18 January 2012, 18:00 -

Southern Branch Meeting: Fareham to Gosport Busway

Joint with the Institution of Civil Engineers

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Venue: Portsmouth University. Assemble in the Portland Building 5.30 to 6.00pm for refreshments; transfer to meeting in the Richmond Building nearby at 6.00pm

Time: 5.30 for 6.00pm start

Speaker: Philip Samms, Hampshire County Council

Buses, Bats & Badgers - Delivering Bus Rapid Transit in South-East Hampshire

Download here Bus Rapid Transit Flyer 1/2012
 
Hampshire County Council have been involved in the delivery of the £25M first phase of a South-East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit scheme between Fareham and Gosport for the past few years. The scheme has not been without it's critics, and has faced a number of challenges along the way. Phil's presentation will set out the background to the scheme, explain how £20M of government funding was secured and managed, and will also update on progress with construction to date.
 
Whilst not technical difficult, the scheme has had to overcome numerous challenges to date, including ecological constraints, planning restrictions and, perhaps more notably, a protracted legal battle to secure the right to start construction in the first place. Two applications for Town/Village Greens on the site also had to be resolved before the scheme could finally be progressed as originally intended. Lawyers have had a major part to play in this process, and valuable lessons have been learnt on how to approach this type of project in the future.
 
Construction of the scheme has also proved to be a logistical challenge for all involved, as the old railway corridor has opened up a number of secrets that have threatened to further delay the project. Building a 3km long scheme with only very limited access at certain locations has also helped to present its share of problems for the contractor, BAM Nuttall, along the way. Opening of the route is scheduled for April 2012.

Phil is a Chartered Highway Engineer with 22 years experience in the highway sector, mostly with Hampshire County Council, where he has held a range of positions in engineering and highways. In 2008 Phil was appointed as Head of Engineering Consultancy within the Environment Department, an in-house business unit turning over £6M+ in fees per annum. His role was extended in April 2011 to include highway policy, asset management and planned maintenance functions for the wider highway service, as well as contract management of the £40M+ Term Highway Contract. He has  also acted as Project Director for Phase 1A of the South-East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit (Fareham to Gosport) scheme that is the subject of his talk