Archived decisions

Contact: Derek Goodchild, tel 023 8068 8227

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

This report outlines:

(i) progress with the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Programme;

(ii) details of the 2006/07 Highway Maintenance Budget;

(iii) details of the 2006/07 Highway Maintenance Programme; and

(iv) progress on Minor Capital Works (Under £10,000 Schemes) and proposals for the future programme.

2. Background

2.1 Members may be aware from previous Panel meetings that 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 cleansing; 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.

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.

2.4 Members of the public can contact the highways offices on 0845 8504422. The Hampshire Highways website http://www.hants.gov.uk/highways/ contains a wide range of information relating to highway works; including highway policies, fact sheets on various highway activities and also online forms for reporting defects and requesting services, such as dropped crossings for driveways.

3. Progress with the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Programme

Revenue Maintenance Programme

3.1 The total allocation for Eastleigh for 2005/06 was £585,000. Progress throughout the year has generally been in line with the spend profile. All of the budget has been committed and the full allocation is expected to be used by the end of the year. A budget statement is attached as Appendix 1.

Capital Maintenance Programme

3.2 The total allocation for Eastleigh for 2005/06 was £1,553,000. Some amendments were made to the programme as final details of the works were prepared but good progress has been made and it is expected that the programme will be delivered within time and budget constraints. Carriageway surface dressing at four sites was deferred to 2006/07 as the works could not be completed by the contractor before the end of his planned contract end. A budget statement is included in Appendix 1 and a status report detailing progress of all special maintenance, resurfacing and surface dressing schemes is attached as Appendix 2.

4. 2006/07 Highway Maintenance Budget

4.1 The Central Government grant received by Hampshire through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process is £15 million. This is comparable to the £14.6 million LTP funding received in 2005/06.

4.2 The overall Highway Maintenance budget for 2006/07 approved by the Executive Member for Environment is £51,495,000, comprising £24,132,000 revenue funding and £27,363,000 funding from the Capital Programme provision. The total allocations for Eastleigh are expected to be £640,000 for revenue and £1,287,000 for capital funded works.

5. 2006/07 Highway Maintenance Programme

Revenue Maintenance Programme

5.1 The revenue maintenance programme funds three main areas of highway maintenance:

(i) reactive minor repair works on the road and footway network;

(ii) minor traffic management improvements of signs and road markings; and

(iii) environmental aspects of highway maintenance, including grass cutting, weed treatment and tree and shrub maintenance.

The total allocation for Eastleigh in 2006/07 is expected to be £640,000. A detailed breakdown of the budget allocations is set out in Appendix 3.

5.2 Additional revenue budgets are held centrally for the performance elements of the County Council's term maintenance contract. The performance based work contained in the contract includes:

(i) gully emptying;

(ii) visibility splay grass cutting;

(iii) winter maintenance; and

(iv) ordinary bridge maintenance.

Capital Maintenance Programme

5.3 The funding allocation for the capital maintenance programme is based on the Highway Assessment Maintenance Priorities (HAMP) rating system, which identifies locations having the greatest maintenance need. This system comprises an independent assessment of the condition of roads identified as potential candidates for substantial maintenance work, such as resurfacing.

5.4 Planned structural maintenance repairs undertaken through the capital maintenance programme include surface dressing, special maintenance and resurfacing schemes. An additional allocation of £2.989m has been agreed by the Executive Member for Environment which will enable an increased number of schemes to be undertaken. The total allocation for Eastleigh is expected to be £1,287,000 and a provisional budget breakdown is given in Appendix 3. A provisional list of schemes for 2006/07 is also in Appendix4.

6. Minor Capital Works

6.1 This section of the report outlines:

(i) progress with the 2005/06 Capital Minor Works programme; and

(ii) proposals for the 2006/07 Capital Minor Works Programme.

Background

6.2 The Capital Minor Works programme (also known as the Under £10,000 programme) is funded from the capital allocation based on the LTP submission to the Department for Transport. In the 2005/06 programme £200,000 was allocated county-wide, of which £20,000 was allocated to Eastleigh. The schemes in the programme were:

(i) Bishopstoke Road, Bishopstoke - construct footway; and

(ii) Knowle Lane, Fair Oak - extension of footway.

A reserve scheme of Freegrounds Avenue, Hedge End - construct footway was identified by the Panel.

Progress with the 2005/06 Programme

6.3 Progress on these schemes has been as follows:

(i) Bishopstoke Road, Bishopstoke - delay in negotiations over required land. Scheme on hold;

(ii) Knowle Lane, Fair Oak - scheme incorporated in development funded works carried out by Eastleigh Borough Council. The site works are currently in progress; and

(iii) Freegrounds Avenue, Hedge End - scheme prepared to replace (i) above. Works to commence in March.

Proposals for 2006/07 Programme

6.4 The Capital Minor Works rolling programme is compiled from suggestions made by elected Members, the Police, Parish Councils, Residents' Associations, members of the public and Mobility Groups, etc. A schedule of schemes under consideration for the Eastleigh area is given in Appendix 5. This schedule has been updated since the March 2005 Panel meeting.

6.5 The available funding for Hampshire Highways East for 2006/07 is limited to £37,000 and it is likely that only one scheme per district can be constructed. Members are requested to select two schemes from the list that they consider should be given priority for funding.

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.

Recommendations

1. That the sections of this report on Highway Maintenance (Sections 2 to 5) be noted.

2. That Members select two schemes from the list given in Appendix 5 that they consider should be given priority, approve the allocation of funding to these schemes and that the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management be advised accordingly.

769/DG