BOROUGH OF POOLE

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY ROUP – THURSDAY 13 APRIL 2006

REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

DORSET SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIP

1.Purpose of Report and Policy Context

1.1To consider arrangements for continuing the operation of the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership from 1 April 2007.

1.2The Council’s Transportation Strategy aims to achieve a reduction in injury accidents on our roads.

2.Recommendations

It is recommended that:

2.1A future report presented to this Group when the details of the new arrangements are finalised.

3.Background

3.1The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership (DSCP) was formed in 2001 in order to assist the traditional methods of achieving road safety carried out by the Police and Highway Authorities. The Government has set targets to reduce fatal and serious injury accidents (KSIs) by 40% by 2010 and Child KSIs by 50% compared with 1994/98 figures.

3.2The Partnership is based on the Dorset Police Force area and involves the Highway Authorities of Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset, Dorset Police, Her Majesty’s Court Services (HMCS), the Highways Agency, Dorset & Somerset Strategic Health Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service. The 51 operational staff are employed by Dorset Police and report to the Chief Constable. A further 11 staff are directly employed by HMCS at Latimer House in Poole to process the Fixed Penalty Notices. Members of the Partnership are represented on a steering and operational group.

3.3The DSCP present a Business Case to the Department for Transport (DfT) every year, typically around £3m per annum, indicating the level of camera/enforcement proposed, the anticipated fine income and the likely casualty reduction resulting from the scheme. While all of the fines are collected by the HMCS they can only recover the amount stated in the approved Business Case, with any income above this being retained by the Government. In addition any speed tickets which result in Court Appearances are outside the scope of the schemes and cannot be recovered.

4.Arrangements from 2007/08

4.1The Government have recently announced that from 2007/08 the current Camera Partnerships will no longer exist in their current form, but will instead be incorporated into the wider road safety programmes delivered by the Highway Authorities through additional LTP allocation.

4.2Letters have been received by each of the Highway Authorities setting out Government funding from 2007/08 to 2010/11, including an enhanced level of funding for casualty reduction.

4.3The intention is that the operation of this Strategic Partnership will continue alongside the work of the individual authorities, but will be given more freedom in terms of using alternative means such as Speed Indicator Devices, and other speed management measures rather than total reliance on safety cameras. By way of making a positive statement about the changing nature of this Group, it is envisaged that it will be reformed as the Dorset Road Safety Partnership Group.

4.4All current members of the Steering Group have agreed to the Project Manager preparing a report on the proposed operation of the Partnership from 2007/08 onwards. This will include:

  • The business case, based on the confirmed level of funding and the anticipated level of casualty reduction which can be achieved.
  • The proposed structure, including direction on strategy, planning and operational issues.
  • The Governance arrangements, including Member involvement.
  • Service Level Agreements between all parties, on the basis of the ongoing employment of the staff by Dorset Police with funding secured through Highway Authorities’ contributions.

Ideally these new arrangements can be finalised and approved in principle such that they can be run in parallel for the last quarter of 2006/07 to ensure a smooth transition at 1 April 2007.

4.5Issues for Consideration

(a)It is proposed to support the business case providing it is based solely on casualty reduction to ensure ongoing public support. Any measures which are not driven by casualty reduction, e.g. community involvement, perception of high vehicle speeds, etc. must be clearly identified as such.

(b)Funding will be provided to the Partnership on the basis of that allocated by the Government, i.e. this should not impinge financially on the current Highway Authority casualty reduction programme.

(c)Government funding, through the Local Transport Plan, will be allocated by means of a mechanism which secures more (or less) based on the existing casualty problem, actual performance and the quality of the Local Transport Plan submission. The relationship with the Strategic Partnership needs to reflect this.

(d)Dorset Police currently operate their own Driver Awareness Scheme whereby the Chief Constable can, at his discretion, choose not to prosecute low level speeding offences but advise attendance at half day training courses instead. The operation of this, which is currently outside of the existing Partnership, needs to be clearly recognised, particularly where Partnership resources are being used.

JAMES T BRIGHT

Head of Transportation Services

Name and Telephone Number of Officer Contact:

Steve Tite (01202) 262020

TAG130406T3B

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