Contact: Chris Wilson 01962 892850 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines:

(i) progress with the 2005/6 Highways Maintenance Programme;

(ii) details of the 2006/7 Highway Maintenance Budget;

(iii) details of the 2006/7 Highways Maintenance Programme; and

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

2. Background

2.1 Members will be aware that the highway maintenance programme is funded from both revenue and capital allocations. 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 bridge works and winter maintenance are also funded from revenue. 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.

2.2 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 Highways Maintenance Programme

Revenue Maintenance Programme

3.1 The total allocation for Winchester for 2005/06 was £910,000. Progress throughout the year has generally been in line with the spend profile and the full allocation is expected to be used by the end of the year. A budget statement is included as Appendix 1.

Capital Maintenance Programme

3.2 The total allocation for Winchester for 2005/06 was £2,434,000. Good progress has been made with the programme and it is expected that it will be delivered as planned within time and budget constraints. A budget statement is included in Appendix 1 and a status report detailing progress 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: South Hampshire and Resource Management is £48,506,000, comprising £24,132,000 revenue funding and £27,363,000 funding from the Capital Programme provision. The provisional allocations for Winchester are £976,000 for Revenue and £1,129,000 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.

5.2 The total allocation for Winchester in 2006/07 is expected to be £976,000. A detailed breakdown of the budget allocations is set out in Appendix 3.

5.3 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

5.4 The funding allocation for the Capital maintenance programme is based on the HAMP rating system which identifies locations having the greatest maintenance need. This system comprises an independent assessment of the condition of roads that have been identified as potential candidates for substantial maintenance work, such as resurfacing.

5.5 Planned structural maintenance repairs undertaken through the capital maintenance programme includes surface dressing, special maintenance and resurfacing schemes. An additional allocation of £2.989 million has been agreed by the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management, which will enable an increased number of schemes to be undertaken. The total allocation for Winchester is expected to be £1,129,000 and a provisional budget breakdown is given in Appendix 3. A provisional list of schemes for 2006/07 is also attached in Appendix 4.

6. Minor Capital Works

Summary

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 Local Transport Plan submission to the Department for Transport. In the 2005/06 programme £20,000 was allocated to Winchester. The schemes in the programme were:

(i) Prospect Road, New Alresford - provision of new footpath; and

(ii) Mislingford Road, Swanmore - new footpath link.

Progress with 2005/06 programme

6.3 Progress on these schemes has been as follows:

(i) Prospect Road, New Alresford - new footpath. This scheme is now complete; and

(ii) Mislingford Road, Swanmore - new footpath link. This scheme is programmed to start on 6 March 2006.

Proposals for the 2006/07 Programme

6.4 The Capital Minor Works rolling programme is compiled from suggestions made by elected Members, the Police and Parish Councils. At the March 2005 meeting of this Panel Members were invited to make suggestions for future schemes under this category. A reminder letter was sent to all members in October 2005. A few suggestions were received and these are now included in the "rolling programme" shown in Appendix 5. This appendix also shows the assessment of the proposed schemes against the previously agreed criteria. The budget for this area of work for 2006/07 is subject to final confirmation but anticipated to be £12,000 for Winchester, which will only allow one scheme to be undertaken in next financial year.

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 recommend the two top priority schemes (one as a reserve) on the Capital Minor Works rolling programme (given in Appendix 5) as:

(i) A272 Bramdean - footway extension; and

(b) C201 Hazeley Road - new footway.

3. That the allocation of funding to the priority schemes be agreed and the Executive Member for Environment: South Hampshire and Resource Management be advised accordingly.

771/CW

APPENDIX 1

BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT - WINCHESTER AREA

APPENDIX 2

SPECIAL MAINTENANCE AND RESURFACING PROGRAMME 2005/06 - PROGRESS

APPENDIX 3

PROVISIONAL BUDGETS 2006/07

APPENDIX 4

2006/07 PROVISIONAL SPECIAL MAINTENANCE, RESURFACING AND SURFACE DRESSING PROGRAMME

APPENDIX 5

MINOR CAPITAL (UNDER £10,000) SCHEMES