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The study - carried out by Road Safety Analysis (RSA) - has found youngsters in Preston are most likely to be injured on the road. They are five times more likely to become a casualty than those in the safest area of Kensington & Chelsea. The UK average is for one child (aged 0-15 years) in every 427 to be injured in a road traffic crash each year. But those in Preston have a one in every 206 chance of being involved in an accident compared to one in 1,158 in the wealthy London borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

These findings - and released as campaign groups and councils attack the Government for cutting road safety funding - point to a huge disparity between local authority areas in London and the South East, and those in the North West.

Richard Owen, a director at RSA, told Surveyor: 'Some specific types of communities appear at most risk. This is especially those living in large social housing estates in provincial metropolitan cities.' He has called on councils to use the data to help guide specific road safety projects towards those most at need.

His colleague, Dan Campsall, said the results showed a 'worrying discrepancy' between different parts of the country. 'Children in some areas experience considerably higher risk from road traffic crashes than others who might be living just over the border.

'There is still further study to be undertaken and we are keen to make sure all of the data and analysis techniques that underpin this study can be accessed by local authorities to allow them to investigate how they might ensure the safety of children from their communities.'

The organisation was formed in April to take over responsibility for the MAST online project from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Thames Valley Road Safety Partnership. The project takes the DfT's road crash and casualty data and cross-checks it with socio-demographic insights into the communities most at risk using mosaic profiling.

Andy Ward, head of community safety at Experian, said: 'It is essential that local authorities have access to this insight so they can better inform campaigns and educate citizens on the importance of road safety.'

To view the Road Safety Analysis report, go to:

http://www.roadsafetyanalysis.org/2010/08/child-casualties-2010/]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-26 10:06:15.25
Surveyor has learned that transport secretary, Philip Hammond, has instructed his department to draft new WPL guidelines.

Powers for local authorities to introduce WPL schemes were provided a decade ago in the Transport Act 2000. The schemes must be approved by the DfT, and all revenues have to be reinvested in local transport.

But, under the new rules, local authorities could be forced to launch a full consultation with private businesses before receiving Whitehall permission.

Mr Hammond’s orders followed news that a number of councils were considering the levies, which provoked angry responses from communities secretary, Eric Pickles, and the motoring lobby.

The minister wants to provide businesses with more protection from town halls currently facing the constraints of the public spending squeeze.

A DfT spokeswoman confirmed the department was looking at ‘how best to ensure the views of local business are represented, if a council is considering a WPL scheme’.

She added: ‘It is for local authorities to consider what measures are appropriate for improving transport and tackling congestion in their area.

‘However, local authorities would need to consult fully on any proposed WPL scheme, and assess the impact on those affected.’

Bristol City Council is exploring the potential for a WPL and is looking at research carried out by other authorities. Gary Hopkins, cabinet member for strategic transport, said: ‘The potential benefits for transport from the money raised could mean lower bus fares, or even free bus fares in the city centre, discounted season tickets, and help attract other bus companies into the city, bringing more competition.

‘It could help pay for investment in smart cards, integrated ticketing, real-time bus information and local car clubs – which can provide flexibility for those who need to use a car, but want to keep costs down. It would also lead to a small reduction in peak-time traffic in the city centre which, I am sure, business in the city would welcome, reducing the cost of lost staff time and lost business due to customers being put off by traffic congestion.’

Wiltshire CC is currently consulting on a new parking strategy of which the introduction of a WPL forms a part. A spokesman for Leeds City Council said it had no plans to introduce a WPL at present but, in the light of planned spending cuts, the council might have to look again at all potential revenue streams.

Nottingham City Council moved quickly to defend its WPL – which will be the first in the country when it is launched next year. The council faced hostile opposition from firms when drawing up its plan for the levy, which will fund its contribution to the Nottingham Express Transit tram extension.

Cllr David Sparks, vice chairman of the LGA, said: ‘Councils are set to receive significantly less money from the Government and will, therefore, have to look at new ways to continue providing the important services upon which millions of people rely.

