Archived decisions

AT A MEETING of the ENVIRONMENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE held at The Castle, Winchester on 20 July 2006.

PRESENT:

pCouncillor PRC Hutcheson (Chairman)

a Councillor Mrs P M Devereux (Vice-Chairman)

Also in attendance: Councillors T.G. Knight, J.K. West and Mrs. C. Bailey

123 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs P.M. Devereux, Mrs. K. Heron and Keith House.

124 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 normally at the time of the debate 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. No such interests were declared on this occasion.

125 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 June 2006 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Arising thereon:

Minute 118, Final Accounts

With reference to the proposed sub-group to review issues of passenger transport costs and activities, it was agreed that the five Members concerned would approach Keith Willcox to find a compatible date on which they could meet, as 25 July the date originally canvassed was not suitable.

126 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman reported that this would be the last meeting of the Environment Policy Review Committee in its present format. The September meeting would comprise the initial briefing for the new Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee. The Chairman thanked all Members of the present Committee for their contribution to its work, and Members expressed appreciation to Councillor Hutcheson for his effective Chairmanship.

127 MEMBERS QUESTIONS

No questions for the Executive Members for Environment had been notified.

128 DEPUTATIONS

No deputations had been notified on this occasion.

129 HIGHWAYS AGENCY VISIT

The Committee received a presentation from Angela Koenig, Highways Agency, on the work of Area 3 Motorway and Trunk Road Commission , which covered the entirety of Hampshire. They also had before them a briefing note from the Director of Environment (Item 7(b) in the Minute Book) setting out background information on Area 3, the role of Hampshire County Council staff involved in Area 3 and on the roles and responsibilities of other organisations involved in the Commission.

In her presentation, Angela Koenig focused on the following salient points:

· The development of a strategy for safe roads, reliable journeys and informed travellers.


· The key priority to reduce road deaths and casualties.


· The close liaison established with local authorities in Hampshire and adjoining counties.


· The development of modest improvements or interventions to overcome the worst pinch points causing congestion.


· Targeted campaigns, for instance, to reduce casualties among motor cyclists, inexperienced drivers and HGVs.


· The new initiative of motorway traffic officer patrols, whose key tasks were to manage the motorway/trunk road network and keep traffic on it flowing freely.


She gave details of the Highways Agency's policies and criteria for reducing road noise emanating from motorways and trunk roads which was carried out by:


· Construction of noise barriers in a few areas where large numbers of houses immediately adjoined the motorway or trunk road.


· Low noise surfaces which were applied when the motorway or trunk road was due for repair in any event. Regrettably resources did not permit the resurfacing of roads solely for reasons of mitigating noise.

Other initiatives currently being taken by the Highways Agency were:


· Ensuring that variable message signs were up to date and gave accurate information, warnings and advice to motorists on problems ahead.


· Campaigns to discourage the deposit of litter on motorways and trunk roads, especially in view of the substantial cost and safety issues of clearing and collecting it.


Angela Koenig then went on to respond to questions from Members on bio-diversity, maintenance regimes for verges and roundabouts, and surface run-off from motorways such as M27 and M3 into the waters of the River Hamble, River Itchen and River Test.

In conclusion Members of the Committee welcomed the collaborative working arrangements established between the local authorities and the Highways Agency and thanked Angela Koenig for her presentation.

130 TERM MAINTENANCE CONTRACT (RAYNESWAY) HIGHWAY PERFORMANCE - ANNUAL REPORT

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 8 in the Minute Book) which detailed progress of the term maintenance contract over the past year and summarised the performance of the contractor, Raynesway Construction Southern, the results of public surveys relating to the service, partnering initiatives and the future of the contract. Members noted the gradual improvement in the contractor's performance and the action being taken to implement e-solutions to overcome problems of procedure and capacity. The contract had been extended for a year to Spring 2008 and still represented good value; longer term options for the future were being assessed. During discussion Members made reference to the following:

· The need for highway verge planting and maintenance to focus on safety and visibility issues rather than any more elaborate planting.


· The need for an index of acronyms and to use plain English in technical reports.


· Reminder to use the Highway Defects hotline 0845 850 4422 as the most effective means for Members and the public to report any faults or problems.


RESOLVED:

That the performance of the term maintenance contractor, Raynesway, be noted.

131 STREET LIGHTING CONTRACT PERFORMANCE - ANNUAL REPORT

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Environment (Item 9 in the Minute Book) which detailed the performance of the street lighting maintenance contract during the first year of the collaborative working arrangements. The contractor was achieving the objectives of improved service at no extra costs; financial savings; and reduced environmental impact and as a result of this performance it had been agreed to extend the contract by a further year; in the meantime longer term procurement options were being explored. During discussion Members drew attention to the following:

· The desirability of reducing light pollution by installing lanterns which directed light downwards towards the road; these would be installed when the street lights were due for replacement.


