Agenda item

To receive a report on the methodology for developing the recommended proposals – report to follow

Further to the last meeting of the Committee held on 19 September 2017, consideration was given to the final proposals following the Councils review of its local supported bus network to assess whether the services best met the needs of residents and represented value for money.

It was reported that a Monday to Friday daytime service to retain local bus services connecting Congleton, Alsager, Rode Heath, Scholar Green, Sandbach and Leighton Hospital with connections to Goostrey and town services within Sandbach (Route J), would be recommended to Cabinet, realising savings in excess of £1m and not £1.567m as stated in the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The following comments were made by the Committee:

·         That if there was an additional cost saving resulting from the tendering process, the funding should be used for the  provision of evening and weekend services to the principal towns.

·         The proposals did not take into consideration the long term costs to Council (e.g. additional road maintenance costs).

·         If an evening service was not to be provided, there would be no evening public transport to or from Middlewich.

·         The aspirations of the Council would not be achieved if access to the night time economy was not provided.

·         The number 38 bus service should provide an evening service as a matter of priority.

·         A further root and branch holistic transport review should take place in the future to investigate what services are required, including new, existing routes and extra services, be carried out.

·         The possibility of providing a ‘Smart Ticket’ option should be investigated.

The Committee then agreed to adjourn the meeting to give consideration to financial information and resolved that the press and public be excluded from the rest of the meeting pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

The Committee reconvened on 2 November 2017 and made the following additional comments:

·         That the bus operators be requested to provide a more direct bus service from Northwich to Middlewich to Crewe.

·         Rural communities, particularly High Legh would become isolated due to the removal of services.

·         The Council should consider options such as providing community buses and to mitigate the impacts.

·         The Council should consider utilising financial contributions from developers and any government funding streams available.

·         As an unintended consequence of the review, residents may become reliant taxis, therefore robust licensing enforcement should be in place.

·         A clover leaf service linking Upton Priory, Weston and Moss Rose estates in Macclesfield should be considered as an alternative to the number 19 service.

·         Manchester Airport be requested to provide financial contributions towards the number 200 service.

·         Connectivity between the various modes of public transport should be optimised. Information on bus services should also be improved at railway stations.

·         An update report be brought back to the Committee prior to any changes to the little bus service being made.

RESOLVED

That the comments highlighted above be submitted to Cabinet when considering the proposals for the new network of supported local bus services on 7 November 2017.