AT A MEETING of the RUSHMOOR HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORT ADVISORY PANEL held at Rushmoor District Council, Farnborough on 17 March 2006.

PRESENT :

Hampshire County Council

Councillors :

p R.J.Baulk ( Chairman )

p Mrs. P.M. Devereaux

p R.J. Kimber

p Mrs. C. A. Leversha

p E.J. Neal

Rushmoor District Council

Councillors :

p M. Roberts.

p R.G.L. Dibbs

p J.P. Mathews

p J.J. Wall

p D Clifford

1 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should declare their interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9,10,11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed. Any declaration to be made at the time of the debate. There were no declarations of interest.

2 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 7 and 25 October 2005 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

3 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman made the following announcement :

" 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 & 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. "

The Chairman thanked members and officers for their support. He wished Jim Pettit well for the future and felt that he had been a great asset to the Borough Council.

4 DEPUTATIONS

There were no deputations

5 UPDATE ON SCHEMES IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAMME

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment ( Item 6 in the
Minute Book providing an update on transport schemes within the 2004/05 and

2005/06 Capital Programme, together with schemes for the 2006/07 Capital

Programme.

RESOLVED :

That progress with the schemes in the Transport Capital Programme be noted and

that those schemes approved for inclusion in the Capital Programme for 2006/07

be supported.

6 UPDATE ON HIGHWAY AND MINOR WORKS PROGRAMME

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment ( Item 7 in the

Minute Book ) outlining progress with the 2005/06 Highway Maintenance Programme; 2006/07 Maintenance Budget; the 2006/07 Highway Maintenance

Programme and progress on Minor Capital works and proposals for 2006/07 programme.

Members requested that Chapel Lane, Farnborough should be given priority in the

longer term if the land issues could be resolved. Guildford Road / Reading Road

would therefore now be their first choice, and A325 Farnborough Road at the

Toucan Roundabout their second choice.

RESOLVED :

1 That the report be noted :

2 That first priority be given to Guildford Road / Reading Road;

Second priority be given to A325 Farnborough Road given that no land issues exist.

3 That, Chapel Lane, Farnborough would be Member's first choice if land issues

could be resolved; and the Executive Member for Environment : South

Hampshire and Resource Management be advised accordingly.

7 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Director of Environment ( Item

in the Minute Book ) covering the main programme of traffic management work

in the Rushmoor District in 2005/06 and 2006/07

It was reported that Decriminalised Parking Enforcement ( DPE ) had been

introduced in 8 of the11 boroughs . Councillor Pyrnette Dickens was Assistant

Chairman of the National Parking Adjudication Service ( NPAS ) Joint

Committee.

RESOLVED :

That the report be noted.

8 CASUALTY REDUCTION PROGRAMME

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Director of Environment

( Item 9 in the Minute Book ) outlining progress on the Hampshire County

Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Safety Camera Partnership casualty

reduction programmes for 2005/06 together with the proposed shape of the

Second Local Transport Plan ( LTP ) and supported programmes commencing

in 2006/07.

It was explained that the County Council had made £1 million to support the

low cost / high yield casualty reduction programme, which included surface

dressing measures. The proposed level of casualty reduction engineering

funding for inclusion in the County Council's second LTP submission, would

if successful enable £13.53 million to be spent over five years.

The County Council continued to achieve favourably against government

Targets and this aim would be pursued against a baseline of 2004. Successes

were noted with the following awards :

· Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Awards 2005 - Commendation

· GCap radio - Creative Excellence

· Prime community Safety Award 2006-04-04

The rules for funding were to change from 1 April 2007, when Camera Safety

Partnerships would cease. In future funding would come in the form of supplementary funding through the LTP process.

RESOLVED :

That the report be noted.

9 TRAVEL PLAN PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment ( Item 10 in

the Minute Book ) providing an update on the workplace and school travel

planning for the Rushmoor area; and an update on the Rushmoor Safer Routes

to Schools programmes.

The County Council had been congratulated by the DfES and Department for

Transport's ( DfT) Travelling to Scjool Iniative Project Board for their

submission of a provisional School Travel Strategy

RESOLVED :

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

10 OTHER HIGHWAY RELATED PROGRAMMES

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Director of Environment

( Item 11 in the Minute Book ) covering a range of activities undertaken by

specialist teams within the Environment Department.

It was explained that the County Council had bid for £83 million Private

Finance Initiative ( PFI ) funding for the lighting column replacement . This

funding would be essential to facilitate the replacement of columns at Yateley,

which were not of county-wide standard, at an estimated cost of £500,000 to

£1 million.

11 PASSENGER TRANSPORT REPORT

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Director of Environment
( Item 11 in the Minute Book ) detailing the latest position on concessionary
fares, bus services, bus infrastructure and rail issues.

The latest position regarding concessionary fares was described. It was

reported that the scheme had not worked out as well as expected in that

some districts had received insufficient funding to offer free travel for all 24

periods, although Hart district was not amongst these.

Members raised the following points interalia :

· Consideration be given to provision of decking of station Car Parks to provide a second level thus increasing capacity.

· Security provisions and lifts.

· Officers requested to investigate complementary taxis to alternative stations, where inadequate disabled facilities prevented transit between platforms.

Commenting on the A325 Farnborough Road Improvement, members

requested a safety audit with particular

RESOLVED :

1 That the report be noted;

2 That motor-cycles be permitted to use the bus lanes on the A325;

3 That an independent safety audit be carried out at the Bradford Roundabout.

12 POSSIBLE TRANSFER OF HIGHWAY WEED-KILLING TO THE
DISTRICT COUNCIL AGENTS

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment ( Item 13 in the Minute Book ), regarding the possible transfer of weed-treatment to district councils.

The District Council would wish to see a better service for the same cost or less. The Council would also prefer that the budget allocation for this service be transferred to them and they would like the opportunity to negotiate directly with the Environment Agency on the choice of weed-killers.

RESOLVED :

1 The District Council would wish to take on the weed-killing service;

2 That negotiations take place in the summer of 2006 for the service to be transferred from the 1 April 2007.

3 That there be two sprays a year at present County Council standard.

13 ITEMS RAISED BY RUSHMOOR MEMBERS


The Panel considered the report of the Head of Street Services

( Item 14 in the Minute Book ).

A written answer was to be given to Councillor Wall illustrating examples of road conditions in the Borough.

Councillor Dibble was to be given written answers to his requests for information..

Development of former Pyestock Power Station.

Councillor Mathews drew attention to a recent planning application by Hart District Council regarding the former Pyestock Power Station site, which had been acquired for a commercial development. Concerns were expressed that the scheme would generate a major impact on traffic in the area, particularly around Junction 4a of the M3 Motorway, with additional Heavy and Light Goods Vehicles resorting to the site.

Members felt that there had been a lack of communication between some agencies in the process. Officers reported that traffic impact studies covering the vicinity of the development had been undertaken and agreed.. It was also strongly felt that the County Council's impact study presented in response to the new planning application was, in fact, an ` unaltered ` response to a previous application. The Panel felt that a new impact study ought to be undertaken by the County Council. Members urged that all agencies involved in the process consult as a matter of urgency.

Resolved :

1 That an up-to-date traffic impact assessment of the effects on roads in the

vicinity of the former Pyestock Power Station be undertaken as a matter of

urgency;

2 That the appropriate officers of the County Council, Rushmoor and Hart

District Councils and the Highway Agency urgently consult to reconsider

the matter, and that Members wished to be involved in these meetings.