Environmental Factors
1. Introduction
1.1 Aim 2 of the County Council’s Corporate Strategy is to protect the environment by promoting the principles of environmental sustainability.
1.2 Environmental awareness and environmental values were given global recognition in 1992 at the ‘Earth Summit’ with its commitment to Agenda 21, which promoted a comprehensive programme of action throughout the world to achieve a more sustainable pattern of development for the next century.
1.3 Local Government has developed the themes set out in Agenda 21 and produced ‘A Framework for Local Sustainability’ which endorses sustainable development and sets out action points and objectives for Local Authorities.
1.4 In summary, sustainable development implies the following principles which can be adopted for highway maintenance operations:
A reduction in the consumption of natural resources, including energy. Non renewable resources should be substituted with renewable resources.
Waste should be reduced.
Waste should be re-used or recycled.
Biodiversity should be preserved or enhanced.
Valuable natural and physical assets and amenities should be preserved and protected.
2. Policy
2.1 Hampshire County Council, as the Highway Authority, shall consider environmental factors whenever designing a maintenance scheme or planning a maintenance operation. The choice of materials and processes that preserve or enhance the environment should have due regard to the health and safety of the road user.
Version No: 1.0
Effective: From - 21/04/2004
If copied or printed, this document should be treated as uncontrolled and correct only at the date it was copied or printed.