REPORT FROM THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND PLANNING POLICY TO THE MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL

ON WEDNESDAY 21st JUNE 2006

  

 

 

1.                  MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (HCC)    

 

Last week I attended a meeting at Hampshire County Council offices in Winchester with my counterpart, Cllr Tim Knight.  Cllr Knight explained that HCC was keen to form a working partnership with the Isle of Wight to discuss and work on issues of transport and other issues that affected both authorities. In addition, we would be able to support each other at SEERA.  A major issue is the movement of all of the Island’s traffic through Hampshire.  As most of the vehicle movement goes through two of their major towns, it creates problems for them; by working together, we may be able to achieve more.

 

As a matter of interest, HCC also have difficulties with the Solent ferry operators and would like them to be more proactive in providing better services.     

 

 

2.                  MEETINGS OF THE HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE (PFI) BOARD

 

As members will know, the Islands roads are in very poor condition and the IW Council lacks the financial resources to fund the repairs that are needed.  To obtain the necessary funding this Council is preparing a bid to Government to use private finance. I was advised during my discussions with Dft officers that we should set up a management board to assist in the preparation and bid process; this we have now done. 

 

The Board consists of the leader, cabinet and commission members and the relevant senior officers and to date we have met twice.  At our first meeting, it was suggested that we try to shorten the time scale of the business process to enable us to start the project by the end of 2007 rather than the current progamme, which takes us to 2008 before starting work.  It was decided that we should develop the business case in parallel to the bid process rather than waiting until the Government actually awards the funding before developing the business case.

 

 

 

 

 

Cllr Ian Ward

Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Planning Policy.