Agenda and minutes

To note any apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Benson.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

In the interest of openness in respect of item 6 - National Bus Strategy - Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme(s), Mandy Withington, the Principal Lawyer, declared that her son was employed by a local bus company, but he was junior member of the company and had no involvement in the decisions of the company.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 March 2022.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 March 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair subject to the inclusion of the question asked by Councillor J Clowes around the progress of the missing Traffic Regulation Order Consolidation Order which was raised under minute number 63 ‘Work Programme’.  Officers at the time advised they would provide a response to this question after the meeting.

In accordance with paragraph 2.24 of the Council’s Committee Procedure Rules and Appendix on Public Speaking, set out in the Constitution, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to put questions to the committee on any matter relating to this agenda. Each member of the public will be allowed up to two minutes each to speak, and the Chair will have discretion to vary this where they consider it appropriate.

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days’ in advance of the meeting.

Carol Jones attended the meeting and spoke on item 5-National Bus Strategy - Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme(s).

To consider a report updating the Committee on the Council’s draft Enhanced Partnership (EP) Plan and Scheme as well as seeking the Committee’s endorsement prior to its submission to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Consideration was given to a report updating the Committee on the Council’s draft Enhanced Partnership (EP) Plan and Scheme as well as seeking the Committee’s endorsement prior to its submission to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Mr R Hibbert, the Head of Strategic Transport and Parking, advised that given the decision made by the Department for Transport not to allocate any funding to the Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) any reference to BSIP funding dependency contained within the appendix B of the report should be removed.

Members expressed disappointment at the decision by the Department for Transport, in the failure to allocate any funding to the Council’s BSIP.  The consensus of the Committee was that essential approval should be given to the Enhanced Partnership Plan in order to give the Council the best possible opportunity of being awarded funding in the future.  Members expressed the view that without an Enhanced Partnership Plan in place it was highly unlikely the Council would be successful in securing future discretionary funding and the ability to retain the existing covid recovery grant funding could be compromised.

Councillor S Akers Smith asked if the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, would write to the DfT expressing the Committee’s frustration at the decision not to allocate any funding to the BSIP.  The Chair agreed he would be happy to do this.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair thanked officers and those Members on the BSIP Advisory Panel for their involvement with the BSIP and those Members involved from all political groups.  He considered the Plan to be an ambitious one which would have been revolutionary, however he emphasised the importance of moving forward with those elements of the Enhanced Partnership that were not funding dependent.

RESOLVED

1.1.That the draft Enhanced Partnership Plan (EP Plan) and Scheme (EP Scheme) documents be approved.

1.2.That the Director of Highways and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Bus Services Member Advisory Panel, be authorised to finalise the draft Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme documents.

1.3.That the Highways and Transport Committee authorise the commencement of statutory consultations on the draft proposals subject to the removal of any reference to BSIP funding dependence contained within the report.

1.4.Approve that the finalised draft EP Plan and Scheme documents be submitted to the Department for Transport before the end of April, in accordance with their deadline.

1.5.That it be noted the final version of a Cheshire East Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme would be reported to a future meeting of the Highways and Transport Committee for approval.

1.6.That the Chair be authorised to write to the Department for Transport on behalf of the Committee outlining the Committee’s frustration at the decision by the DfT not to allocate any funding to the Council’s Bus Service Delivery Plan.

To consider a report informing the Committee of the capital and revenue budgets available for the highway service for 2022/23 and the allocation of those budgets to the various programmes of work.

Consideration was given to a report informing the Committee of the capital and revenue budgets available for the highway service for 2022/23 and the allocation of those budgets to the various programmes of work.

The Chair queried if the information contained within the table in section 6.6.3.1 of the report was correct in referring to LTP Block Grants Funding Allocations. He asked if it should state Council Investment Funding Allocation.  In response Mr P Davies, the Contract Operations Manager confirmed that he was correct and reference to LTP Block Grants Funding Allocations had been made in error.

RESOLVED (Unanimously)

1.That the apportionment of revenue and capital funding to the key elements of highway services as shown in Tables 2 to 4 of the report be noted.

2.That Council be recommended to approve a supplementary capital estimate for the Pothole Fund grant of £5.799m, set out in paragraph 6.6.2 of the report.

To consider the Work Programme and determine any required amendments.

Consideration was given to the work programme.

Mrs S Baxter, the Democratic Services Officer advised of the following amendments to the work programme:-

HS2 Update-To be considered at the June meeting

Local Transport Plan Update-To be considered at the June meeting

Parking Service Update-To be considered at the July meeting

On Street Electric Vehicle Charging-To be considered at the July meeting

Idling Vehicles Feasibility Study- To be considered at the September meeting

Councillor M Sewart asked for an update in relation to pavement parking which had yet not been allocated a date on the Committees work programme.  In response the Head of Strategic Transport and Parking advised he would seek further clarification from the Department for Transport.   The consultation on pavement parking closed in late 2019 and to the best of his knowledge he had not had sight of an update on the outcome of the consultation since that date.  He advised he would seek further clarification from the DfT as to when a response could be expected and he would report back to the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the amendments to the work programme be noted.

To receive the minutes of the Public Rights of Way (PROW) Sub-Committee.

The Committee received the minutes of the Public Rights of Way (PROW) Sub-Committee held on 14 March 2022.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Public Rights of Way (PROW) Sub-Committee be received and noted.