Archived decisions

Contact: Hannah Baker, ext 6594 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That Hampshire County Council abandons proposals for the construction of the Hythe Link Road.

2. Reason

2.1 The New Forest Local Plan includes safeguarding for Hythe Link Road scheme.

2.2 A report to the former New Forest Highway and Transport Advisory Panel in March 2004 considered the issue of the proposed Hythe Link Road. It was agreed that the scheme was no longer needed and there would be greater benefit in using the developers' contributions collected for the Link Road for other alternative improvements within the area. The ability to do this would be subject to securing Deeds of Variation to the Section 278 Agreements with developers of the Dreamland site, originally taken for the purpose of the Link Road.

2.3 The Deeds of Variation required to spend the contributions on the alternative scheme have now been agreed for all relevant contributions. The final stage of the process, before the alternative scheme is commenced, is to formally abandon the scheme and, consequently, to seek the exclusion of the land safeguarding from the emerging New Forest District Council Local Development Framework.

2.4 These decisions support the following Aims of the Corporate Strategy:

(i) Aims 2 and 3 (Stewardship of the Environment and Achieving Economic Prosperity) by making best use of limited space in an urban centre and not promoting new road building where it is not needed; and

(ii) Aim 4 (Building Strong and Safe Communities) by focusing the County Council's resources on projects which bring the greatest benefit to local communities.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 The alternative option would be to retain the funding for its original purpose, to build the Link Road. This would require significant additional funding to be secured and, given that current traffic levels do not justify a Link Road, the alternative of abandoning the scheme and reallocating funding is considered more appropriate.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or Other Executive Member Consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor M J Kendal

729Decn/HB