Issue - meetings

To consider a report which responds to a Notice to Motion to Council in October 2022 which proposed a number of actions aimed to improve late-night public transport for workers.

The Committee considered a report in response to a Notice of Motion put to Full Council in October 2022. The motion, which had been proposed by Cllr Laura Smith and seconded by Cllr Sally Handley, proposed a number of actions to improve night-time travel for workers.

Councillor Laura Smith, who addressed the Committee as the proposer of the Notice of Motion, encouraged Committee Members to consider introducing workable solutions to ensure safe night-time transport was available whilst working with those delivering transportation to deliver a number of key priorities outlined within the Notice of Motion.  

It was moved and seconded that the recommendations in the report be approved subject to the deletion of recommendation 3.2.3 and the insertion of an alternative recommendation that ‘the Council continue to consider municipal ownership of buses in Cheshire East in the future’.

The motion was carried by majority.

RESOLVED (by majority):

That the Highways and Transport Committee agrees:

1. To endorse the proposed response to the Notice of Motion, which would be made available on the Council’s Highways and Transport webpages.
2. That the Council continue to engage with local bus operators through its Enhanced Partnership arrangements acknowledging that any consideration of improved evening and late-night services on the local bus network would be dependent on central government funding, such as the Government’s Safety of Women at Night Fund, being made available to provide financial support.
3. That the Council continue to engage with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ensure their plans for bus franchising protect cross boundary bus services.
4. That the Council continue to consider municipal ownership of buses in Cheshire East in the future.

Note: Councillor Mike Sewart left the meeting at this point.