‘Workplace parking levies are one option being considered by councils at the moment as way of continuing to fund services.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:43:39.013
The Department for Transport (DfT) this week launched a consultation on the calculation of the two capital block grants distributed to highway authorities – the integrated transport (IT) block and the highways maintenance block. The consultation closes on 6 October, in advance of the recommended 12 weeks, so responses can be considered before the Spending Review.

The DfT is considering the option to disregard road condition in the maintenance block formula ahead of the local government finance settlement.

‘It can be argued that the inclusion of condition data in the maintenance formula, rewards those authorities which spend funding inefficiently or on other priorities,’ the document says.

No changes to the IT block formula will be made for this year’s settlement, but for the future, the DfT is considering adding local carbon data and walking and cycling data to the indicators which determine funding. ‘The department can see the benefits of a future approach to the formula that is focused on the twin goals of carbon reduction and supporting the economy.’

It is also in favour of a data refresh, which would mean some local authorities would receive less funding and others more than before the refresh. Data was refreshed about five years ago for the IT block and three years ago for maintenance.

Primary route network and capital detrunking funding will be merged into the highways maintenance block from 2011/12.

Funding is currently allocated on the basis of bids from local authorities, but the DfT said this reduced flexibility for local authorities in how they spent their funding.

The DfT is also consulting on allocating the IT and maintenance blocks solely to integrated transport authorities (ITAs) in the six metropolitan areas.

This would help authorities in metropolitan areas to pursue efficiency – such as in the procurement of highway maintenance – and cross-city prioritisation, it says.

¶: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-32/]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:44:29.45
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has joined forces with leading road safety organisations – including the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, the AA, and the Institute of Road Safety Officers – to urge local authorities to avoid taking ‘irreversible decisions’. The joint statement pointed out speed cameras saved lives and urged their continued use.

RoSPA road safety chief, Kevin Clinton, said: ‘Both central government and local authorities should examine evidence of the effectiveness of cameras before deciding to cut funding in a way that means they will cease to operate.’ A meeting of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Speed Camera Partnership has seen a decision to carry on with the scheme in its present guise.

The partnership will retain all cameras and members of staff – to which the county council will continue to provide £600,000 in annual funding.

Mike Hay, transport schemes development manager at Leicestershire CC, told Surveyor the number of people killed or seriously injured in the county since the cameras went live had fallen by two-thirds. ‘We don’t want to throw away the benefi ts the cameras have provided,’ he said. Oxfordshire was one of the fi rst councils to pull funding last month (Surveyor, 30 July), while others followed suit, citing the Department for Transport’s decision to slash the road safety budget by £38m as the reason.

Last week, an announcement that Wiltshire and Swindon Camera Safety Partnership would close prompted protests outside the County Hall. Assistant chief constable, Patrick Geenty, the partnership’s chair, blamed a ‘substantial’ cut in revenue for the situation.

Wiltshire CC, Swindon BC and the police vowed to promote speed awareness as part of efforts to influence driver behaviour.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:45:10.34
Critics of speed cameras claim VASs provide a more cost-effective and acceptable alternative. But Surrey, one of the most enthusiastic VAS users, is now considering reducing its VAS deployment.

Duncan Knox, manager of Surrey Safety Camera Partnership, told Surveyor: ‘All our road-safety investment is being subjected to a public value review, to find better ways of working, as well as reducing the overall cost of the road safety services we provide.

‘We have a large number of VASs – 502 – which are forming part of the public value review – whether we can afford to retain that number. It’s a large burden.’ He said the review would identify how much the VASs cost to buy and operate.

There are also concerns VASs’ effectiveness might reduce, if they become too widespread. Mr Knox said: ‘If we have a large number of them, they could become part of the background. There may be a saturation point.’

Stephen Joseph, Campaign for Better Transport’s executive director, doubted that increased VASs or traffic police would balance the reduction in speed cameras. ‘There’s a question mark about what happens to speeding, and whether we continue to have any kind of strategy at all,’ he said.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:45:46.5
The council had looked into implementing a scheme similar to initiatives in London and Paris, but ‘can’t commit financially in the current economic climate’.

