Archived decisions

Introduction

This briefing note is intended to provide Members with background information to the Area 3 Motorway and Trunk Road Commission, to explain the role of Hampshire County Council staff involved in Area 3, and to outline the roles and responsibilities of other organisations involved in the Commission.

Background

Hampshire County Council is the Highway Authority responsible for the maintenance and management of all the county roads within the boundary of Hampshire. This excludes the Motorway and Trunk Road (MTR) network which is the responsibility of the Highways Agency (HA) on behalf of Central Government.

Prior to 1997 the County Council was responsible for managing and maintaining the MTR network within the borders of Hampshire under an Agency Agreement with Central Government. This work was coordinated and delivered by County Council staff based in Ashburton Court. The Local Authority arrangement of maintaining the MTR network by the County Council at that time was reflected across the country with all Local Authorities in England having similar agency arrangements with Central Government.

In 1997 the HA created larger geographical areas of MTR networks to be managed that extended beyond the traditional county boundaries. The MTR network within Hampshire now became part of a wider road network known as Area 3. Hampshire County Council could not bid directly for the new Area 3 Commission, but was, in conjunction with Mott MacDonald, allowed to submit a tender. The tender bid was successful and County Council staff (44 ftes) became involved in the Area 3 Commission. The contract was again re-tendered in 2001 by the Highways Agency and a further Mott MacDonald/Hampshire County Council re-bid was again successful. The Commission has recently been awarded a second one year extension to the current contract which is now due to end in 2008. Attached is an appendix detailing Area 3 Facts and Figures together with a plan showing the extent of Motorway and Trunk Road covered by the Area 3 Commission.

Area 3 Commission

There are three main participants to the running of the Area 3 Commission. These are the Client, the Joint Managing Agent and the Contractor.

The Client - Highways Agency

Background

The HA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT) and is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. The Agency has a major role in delivering the Government's ten-year plan for transport.

The English Strategic Road Network

The HA's road network provides a vital service to commerce and industry and has a huge impact on the lives of individuals and communities. It comprises various types of roads ranging from motorways carrying 200,000 vehicles per day to single carriageway trunk roads carrying fewer than 10,000 vehicles per day.

The strategic road network has been divided into `core' and `non-core' roads and comprises approximately 2% of England's roads - about 8,255 kilometres (5,130 miles) - but carries nearly one-third of all traffic and two-thirds of all freight.

Maintaining the Network

Maintaining the network to keep it safe and available for use accounts for the largest portion of the HA's budget at some £730 million nationally. Recent surveys confirm the network remains in good condition. In order to keep it that way they are responsible for a wide range of activities, including:

(i) regular inspections to identify where maintenance is needed;

(ii) repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges;

(iii) resurfacing roads;

(iv) keeping the motorways clean, removing debris;

(v) maintaining network lighting equipment and communications systems - eg emergency telephones, electronic information signs; and

(vi) salting roads for winter conditions.

The Impact of the Weather

Sometimes maintenance and road building have to be delayed whilst road salting and snow clearing are started at very short notice.

Over the past year the Agency has tested and retested its winter service plans. The HA will ensure, through its contractors, that gritters and snow ploughs are ready for use on 24-hour standby and that the HA's contractors receive up-to-the-minute weather information from the Meteorological Office. When the Agency get a warning all motorways and trunk roads will be pre-salted and the HA and the contractor will do their best to ensure all motorways and trunk roads in England remain open during the bad weather conditions.

Central Southern England

In central southern England the motorways and trunk roads are managed through the Area 3 Commission by the Managing Agent Mott MacDonald (in conjunction with Hampshire County Council) and Raynesway Construction (Southern) (RCS) as the Term Maintenance Contractor. Similarly, RCS is the Term Maintenance Contractor for the County Council's road network.

Area 3 Network

The roads covered by the Area 3 Commission include those below which extend beyond the boundaries of Hampshire.

M27 J1 Cadnam to J12 Hilsea including slip roads to M275 - Tipner Bridge

M271 A3057 Cold Harbour Lane to Redbridge roundabout, Southampton

M275 M27 links to Tipner Bridge

M3 Kitsmead Lane Bridge to M27 Southampton

M4 J5 Langley to J15 Badbury

A3(M) A3 Horndean to A27 Bedhampton

A308(M) M4 J8/9 to A308 Braywick

A3 A3(M) Horndean to junction of north slip roads at Stratford Bridge

A27 M27 Hilsea to A259 junction at Warblington

A31 M27 J1 Cadnam to A35/A31 junction at Bere Regis

A34 M3 J9 to M40 J9

A303 M3 J8 Popham to Parkhouse roundabout/Hampshire border

A404(M) M4 J8/9 to A404

A404 A404(M) to M40 J4

Managing Agent - Mott MacDonald (in conjunction with Hampshire County Council)

Background

The Managing Agent for the Area 3 network is Mott MacDonald, and through its Maintenance Team is responsible for the management and supervision of the Term Maintenance Contractor (RCS) who undertakes Winter Maintenance, Reactive and Routine Maintenance.

