Agenda item

To consider and comment on the draft Bus Enhanced Partnership and Scheme.

The Committee considered a report, set out at Agenda pages 35 to 100, which gave details of the proposed Bus Enhanced Partnership and Scheme.

Paul Fishwick, Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways, attended the meeting to answer Member questions. Councillor Fishwick was supported by Giorgio Framalicco (Director of Place and Growth) and Rebecca Brooks (Community Transport Manager).

The report stated that the National Bus Strategy (2021) required all Local Transport Authorities to publish a Local Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and an agreed Enhanced Partnership (EP). An EP was a legal partnership agreement with bus operators agreed following the publication of the improvement plan.

The aim of the BSIP and the EP was to raise standards of local bus services and ensure that services met local needs. The Council had been unsuccessful in obtaining any BSIP grant funding, but had recently been awarded £400k for 2023/24. In order to receive the full BSIP funding the Council had to agree the Enhanced Partnership by the end of September 2023.

The EP had two components – the Enhanced Partnership Plan (EPP) and the Enhanced Partnership Scheme (EPS). The EPP sets out the Council’s vision for local bus services with objectives for the improvement of local bus services. The EPS formed the basis for the Enhanced Partnership agreement and set out which party would deliver specific improvements by a target date.

The Committee was requested to review the Draft Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme. It was noted that any Member suggestions for enhanced services or facilities must be accompanied by a costed proposal.

In the ensuing discussion, Members raised the following points and questions.

It was confirmed that the Enhanced Partnership Forum included voting rights for the Council’s Executive Member (Chair + 1 vote), WBC officers and bus operators within the scheme area.

If the Enhanced Partnership involved a legal agreement, was there an exit clause? It was confirmed that officers would review the supporting legislation to determine whether an exit clause could be included in the agreement. It was noted that any exit clause would have to be equal for both parties – WBC and the bus operators.

If a new bus operator started to run services in the area, would it be able to join the partnership? It was confirmed that if a new operator registered a route, they could become part of the partnership.

Para 1.4.5 of the report referred to the hospital shuttle Park and Ride bus which had the potential to be developed into a local bus service. How would this be communicated to residents? It was confirmed that an update on this new service would be included in the Council’s Travel and Traffic News.

In relation to the Broken Bow Park and Ride – will park and ride tickets be available? It was confirmed that tickets would be available for the journey to the hospital.

In relation to the proposed Bus Stop Audit – would this cover all bus stops or just the bus stops maintained by the Council? It was confirmed that the audit would cover all bus stops in the Borough, including those owned by Town and Parish Councils.

In relation to new technology, would it be possible to use technology to change priority for buses at roadworks? It was confirmed that it was not currently possible to change priorities at temporary traffic lights.

The report stated that the Council had committed funding to the plan up to 2026/27. What was the Council’s commitment after that three year period? It was confirmed that the Council currently had no financial commitment after 2026/27. The legal agreement was enacted through the Enhanced Partnership Forum. Any actions and commitments after the initial three years would be the subject of discussion at the Forum. It was confirmed that all decisions made by the EP Forum were subject to any relevant approvals required by the Council’s Constitution or any legislation, regulation or statutory guidance.

RESOLVED That:

1)     Paul Fishwick, Giorgio Framalicco and Rebecca Brooks be thanked for attending the meeting to present the report and answer Member questions;

2)     progress on the delivery of the Bus Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme be the subject of an annual update to the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

3)     officers investigate the relevant legislation and consider the inclusion of an exit clause in the agreement as discussed by the Committee;

4)     the report to the Executive, in September 2023, include clarification on the Council’s control over any financial commitments made after the initial three year period set out in the Plan.