In order to introduce such a scheme, the council would need help from the private sector in the form of on-street advertising. However, this would breach the terms of its 15-year contract, signed in 1999 with Adshell, which has exclusive rights to advertise in exchange for maintaining the city’s bus shelter and public toilets.

A council spokesman said there was scope for introducing a scheme from 2014, when the contract expired. ‘Unfortunately, we don’t have the same budget as Transport for London, but in three or four years’ time we might look at it,’ the spokesman said.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:46:52.64
Achieving a station at Kensal is central to the council’s ambition to regenerate North Kensington, and officers have been in discussions with Crossrail about proposals to create a turnback station at Kensal. Crossrail and Network Rail have asked the council to fund timetabling and rail service modelling work to demonstrate that its station plans do not affect the performance of Crossrail or other rail services. Council leader, Sir Merrick Cockell, said: ‘Crossrail and the London mayor have said our proposals cannot progress unless we can demonstrate a station would not lead to a reduction in the reliability of trains travelling through the Kensal area.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:47:42.39
London First claimed a new system of financial incentives was needed to encourage improvements to the co-ordination and duration of works.

The business lobby group’s report, Road sense, said more than one-third (38%) of the capital’s most severe congestion was caused by roadworks.

Commenting on the report, the mayor’s office told Surveyor ‘the Holy Grail’ would be a lane rental scheme – charging utility companies for every minute spent digging.

This would ensure road works were carried out efficiently and could provide an incentive to be quick and co-ordinated, a spokeswoman added.

Kulveer Ranger, the mayor of London’s transport adviser, said: ‘The permit scheme we introduced in January has helped Transport for London (TfL) co-ordinate roadworks by getting utilities to share their trenches and carry out work at the same time. It’s also given us the power to refuse permission for utilities to dig in certain circumstances. But roadworks still cause far too many problems on our roads.

‘What we and London First both wish to see is a lane rental system that would allow us to charge companies for every minute their cones are on our roads. The Department for Transport (DfT) needs to consult on this before the legislation can be brought in, but for every Londoner fuming in traffic, that will not be a moment too soon.’

But Les Guest, chief executive of the National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG), warned the same conditions must be applied to all groups carrying out works – including highways authorities.

He told Surveyor: ‘Any lane rental scheme must be targeted and must have incentives – this comes out in the report. I appreciate there are certain roads in London where any work would cause mass disruption. We need to work together to ensure work on these roads [is done] outside normal hours.

‘If we prioritise a small number of routes, we can “gold plate” them so they can be restored for use during the day. However, it would be unworkable to do this for them all.’

He added that the Highways Authorities Utilities Committee (HAUC) was currently working with the DfT on potential guidance for lane rental schemes.

¶: http://www.london-fi rst.co.uk/documents/Road_Sense_WEB_FINAL.pdf]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:48:27.17
Around half of the applications for new plant facilities are being derailed by protests and objections, despite tough EU fines looming if councils do not reduce the amount of waste going into landfill sites.

Waste firm, Sita, revealed that between 2007 and 2009 only 35 out of the 68 applications for energy-from-waste facilities were approved. The remaining 33 were either refused or still pending a decision.

David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of Sita UK said: ‘There is, in effect, a time bomb building up for the UK’s ability to deal with the waste which is currently going to landfill.

‘What is needed is a shift in mindset to understand the 50m tonnes each year going to landfill is an alternative energy resource which can be tapped into.’

Problems have been heightened by the Government’s decision to shelve the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which means there is now no strategic overview of future development for waste facilities. It has also increased the risk that councils could reject schemes, even if they come with the recommendation of a local planning officer.

Ian Ginbey, head of planning at City law firm, Macfarlanes, said: ‘The coalition is yet to make clear how it intends to accommodate infrastructure projects, such as energy-from-waste facilities, within the new “localism” agenda. Experience has proven that, while successive governments are committed to the principle of such facilities, people who live in the area surrounding proposed sites are often vehemently opposed to them.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:49:06.293
The proposal to take over the powers held by the South East Development Agency has the support of 10 borough and district councils and private companies such as Tesco and Mouchel.

