Contact: Philippa Smart Ext 733 email: [email protected]

1. Summary and purpose

1.1 One of the key roles of Hampshire County Council Select Committees is to pre- scrutinise recommendations they deem warrant their particular attention from the Departmental Decision Programmes.

1.2 The Decision lists of both the Environment Department and the Recreation and Heritage Department have been received by the Select Committee chairman and vice chairman in advance of today's meeting; two items have been identified as of potential interest to Members:

- Bus Subsidy 2007/08 - Savings Plan Decision date: July 2007

- Vehicles in the Countryside Decision date: November 2007

Information available to the committee at despatch date is provided attached to this report.

2. Recommendations

2.1 That the committee receives the officer report relating to the Bus Subsidy Savings Plan and considers what further action, if any, it wishes to pursue.

2.2 That the committee receives the briefing note on the background to the Vehicles in the Countryside decision, and considers:

a) whether to include the topic in the committee's work programme

b) if the topic is to be included in the work programme, whether, in the light of cross cutting issues that create an overlap with Culture and Communities Select Committee, the next steps should be undertaken jointly with that committee

3. Financial implications

3.1 None

4. Impact Assessment

4.1 None

5. Crime Prevention

5.1 None

Section 100 d - Local Government Act 1972 - background information

The following documents discuss 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 this report.

NB. The list includes:

1. Published works

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

None.

Environment and Transportation Select Committee

Briefing note on Recreation and Heritage proposed decision on Vehicles in the Community.

1 Background

1.1 The use of off-road vehicles in the countryside is a controversial and emotive

issue and a difficult area of work for countryside and rights of way managers. Motorbikes and four wheel drive vehicles are allowed to use certain rights of way and unsurfaced roads in the countryside; however, this can cause damage to the route or the area.

1.2 Such use can be dangerous to other users such as walkers and riders and the

noise and speed can spoil the enjoyment of being in the countryside for many.

Illegal use is also a problem, and is the source of many requests for action to

be taken by the County Council

1 Current policy and policy development

2.1 In 1998 the then Recreation and Heritage Committee declared their total

opposition to the use of `green lanes' by motor vehicles for recreational

purposes.

2.2 Whilst this is a clear statement of the County Council's view, the revised

policy currently being produced aims to show what this means in practice,

and how the policy will influence the work of the County Council, and the

decisions taken on a day to day level.

2.3 Through a series of small workshop sessions, the independent, statutory Hampshire Countryside Access Forum has developed the draft of a revised policy. This draft was agreed by a full meeting of the Forum on June 27 with a view to it proceeding for consideration through the County Council's decision making process. In addition to the use of rights of way the current draft includes reference to the management of this issue on unsurfaced roads. Officers in the Environment Department have also been consulted upon the draft policy to ensure that it is compatible with the work of the Environment Department.