West Meon Hut had been proposed for inclusion in the Capital Programme as a scheme to demonstrate good rural signing practice.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

20. CASUALTY REDUCTION PROGRAMME

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 8 in the Minute book) on the progress made in the Hampshire County Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Safety Camera partnership casualty reduction programmes for 2005/06 and the proposed shape of the Second Local Transport Plan supported programmes commencing in 2006/07. Further to the report Members noted that the corrected figure for proposed funding of the casualty reduction engineering programme was £13.53m not £14m as stated.

The Director of Environment reported that the County Council had successfully negotiated with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister over the setting of the Second Round Local Public Service Agreement stretching targets for road casualties up to 2010. Given Hampshire's particular success in reducing road casualties in previous years, the ODPM had agreed to the stretching targets being calculated on the average figures for 2000 - 2004.

Members noted that two awards for road safety achievements had been received. The County Council's Road Safety Team and GCap Radio were recognised for their creative excellence in UK radio production for an advertisement on drug testing aimed at young drivers and in conjunction with Hampshire Constabulary the County Council were awarded the "Prime Safety Award" for 2006. The latter award being given for partnerships demonstrating excellence in problem solving, in this case, powered two wheeler casualties. Members were appreciative of the County Council's achievement.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

21. TRAVEL PLAN PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 9 in the Minute book) which provided an update on the workplace and school travel planning programmes and the Safer Routes to School programme in the East Hampshire area.

Members were concerned that 6^th Form and Tertiary Colleges were not included in the Safer Routes to School programme. The local college in Horndean had been closed requiring students to travel further afield, with no support from safer routes to school measures. It was suggested that representation should be made nationally for support funding to enable those types of educational establishments to be included in the Safer Routes to School programme. Officers undertook to investigate their inclusion in Safer Routes to Schools programme the scheme.

RESOLVED:

That the progress made with the delivery of the workplace and School Travel Plans and Safer Routes to School programmes in the East Hampshire area be noted.

22. OTHER HIGHWAY RELATED PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 10 in the Minute Book) which informed Members of the Street Lighting; Country Towns Initiative, Bridgeworks and Development Related Work programmes.


The Director of Environment reported that due to having a larger than average ageing stock of street lighting columns, the County Council had submitted an Expression of Interest to the Department for Transport in relation to a Private Finance Initiative for street lighting maintenance and column replacement.

In response to a Member's question about flooding under the motorway bridge at Horndean, the Director of Environment advised that the hazard had been reported to the Highways Agency who were investigating the matter.

Members attention was drawn to an error in Appendix 2, the Horndean Community School should have read `Horndean Technology College' and to have been included under the heading `Possible Future Schemes' and not' Funding for Schemes to be Developed' as stated.


RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

23. PASSENGER TRANSPORT REPORT

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 11 in the Minute Book) on the latest position on concessionary fares, bus services, rail issues and Community Transport. Members noted that under the Concessionary Fares scheme, East Hampshire District Council had opted to continue to issue travel tokens.

The Director of Environment amplified the report and answered questions raised by the Members.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.