Archived decisions

Decision Maker:

Executive Member - Policy and Resources

Date of Decision:

29 January 2009

Decision Title:

Project Appraisal: South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit - Phase 1 Fareham-Gosport

Decision Reference:

460

Report From:

Director of Environment

Contact name:

Phil Samms

Tel:

01962 874795

Email:

[email protected]

1) Summary

The following decisions were made:

1.1. That the Project Appraisal to implement Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme between Redlands Lane, Fareham and Tichborne Way, Gosport, at an estimated cost of £19.5 million, be approved, with implementation subject to:

(i) the award of £20 million of Community Infrastructure Funding from Central Government;

(ii) the granting of planning consent and any compulsory purchase order required to implement Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme; and

(iii) all necessary land being acquired for Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme.

1.2. That approval be given to implement an extension to Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme from Tichborne Way to Military Road in Gosport, subject to:

(i) sourcing of additional funding;

(ii) planning consent and any compulsory purchase order required to implement Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme; and

(iii) all necessary land being acquired for Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme.

1.3. That authorisation be given for the Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Interim Head of Estates) to:

(i) negotiate and agree suitable terms and conditions for the acquisition, dedication or licence of any land and/or easement and statutory operators' diversions required for the scheme or associated mitigation works; and

(ii) arrange the dedication or appropriation of land owned by the County Council to highway purposes on terms to be agreed with the holding Department.

1.4. That, in the event that the relevant interests cannot be acquired by agreement within four weeks, authority be given to the Head of Corporate and Legal Services for the making of a Compulsory Purchase Order for the acquisition of those interests subject to the extent of the land required in the order being approved by the Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Interim Head of Estates). This will not preclude the Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Interim Head of Estates) from continuing to seek to acquire the interests by agreement during this process.

1.5. That authorisation be given for the Director of Environment to:

(i) advertise and make any Traffic Regulation Orders under Sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to:

(a) restrict the use of the proposed busway to buses of a specification as approved by the Director of Environment and any other authorised vehicles; and

(b) advertise and make any other Traffic Regulation Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 required to facilitate the construction and implementation of Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme; and

(ii) prepare and submit the Planning Application to be made from Redlands Lane, Fareham to Military Road, Gosport in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992 (as amended) to Hampshire County Council's Regulatory Committee.

2) Reasons for the decision

2.1. Transport for South Hampshire's `Towards Delivery' Statement sets out a range of schemes that may be suitable for regional support. One of the eight packages highlighted in this report is `Access in South East Hampshire including the North Fareham SDA', and this includes a proposed Bus Rapid Transit scheme for the area.

2.2. As approved by Cabinet on 27 October 2008, a Full Business Case seeking £20 million to progress Phase 1 of the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme between Fareham and Gosport has been submitted to the Department for Transport/Department for Communities and Local Government.

2.3. Funding restrictions on this Community Infrastructure Funding require that works are completed and all monies expended by 31 March 2011. This decision is sought to enable the scheme to progress in line with these constraints.

2.4. The Executive Member for Environment supports the scheme and recommendations contained within this report.

3) Other options considered and rejected:

3.1. Option 1: That the offer of funding for the scheme be refused

a) Risk Assessment: Refusal of funding would undermine the viability of the wider South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Scheme.

3.2 Option 2: Consideration of other Public Transport Systems

a) Risk Assessment: A full range of scheme options has been considered over recent years, including heavy rail, trams or light rapid transit, trolley buses; guided buses, off-street bus corridors; on-street bus priority; and improved conventional bus services.

The viability of these options has been discounted in terms of deliverability due to significant cost and risk issues and also the fact that proposals for the South Hampshire Rapid Transit scheme were formally abandoned in November 2006, following the Secretary of State's decision not to provide funding.

4) Conflicts of Interest:

4.1. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision-maker:

None

4.2. Conflicts of interest declared by other Executive Members consulted:

None

5) Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee:

None

6) Any reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent:

None

7) Statement from the Decision Maker:

Approved by:

--------------------------------------------------

Date:

29 January 2009

Executive Member for Policy and Resources

Councillor T K Thornber, CBE