Robert Gordon, leader of Hertfordshire CC, said: ‘We already have a strong basis for an LEP as our existing partnership, called Hertfordshire Works, brings together many of the main players involved in improving Hertfordshire’s economy. We believe we can move quickly to establish a Hertfordshire local enterprise partnership and look forward to working with the Government in coming weeks in order to do so.’

LEPs will replace the regional development agencies, which have been scrapped by the coalition government.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:49:52.92
The Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta) played down hopes that the bridge would be given the green light, despite initial tests confirming anti-corrosion measures were working effectively.

Investigations were carried out on the bridge’s two main cables which revealed that 10% of their strength had been lost due to corrosion.

The authority warned its next internal inspection in summer 2012 would not produce a definitive view of the crossing’s rate of decay, despite evidence that dehumidifiers installed last year were working well.

Bridgemaster, Barry Colford, said: ‘It is almost certainly the case that some degree of uncertainty concerning the magnitude of future strength loss of the main cables will remain and the cables will require being continually monitored.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:50:30.03
The research, from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), suggested new roads programmes should take a back seat while priority was given to spending which supported economic growth and cut congestion.

Smarter choices to change travel behaviour and reduce car use were seen as sensible options for current or greater levels of investment by more than three-quarters (77%) of those asked.

The areas identified as high priorities for cuts were socially inclusive services (54%), rural accessibility (46%), health and safety (44%), and increasing capacity (44%). One-third of CILT members believed boosting rail capacity should be a spending priority, with 31% agreeing road maintenance should also be a primary concern. A total of 29% cited smarter choices, and one-quarter said congestion charging.

Almost six in ten respondents said resources should be spent on boosting bus patronage – with increasing use of smartcards seen as a top priority. One-fifth of respondents believed hard shoulder running should be a priority, but new bypasses received just 12% of support. When asked if road capacity should be increased, almost three-quarters (74%) of CILT members said no.

CILT president Sir Moir Lockhead said: ‘No-one likes to see the transport budget cut, but in the current conditions, it’s inevitable that savings are going to have to be made.’

Prof Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: ‘Looking after existing transport infrastructure makes economic sense, and is supported by the public.

‘A pre-election poll for the RAC Foundation revealed that voters thought fixing potholes and maintaining roads should be the number one transport priority for the new government.

‘Those holding the purse strings must remember just how important road travel is to the social and economic wellbeing of the country, accounting for 92% of all passenger journeys.’

However, he added: ‘We cannot ignore the future though. The population is projected to increase by 10 million by 2033, and the demands on an already-congested transport network will get much worse.

‘What is the Government’s plan for dealing with this?’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:51:28.763
The Government highlighted its commitment to clamping down on unnecessary street furniture and signage, amid pedestrian charity Living Streets’ claims excessive use of street signs had turned the country into an obstacle course.

The Department for Transport is currently reviewing its traffic signs policy.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:52:06.09
Changes in how transport is financed are essential if cities and nations are to deal effectively with the rapid growth in motor vehicle traffic and related environmental problems, according to the TRL report released by the Institution for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

If current transport trends continue, transport-related CO2 emissions are expected to increase by 57% worldwide between 2005 and 2030, mainly as a result of motorisation in developing countries.

Much of the observed failures in transport are due to the financial framework from which policies, programmes and projects draw resources. While notable exceptions exist, the financing framework is often skewed towards supporting motorisation.

ITDP global policy director, Michael Replogle, said: ‘Current transport financing practices are unfit to meet 21st century needs.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:52:56.53
Commuting increased by 1% to 67% – a record of 2.71m vehicles, according to the annual transport trends report.

There was also a slight drop in the total number of bus passengers, down by 0.8% to 493m.

But the number of children walking to school increased by 1%, and ScotRail’s number of passengers rose by 0.7% to almost 77m.

A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said: ‘While overall traffic levels have dropped slightly, we continue to encourage the use of more sustainable forms of transport.

‘We are committed to providing the Scottish people with real alternatives to the car, and are investing record levels in public transport.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:53:29.89
Their protests followed a joint inquiry by a group of London local authorities which led to eight fraud charges being made against Nathan Williams, who had claimed to have suffered a broken hip and ankle as well as injuries to his face, knee, foot and groin.

The Local Government Association criticised ‘no-win, no-fee’ lawyers for driving up the number of injury claims councils faced. An LGA spokesman said: ‘Since “no-win,no-fee” was introduced, almost all councils have seen an increase in compensation claims.

‘Where people have a legitimate claim, they’re entitled to compensation, but there’s a real fear that these lawyers are clogging up the system with spurious claims from people just chancing their arm.’

The man has been remanded in custody until 1 September.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:54:01.607
Halton BC introduced the scheme on Monday, following a successful six-month trial period delivered to 10,000 households. A total of 47,000 residents can now benefit from the scheme, with a further 9,000 homes being invited to join in 2011.

The scheme was first launched by Windsor and Maidenhead RBC in June, and has been hailed by the Government, which is encouraging councils to adopt recycling incentive schemes (Surveyor e-newsletter, 10 June 2010). Under the two existing schemes, residents are awarded points for the amount of co-mingled dry recyclate they leave in designated blue bins, which are fitted with electronic tags to identify each address. The points can then be redeemed for discounts and offers at participating retailers and other businesses.

But Surveyor has learned that two other councils – including a London borough – will launch RecycleBank schemes in September. The London initiative will be tailored for high-rise flats, while the other council – a pre-dominantly suburban area – will introduce a kerbside sorting solution. Both will be community weight-based solutions, meaning the areas as a whole will be rewarded.

Sue Igoe, UK managing director of RecycleBank, said a number of London boroughs were considering schemes for 2011 with the backing of the London Waste and Recycling Board, and some 25 councils nationwide were in the pipeline.

Most were looking at using comingled bins.

Results from the trial area in Halton show 60% of residents with a tagged bin had activated their RecycleBank account, while participation in recycling increased by 18%. A survey of participants showed 79% were recycling more frequently since the start of the programme.

Cllr Stef Nelson, Halton’s executive board member for environmental sustainability, said: ‘The scheme brings benefits to the whole community in Halton. As well as providing rewards to residents, local businesses can benefit from increased custom which provides a welcome boost to the borough’s economy.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:54:37.857
Local government minister, Bob Neil, applauded Dartford BC’s decision after a local poll showed 94.5% of respondents wanted to keep weekly collections, and urged other councils to follow suit.

Mr Neill pledged that the Government would be legislating in November’s Localism Bill to allow residents to initiate local referendums.

The Government is currently carrying out a comprehensive review of all waste policy, from product package to waste collection.

Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, has already withdrawn Audit Commission guidance encouraging councils to switch to alternate weekly collections, and the waste review will consider how to encourage weekly collections.

Mr Neill said: ‘The binman has never been so welcome as now, with so many councils cutting weekly collections. Fortnightly collections cause problems with fly-tipping, odour and vermin, as well as forcing people to drive to their local dump to get rid of their rubbish, increasing congestion and pollution from the traffic.

‘It’s good to see in Dartford the council listens to local people and keeps the weekly bin collections they value.’

However, Michael Ojo, head of environment at London Councils, said: ‘We are concerned that ministers have already decided some of the outcomes they want to see.’ Gary Porter, chair of the LGA environment board, added: ‘There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to bin collections.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:59:09.543
The Scottish Government has given the go ahead to demolish 300 homes in Middlefield to make way for a dual carriageway link.

Aberdeen City Council and Nestrans backed the proposals two years ago. However, work on the bypass is facing delays of more than 12 months, due to a legal challenge in the Court of Session.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 12:59:38.7
The request to the Local Government Association follows a meeting of nine local authorities in Somerset to discuss new nuclear issues.

With the LGA’s support, the group will be able to speak to the Government with more authority on matters surrounding nuclear power, and councils will be able to share best practice.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:00:19.763
Two traffic hotspots in Swansea have been designated as air quality-management areas because pollution in the air exceeds safe levels. If an area breaches national targets, the council has 12 months to develop an action plan.

In total, there are 31 areas in Wales currently being monitored.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:01:15.793
Passengers travelling to Phoenix Park were advised to use the park-and-ride service instead, and services to Hucknall were terminated at Bulwell. Timetables were also affected, according to Nottingham city transport.

Replacement bus services were put into place while engineers figured out the cause of the problem.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:01:46.28
The WAG launched the Wales Station Improvement Programme (WSIP) at Llandudno station last month. It will use £21m of European Union (EU) convergence funding for West Wales and the Valleys.

But it has now emerged that Network Rail, a private company, cannot bid for the money because of the way it is constituted and EU rules on state aid – as well as procurement restrictions related to convergence funding.

Some local authorities have previously encountered long delays to rail projects. Conwy CBC, for example, developed a scheme in 2004 to upgrade Llandudno station, including a new bus and coach interchange on vacant rail land. This scheme is funded but has still not been delivered.

The WAG has now asked Conwy to act as a conduit between WAG and Network Rail, and lead the upgrading of several stations, including a possible follow-up scheme at Llandudno.

Marianne Jackson, head of Conwy’s community development service, said: ‘The WAG is fully aware that the authority is cautious about taking on the lead partner role in these projects, and has confirmed that there will be no financial risk placed on the authority.’

Conwy would administer each project from resources within its European team. She added: ‘Conwy would apply for the funding and Network Rail would procure the contractor to deliver the works. Network Rail would then pay any invoices to the contractors and pass to Conwy. We would confirm with the WAG that the invoices were eligible, and pay Network Rail. Once the payments have shown on our bank accounts as paid, Conwy would then make a claim to the WAG for reimbursement. The WAG will allow us to claim on a monthly basis, to relieve pressure on the authority’s cashflow.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:02:18.92
The Health and Safety Executive issued the fine after its investigation found that while there were barriers in place at the pier, there were none in the area where Duncan MacGillivray, 75, had parked.

Argyll and Bute Council pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Mr MacGillivray drowned on 17 September 2007, when it is believed he accidentally put his car into forward gear rather than reverse to exit a parking bay at Coal Pier in Dunoon. As there was no protective barrier, the car fell about three metres into the sea below, trapping Mr MacGillivray.

Dunoon Shariff Court heard that the council had not once carried out a risk assessment to those using the car park, nor taken action to provide adequate edge protection to prevent such incidents.

Following the case, Insp Mike Orr said: ‘A simple risk assessment would have identified the clear risks of an unprotected sheer drop into the sea at the edge of a car park – but sadly, the council failed to do this.

‘Argyll and Bute Council was responsible for the maintenance and operation of this charging public car park.

‘When it changed the use of the pier, from a commercial site, it should have quickly identified any risks to members of the public.

‘It’s simply not acceptable that this didn’t happen.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:03:14.577
The Cyclepoint storage service offers maintenance and repair, bike and accessory sales, and parking for 300 bicycles.

The free pilot phase runs until the official opening of Cyclepoint on Monday 27 September, by local transport minister, Norman Baker.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:03:43.687
The team will assist OLEV in supporting the Plugged-in places (PIP) programme, which aims to make the adoption of low-carbon vehicles feasible.

Robin Haycock, of Arup, said: ‘It is a fantastic opportunity for Arup to help OLEV develop infrastructure strategic policy on a national scale.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:04:33.623
The organisation claims pressure from supporters on saving the scheme had paid off, as communities secretary, Eric Pickles, wrote to the body, acknowledging their action and confirming the extension of funding.

Friends of the Earth is now calling on the Government to roll the scheme out nationwide and not end it after a year.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:05:01.123
The council’s joint waste disposal committee deselected the company last week, which leaves just three bidders left. These are two US-based firms – Covanta Energy and Wheelabrator Technologies – and European operator, Shanks Group.

The contract involves building a treatment facility to handle 400,000t of residual waste a year.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-08-27 13:05:28.45
Surveyor has learned that transport secretary, Philip Hammond, has instructed his department to draft new WPL guidelines.

Powers for local authorities to introduce WPL schemes were provided a decade ago in the Transport Act 2000. The schemes must be approved by the DfT, and all revenues have to be reinvested in local transport.

But, under the new rules, local authorities could be forced to launch a full consultation with private businesses before receiving Whitehall permission.

Mr Hammond’s orders followed news that a number of councils were considering the levies, which provoked angry responses from communities secretary, Eric Pickles, and the motoring lobby.

The minister wants to provide businesses with more protection from town halls currently facing the constraints of the public spending squeeze.

A DfT spokeswoman confirmed the department was looking at ‘how best to ensure the views of local business are represented, if a council is considering a WPL scheme’.

She added: ‘It is for local authorities to consider what measures are appropriate for improving transport and tackling congestion in their area. ‘However, local authorities would need to consult fully on any proposed WPL scheme, and assess the impact on those affected.’

Bristol City Council is exploring the potential for a WPL and is looking at research carried out by other authorities. Gary Hopkins, cabinet member for strategic transport, said: ‘The potential benefits for transport from the money raised could mean lower bus fares, or even free bus fares in the city centre, discounted season tickets, and help attract other bus companies into the city, bringing more competition.

‘It could help pay for investment in smart cards, integrated ticketing, real-time bus information and local car clubs – which can provide flexibility for those who need to use a car, but want to keep costs down. It would also lead to a small reduction in peak-time traffic in the city centre which, I am sure, business in the city would welcome, reducing the cost of lost staff time and lost business due to customers being put off by traffic congestion.’

Wiltshire CC is currently consulting on a new parking strategy of which the introduction of a WPL forms a part. A spokesman for Leeds City Council said it had no plans to introduce a WPL at present but, in the light of planned spending cuts, the council might have to look again at all potential revenue streams.

Nottingham City Council moved quickly to defend its WPL – which will be the first in the country when it is launched next year. The council faced hostile opposition from firms when drawing up its plan for the levy, which will fund its contribution to the Nottingham Express Transit tram extension.

Cllr David Sparks, vice chairman of the LGA, said: ‘Councils are set to receive significantly less money from the Government and will, therefore, have to look at new ways to continue providing the important services upon which millions of people rely.

‘Workplace parking levies are one option being considered by councils at the moment as way of continuing to fund services.’]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-09-01 09:55:04.817
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has joined forces with leading road safety organisations – including the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, the AA, and the Institute of Road Safety Officers – to urge local authorities to avoid taking ‘irreversible decisions’. The joint statement pointed out speed cameras saved lives and urged their continued use.

RoSPA road safety chief, Kevin Clinton, said: ‘Both central government and local authorities should examine evidence of the effectiveness of cameras before deciding to cut funding in a way that means they will cease to operate.’ A meeting of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Speed Camera Partnership has seen a decision to carry on with the scheme in its present guise.

The partnership will retain all cameras and members of staff – to which the county council will continue to provide £600,000 in annual funding.

Mike Hay, transport schemes development manager at Leicestershire CC, told Surveyor the number of people killed or seriously injured in the county since the cameras went live had fallen by two-thirds. ‘We don’t want to throw away the benefi ts the cameras have provided,’ he said.

Oxfordshire was one of the fi rst councils to pull funding last month (Surveyor, 30 July), while others followed suit, citing the Department for Transport’s decision to slash the road safety budget by £38m as the reason.

Last week, an announcement that Wiltshire and Swindon Camera Safety Partnership would close prompted protests outside the County Hall. Assistant chief constable, Patrick Geenty, the partnership’s chair, blamed a ‘substantial’ cut in revenue for the situation.

Wiltshire CC, Swindon BC and the police vowed to promote speed awareness as part of efforts to influence driver behaviour.]]> http://www.surveyormagazine.com/ 2010-09-01 09:56:30.427