Contact: Philippa Smart [email protected], ext 7366

1. Summary and purpose

1.1 At the October and December 2006 meetings of the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee members agreed to include the topics of Transport in the Community, and Street Lighting in the committee's scrutiny work programme.

1.2 Endorsement of both topics was secured subsequently from the Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee.

1.3 Scrutiny of both topics has been carried out and this report provides members of the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee with feedback on progress and outcomes.

2. Transport in the Community

2.1 Members were informed in January of plans to set up the scrutiny review group as a sub group of the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee. Membership was identified by the three political parties subsequently, and the group met for the first time in March.

2.2 The preliminary discussions of the group have centred on the scope of the review, to ensure that the scope that was worked up in 2006 is timely and achievable. A decision has been made to narrow the scope, within the terms of the original overall aim. The main areas are now as follows :-

- gaps in the range of transport services in Hampshire in relation to community needs

- improvements to the cost effectiveness of services

- improvements in the co-ordination of vehicles and services

2.3 Members will receive further updates on progress with the scrutiny review at subsequent Policy Review Group meetings.

3. Street Lighting

3.1 Members were informed in January of plans to hold a half day workshop to scrutinise aspects of proposals for developing street lighting in Hampshire. The workshop took place on the 8 February 2007.

3.2 Recommendations from the scrutiny were arrived at in relation to the following aspects:

- regarding the Private Finance Initiative service specification and sustainability aspects

- regarding partnerships and performance management

- regarding proposals for income opportunities

- regarding other general matters

A complete list of recommendations is contained in Appendix One.

3.3 As the timing of consideration by the Executive of street lighting developments fell in advance of the April meeting of the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee meeting, communication of the recommendations was forwarded to the Executive Member of the Environment in March to ensure that they received timely consideration.

Recommendation

That the recommendations of the scrutiny group examining street lighting be received and the response of the Executive to the recommendations be followed through.

4. Financial implication

4.1 None as a direct result of this report

5. Impact assessment

5.1 None as a result of this report

6. Crime prevention

6.1 None as a result of this report

7. Section 100 - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied on to a material extent in the preparation of the report.

NB: this includes - 1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act

None.

Appendix One

Dear Councillor Kendal

Outcomes of scrutiny by the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee on the subject of Street Lighting

Following the completion of scrutiny work initiated by the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee in relation to aspects of the current Private Finance Initiative for Street Lighting, I wish to recommend the outcome of that work to you:

a) Regarding the Private Finance Initiative service specification and sustainability aspects:

(i) that the project is informed by more detailed data on community benefits of dimming and part time night lighting

(ii) that the specification include specific requests to the bidders to say what savings dimming or part time night lighting would create

(iii) that the project proceed on the basis of a preference for green over brown energy

(iv) that the contract contains an expectation that column and lantern replacement will be carried out as promptly as possible in the early years of the contract rather than spread over a longer period

b) Regarding partnerships and performance management:

(i) that the District, Parish and Town Councils be provided with up to date information about the Private Finance Initiative and encouraged to indicate now, to the Street Lighting Project Director, whether they wish to be part of that initiative, as well as what standard of lighting and/or other specific requirements eg. brackets, they envisage being required.

(ii) that sanctions for non compliance with performance targets be explicit within the tender

c) Regarding proposals for income opportunities:

(i) that the `in principle' agreement to include income generating opportunities in the Street Lighting Private Finance Initiative should rest with the full council

(ii) that if income generation is supported `in principle', that income generated from advertising, or other sources such as WiFi, should be devolved to Districts, Parishes or Town Councils if the apparatus is in their ownership

d) Regarding other general matters:

(i) that the potential for collaboration with the Highways Agency be explored

As chairman of the Environment and Transportation Policy Review Committee I commend the scrutiny groups' consensus recommendations to you, and will be pleased to hear back from you regarding what impact they have on decisions to be made on the topic in question.

Yours sincerely

4.1.1 Peter Hutcheson

County Councillor, Hawley & Church Crookham

cc. Councillor Mrs. P.M.Devereux, Vice Chairman

Other members involved in the scrutiny:

Councillors Mrs.C.A.Bailey

Mrs.E.M.Byrom

A.P.Collett

M.G.Cooper

B.D.Dash

A.G.Dowden

P.R.Edgar

K.D.Evans

P.K.Mason

J.K.West

D.F.Wright