· The need to find innovative solutions which would reduce the use of energy and resultant costs, for example, lights to be dimmed at non-peak times; reflective signs and bollards to be used rather than illuminated ones; solar powered signs in suitable locations where they were not too visually intrusive; and recognition that the fundamental purpose of street lighting was safety and visibility on the highway network.



RESOLVED:

That the performance of the street lighting contractor, Southern Electric, be noted.

132 COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS MONITORING - ANNUAL REPORT

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 10 in the Minute Book) on complaints, compliments and other feedback recorded for the Environment Department between April 2005 and March 2006. In discussing the report Members felt there might be room for improvement where staff attitudes appeared to be an issue, and expressed the hope that suitable training might overcome any outstanding problems. There was also reference to delays in responding at the Highways Call Centre, but it was explained that this was at present an operation on a modest scale and performance would improve once the County Council's corporate contact centre was established. In general terms Members noted that, although numbers of complaints had increased, they represented a minimal level of dissatisfaction when taken in the context of the rapidly increasing number of contacts between the Department and the public.

The Committee endorsed the Departments proposals to improve complaints reporting and handling.

133 ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR HAMPSHIRE'S HIGHWAYS

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 11 in the Minute Book) which proposed a review of current practices for highway signing and highway design features in the rural highway environment. The main focus of the review was to avoid the proliferation of unsightly and intrusive signs and other street furniture in rural areas, but similar considerations would apply in more urban areas. It was recognised that the fundamental purpose of signs was to improve the safety of the road network for all users. During discussion of the report Members suggested the following:

· No need to put up signs for what is obvious.


· Excessive numbers of signs will only devalue the currency.


· Need to coordinate signs with adjoining authorities on the County Council's boundaries.


· Numbers of signs, posts and other street furniture to be rationalised and redundant posts or signs removed.


· Unauthorised signs to be removed.


· Build on close working arrangements with district councils on the erection of signs, street nameplates and planning control over signs.


· The extent of signs and road markings to be proportionate to the identified needs for information or warnings in the interests of road safety.


· Recognition that in some cases statutory requirements of road traffic regulation orders may dictate the provision of signs and their repetition at intervals.


· Need to preserve some heritage signs, notably the typical Hampshire finger posts.

RESOLVED

That the report and review of Environment Design Guidelines for Hampshire's highways be noted.

134 ECONOMIES IN SUPPORTED BUS SERVICES

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment

(Item 12 in the Minute Book) on bus services identified for reduction or

withdrawal on the basis that they exceed the County Council's subsidy limit

of £2.50 per passenger journey, and on operational changes proposed to

certain Cango Services. The Director of Environment amplified the report

by reference to the specific services detailed in the Appendix and explained

the responses to consultation on each proposed service, reduction or

withdrawal. In the light of the observations made by consultees , it was

proposed to vary the potential bus subsidy economies for 2006/07 as

follows:

· Stage Coach 56, Aldershot - Farnborough : Monday - Friday. Retain peak journeys related to Farnborough Sixth Form College, but otherwise withdraw service.


· First 51/52/53 Fareham Shopper Bus - retain the service if Sainsburys are prepared to fund it, but otherwise withdraw the service.


· Countywide 10 Winchester - Kempshott - retain peak hour journeys but otherwise withdraw service.


The Director of Environment explained that, even with these variations, it should be possible to achieve the £200,000 required in the budget for the current financial year. It was not practical to postpone taking decisions now ,as to delay pending further review would only mean the necessity for more serious reductions later in the year.

During discussion the following points were made by Members:


· Several Members were unhappy with the proposed withdrawal of the Fareham Shopper Bus, seen as a vital link from the Town Centre to Sainsburys Supermarket for the elderly and people without cars.


· Some Members felt that the reduction and service withdrawals were premature and should be looked at as part of area reviews.


· Some Members considered that the withdrawal of bus services would mean that people would take to their cars instead, with adverse effects on the Environment in terms of congestion and CO2 emissions.


· Several Members felt it would have been helpful to explain that the numbers quoted in the column "Annual passengers affected" really referred to "passenger journeys".


The Executive Member for Environment (South Hampshire and Resource Management) took note of the comments made by Members as summarised above and would take them into account when he reached his decision.

135 ENVIRONMENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE -

FORWARD PLAN

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive and Director of

Environment (Item 13 in the Minute Book) setting out issues for future

meetings. The Forward Plan had now been overtaken by the changes to

Scrutiny agreed by the County Council on 13 July, and it was expected that

the September meeting would now concentrate on briefing for the work of

the new Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee.