Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report

1. Executive Summary

1.1. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary update of the progress towards delivering the Environment Department's 2009/10 Capital Programme.

1.2. In general, progress across the capital programme is going well. Spending is currently in line with expectations for this stage of the year and forecasts are within overall guidelines.

1.3. The integrated transport programme is proposed to be amended to include two new developer funded schemes (within the main programme) and six new small value schemes (under the Minor Works sub-heading). Two developer funded projects, totalling £648,000, are recommended to be withdrawn and details are provided in section 5.

1.4. On 9 September 2009 the Executive Member for Policy and Resources agreed that £2.6 million would be added to the 2009/10 capital programme for Highways Maintenance and the Village 30 programme. An additional £0.4 million was earmarked towards The Square, Winchester in the 2010/11 maintenance programme as part of an overall £0.5 million support package with Winchester City Council.

2. Contextual information

2.1. This report provides updates on the Integrated Transport and Major Schemes, Capital Maintenance, Bridges, Quality of Place and Waste Management programmes.

2.2. At the start of 2009/10 the total current approvals, across all headings, was £95.407 million with a forecast spend this year of £65.931 million.

3. Finance

3.1. The following table is an overview of the current approvals and expenditure forecast for 2009/10 across the budget headings:

3.2. On 9 September 2009 the Executive Member for Policy and Resources agreed a £2.6 million increase to the 2009/10 capital programme for the following purposes:

· £2 million for overlaying C and U class roads

· £0.3 million for drainage

· £0.3 million for completing the Village 30 programme.

3.3 In addition to the above, £0.4 million was earmarked towards The Square, Winchester, in the 2010/11 maintenance programme.

4. Major Schemes

M27 Junction 5 (Phase 1) £2.65 million

4.1. This first phase of the overall three phase £8.3 million scheme is progressing on time and is currently within budget. The main contract is due to be let within the next few weeks. Works are expected to start by November 2009 and completion is currently planned for February 2010.

4.2. Phase 2 designs are progressing well. The initial £3.25 million estimate has increased to £3.5 million following updated Statutory Undertakers' estimates. Funding sources for this second phase will be clearer by November 2009.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) £21.2 million

4.3. This scheme is now subject to a Judicial Review hearing in October.

5. Integrated Transport Programme

5.1. The latest starts programme, including amendments mentioned in this section, are set out in the appendix. The total 2009/10 programme value is currently £18.364 million, compared to £19.851 million in June. The difference being primarily due to a reduction of the `Emerging Priorities' heading by £2 million.

5.2. Spend to end of August was £5.137 million and is in line with current forecasts.

5.3. It is anticipated that some £2.4 million of the Integrated Transport Programme will not be spent in the current year and this will be carried forward to 2010/11. Part of this sum is in respect of the South Winchester Park and Ride, for which resources were made available in 2009/10, while the spending profile continues in 2010/11. The remainder comprise a number of smaller projects where the spend profile continues into next year.

5.4. On 9 September 2009 the Executive Member for Policy and Resources approved an extra £0.3 million towards the Village 30 programme. This funding should enable the completion of the programme, including an additional 22 sites recently approved for inclusion.

5.5. Delivery across the programme is generally on track. There are two projects proposed to be withdrawn, two proposed new entries and two significant increases to report.

Withdrawn Schemes

Basingstoke Missing Cycle Links £400,000 developer contributions

5.6. A comprehensive feasibility study to identify and cost the many missing cycle links across Basingstoke has been ongoing for some time. The work is now drawing to a close and a practical pick-list of requirements is soon to be delivered. This extensive catalogue is intended to be used primarily to assist with the justification for securing new transport contributions.

5.7. The £400,000 capital programme entry was a notional allocation in 2008, based on early considerations on what the likely cost of all the missing cycle links might be. At the time, it was intended to bring a number of schemes into the programme under this heading, but now individual projects will be brought forward when funding becomes available. No contributions have been used in the development of this study, and none has been assigned to any scheme resulting from it at this time.

Fleet Town Access £248,000 developer contributions

5.8. The Fleet Town Access Plan (FTAP) has been developed, in consultation with Hart District Council, as a detailed and comprehensive plan of proposed congestion and accessibility improvements across the area.

5.9. This scheme, part of the agreed cycle investment to address access across the southern area of Fleet, was to be the first improvement to be delivered from the FTAP. A joint funding approach with the district council, using developer contributions collected and held by Hart and the County Council, was agreed from the outset.

5.10. In June 2009 the district advised that funding in support of this scheme had been reprioritised and it was no longer able to contribute financially. As a result, there is insufficient funding to construct the Fleet Town Access scheme as originally intended. While a way forward is determined, it is proposed to withdraw this scheme from the programme because there is currently no guarantee that anything beneficial can be delivered with the remaining funds.

New Schemes

A31 Northbrook, Bentley £163,000 developer contribution and £20,000 maintenance programme

5.11. The A31 in the vicinity of Northbrook has a worsening accident problem, and in order to address this a lane reduction scheme is proposed to reduce speeds along this stretch.

5.12. A contribution of £163,000 has been received from the Parish Council to fund this work, which will include noise reducing surfacing in the Northbrook area.

5.13. A project appraisal was approved on 22 July 2009, in advance of formal inclusion into the programme. Work started and was completed on site in August.

Botley Road Toucan, Hedge End £150,000 developer contributions

5.14. A business case for the installation of a new crossing facility was reviewed in July and recommended for inclusion in the programme.

5.15. Hedge End has seen high levels of housing development over the past few years and developers have provided walking and cycling routes within the new estates. These will be linked to Botley Road by an existing farm track/footpath that runs to the east of Herald Road. This was upgraded for adoption to a shared use foot/cycle path by the developer in September 2009 and is expected to generate an increase in pedestrians and cyclists. The crossing is located in the vicinity of the access to this new footway link.

Significant Amendments

Viables Roundabout Subway Improvements £200,000 developer contributions

5.16. A programme of improvements to this subway was started in July 2009 with a works contract value of £121,000. Since construction began a number of issues have arisen, on site, that have resulted in a revised contract estimate of £159,000 (+£38,000/31.5%) and total revised budget estimate of £235,000 (+£35,000/17.5%).

5.17. The main financial increases during construction related to specialist preparation of the eight subway walls for painting, CCTV ducts not in the location given and painting of extra street lighting columns. Consideration of how to reduce the scheme back to budget has been made, however there is very little scope without severe detriment to the original objectives as the main construction risk areas have now passed.

5.18. It is proposed that, while there are adequate and appropriate contributions available which are not currently programmed to other schemes, the budget be increased up to the latest forecast outturn figure of £235,000.

Denmead to Waterlooville Cycle Route £130,000 developer contributions

5.19. The detailed design for this project commenced in July 2009 and the original feasibility estimate has been updated recently to £170,000 in order to reflect latest information.

5.20. Adequate funding is still available from contributions already programmed towards this scheme. It is therefore proposed that the budget be increased to the current estimate.

5.21. The updated estimate is still subject to change while the detailed design progresses. Current programme suggests the scheme will start in quarter four of 2009/10.

6. Roads Maintenance Programme

6.1. The overall highways maintenance programme for 2009/10 amounts to nearly £64 million, including routine highways maintenance activities funded from the revenue budget and capital programme provision for structural maintenance of roads and bridges.

6.2. The roads element of the capital maintenance budget totals £29.473 million (inclusive of £2.005 million carried over from 2008/09 for completion of the 2008/09 programmed works).

6.3. Delivery is currently progressing according to schedule, with £12 million paid/committed in August.

6.4. Delivery of the £3 million A326 major maintenance scheme has been brought forward from the 2011/12 programme with the help of an agreed increase of £1.2 million in 2009/10 from re-phasing of the County Council's capital programme, although this sum will be repayable in 2010/11. Phase 1 of the two phase programme is due to be completed by June 2010. Phase 2 will start in autumn 2010.

6.5. The High Street, Winchester £2.2 million major maintenance scheme started on site in September. The refurbishment, which includes major drainage and surfacing improvements, will take approximately one year to complete. A further £0.4 million has been earmarked towards the anticipated The Square, Winchester project. Detailed designs and consultation are to be undertaken over the next few months.

6.6. A3023 Hayling Island major maintenance is to be delivered over a number of £250,000 phases, dependent on future budget settlements. The first phase is due to start after the summer, when work restrictions have been lifted.

6.7. On 9 September 2009 an extra £2 million for overlaying C and U class roads and £0.3 million for drainage was agreed by the Executive Member for Policy and Resources.

7. Bridges Programme

7.1. The bridges programme, which is part of the overall £64 million identified in section 6.2 above, is £4.533 million (inclusive of £0.3 million carried over from 2008/09 for completion of programmed works).

7.2. Spend to the end of August was £728,000 and is in line with current forecasts. A full spend is currently expected by year end.

7.3. Delivery throughout the programme is generally on track, with two notable exceptions relating to paint contracts totalling £200,000 that were delayed owing to tender withdrawals. Contracts have now been awarded but the delay may mean works are suspended in October until better weather in spring 2010, resulting in a possible £80,000 carry forward.

8. Quality of Place Programme

8.1. The total 2009/10 programme value is currently £377,000; 2009/10 approvals at the start of the year were £2.715 million.

8.2. Spend to the end of August was £135,000 and total forecasts indicate a total spend from this programme of £1.1 million, with £1.615 million carry forward in relation to continuing spend profiles.

8.3. Delivery and development of projects are generally progressing well. Most of the Hampshire Villages and Country Towns environmental schemes are expected to start this year, while the larger Regeneration schemes look likely to start during 2010.

9. Waste Management Programme

9.1. Current approvals at the start of 2009/10 was £8.115 million.

9.2. Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) redevelopment is forecast to spend in the region of £300,000, of which £200,000 is for the final works on the new Andover HWRC that was completed last year and the remaining £100,000 on the costs of feasibility studies and work. A total of £21,000 had been spent within this area at end of August. A more significant spend of £2.7 million over 2010-2012 has been forecast.

9.3. The closed landfill maintenance programme is forecast to spend £115,000 in 2009/10 on several systems. Less than £1,000 has been spent within this area, although some of the work has been completed but not yet charged for.

10. Recommendations

10.1. That amendments to the 2009/10 programme be approved.

10.2. That the withdrawal of two developer funded projects from the Integrated Transport Programme: Basingstoke Missing Cycle Links (£400,000) and Fleet Town Access (£248,000) be approved for the reasons set out in section 5 of the report.

10.3. That the proposed budget increases to Viables Roundabout Subway Improvement (+£35,000 developer contributions) and Denmead to Waterlooville Cycle Route (+£40,000 developer contributions), as explained in paragraphs 5.16-5.18 and 5.19-5.21 of the report, be approved.

2144Rpt/938/HA

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

Links to the Corporate Strategy

IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:

1. Equalities Impact Assessment:

1.1. The proposals in this report are derived from the departmental service plans and LTP objectives, and are in accordance with the budget strategy and the County Council's financial management policy. An impact assessment of the departmental service plans and the financial management policy has been carried out and the proposals in this report are not considered to be discriminatory.

1.2. Furthermore, all named schemes within the Integrated Transport programme are subject to an independent peer review process as part of the department's Gateway system of project control. This review requires evidence that customers and equalities have been considered and are being considered at all stages of the scheme's development.

2. Impact on Crime and Disorder:

2.1. This is a monitoring report and has no direct impact on crime and disorder, however some of the schemes within the capital programme may contribute to a reduction in the fear of crime that may have been identified by local communities during consultation or development stages.

3. Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

As this is a general report covering the monitoring of the budget and delivery of the programmes, it cannot set out detailed climate change implications. However, climate change implications of specific departmental issues would be reflected in individual project appraisal reports where appropriate.