Maintenance Team

The Maintenance Team is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Area 3 Network, which includes roads and bridges and all the HA's Motorway Compounds. It is primarily responsible for the management, maintenance and supervision of all works, which occur on the network and RCS, through which reactive and routine maintenance is delivered. Other functions include:

(i) supervision of emergency and winter maintenance service;

(ii) decision making for winter maintenance action in accordance with the Winter Maintenance Plan;

(iii) attendance at major incidents on the network;

(iv) management of the Routine Maintenance Management System (RMMS) network referencing and data collection;

(v) Routine Safety and Condition inspections of the Network Assets including bridges;

(vi) management of old bridge records;

(vii) undertaking inspections and receiving inspection reports from others; and

(vii) reactive response to all enquiries and requests for service from public, Police and stakeholders

Contingency Plans

The Maintenance Team provides a 24/7 capability to respond to incidents on the Network, to provide Management Support to RCS Incident Support Units, which will be the initial response to an incident. In the event that an incident is declared a Major Emergency then the Maintenance Team has the capability to mobilise the Area 3 Contingency Plan to strategically manage such an incident, and provide appropriate up-to-date information for communication with the HA.

Mott MacDonald and Hampshire County Council

A joint bid for the Area 3 Commission was originally submitted in 1997 and was successful. A re-bid in 2001 was again successful (although the Area boundary changed). Hampshire County Council staff are employed in conjunction with Mott MacDonald staff in delivering the Managing Agent role. Mott MacDonald and Hampshire County Council Area 3 Commission is one of the most successful and experienced of all the 14 Area Commissions in England. In addition consultant Scott Wilson provide staff resources to cover peaks in workload associated with the Commission.

The Contractor - RCS

Background

Term Maintenance Contractor

RCS is responsible for the maintenance of 610 kilometres of mixed Motorway and Trunk Road. RCS is deployed in three Areas:

North M4, A308(M), A404(M), A34 (North), A404

Central M3, A34(South), A303

South M27, M271, M275, A3, A3(M), A27 (from J5 A3(M) to West Sussex border), A31 (from J1 M27 to A35 Bere Regis)

RCS is based at Easton Lane in Winchester and through depots at Chieveley, Hook and Park Gate. In these areas RCS employs a total of 150 operatives.

Winter Maintenance

This is one of the contract's principal operations. Approximately a third of the RCS workforce is on one-hour call for winter emergency at any time, with the remainder available as support at short notice. The Incident Support Units give a 24/7 presence on the network and are used as weather scouts in conjunction with the Network Control Centre.

Training

All operatives of winter maintenance equipment are trained to City and Guilds certification including sub contractor labour that provides part of the RCS operational reserve.

Resource Locations

The fleet is located in 10 compounds across the network which are at:

M4 Shefford Woodlands (Hungerford), Chieveley, Whitley Wood, Bray Court

M3 Hook, Dummer

Easton Lane

M27 Ower, Park Gate

All Highways Agency Compounds

A3 Longmoor depot is provided by RCS.

Area 3 and District Authorities

Although the Area 3 Commission is responsible for the management and maintenance of the MTR network, under current legislation it is District Councils who are responsible for the clearing of litter along the trunk road verges and central reserves within their district boundaries. Litter on motorways is dealt with by the HA through contract arrangements with contractors.

Future Collaboration

Hampshire County Council and the HA are currently engaged in discussions to explore potential opportunities for efficiencies through collaboration on procurement processes. Discussions are also moving forward to explore service delivery efficiencies by using the resources of RCS which is a common contractor for both the Hampshire and Area 3 contracts. Discussions are at an early stage but it is hoped to develop the opportunities over the next six months.

Contact: Colin Taylor, tel 01730 266411

email: [email protected]

9385/CT

APPENDIX

Area 3 Facts and Figures

· 379 miles (610 kilometres) of motorways and trunk roads

· Areas covered is 75 miles by 80 miles (6,000 square miles/9,600 square kilometres)

· 10 depots

· Over 450 staff work in Area 3 team, including 44 ftes Hampshire County Council staff

· Serves a population of some 4.4 million and 1.8 million households

· Liaises with five police authorities

· Liaises with 43 local authorities

· The annual average daily (24 hour) two-way traffic highest/lowest flows on the following routes are:

MAY 2005

*HGV = Heavy Goods Vehicles

· Over 17,000 lamps to be maintained in 5,470 lighting columns and 1,550 road signs

· Over 994 miles (1,600 kilometres) of cabling

· Energy cost of £500,000 per year

· 37 signal controlled junctions

· Some 1,250 bridges to maintain

· In 2002/03 over 12,000 different types of trees and shrubs were planted

· During the winter months around 300,000 tonnes of rock salt (precautionary salt runs) are spread