Agenda item

Report of Councillor Hogg (attached)

With the agreement of the Chairperson, Councillor Hogg presented the following two reports en bloc: Bus Service Improvement Plan – Update and Commissioning and Procurement Plan for the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Bus Priority Scheme – Supply, installation and maintenance of ANPR cameras.

He noted that the first report was good news as the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) had been secured and plans were well underway.  He explained that the report asked for several delegations and approvals due the need to mobilise BSIP within the pre-election period.  Many decisions would therefore need to be made at pace.

He added that many of the details of BSIP had been discussed previously both informally and formally at Council and Executive meetings.  The delayed letter from the Department for Transport had now been received confirming the full award of the revenue and capital amounts and which would allow significant and transformational changes to bus services in the district.

He informed members that the report set out the key benefits and broad spending objectives as well as the broad targets for the improvement plan and explained that the Enhanced Partnership must be “made” before the funds could be drawn down.  The process and timescale were in the report.

Despite the delay to the letter, there had been no change in the delivery horizon, so the delivery needed to be short and effective requiring delegations to officers.  Councillor Hogg noted the ongoing driver recruitment issues and that there was a continued risk for driver capacity and availability but also noted an encouraging improvement in commercial services. 

The bus prioritisation scheme to improve the flow of traffic was highlighted together with early anticipated improvements including Demand Responsive Travel which would connect areas where there was currently no bus services or a failing service into the existing commercial services.

Members asked questions around the improvements to services within rural areas; the impact on roads of the bus prioritisation schemes; the plans for Home to School Transport where this was failing and the next steps to be taken to ensure sustainability of the proposed changes.

Councillor Hogg also presented his report on the Commissioning Plan the Bus Priority Schemes as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan including the procurement of ANPR enforcement cameras.  He noted that the plan would ensure that BSIP would remain deliverable and sustainable over the long term.  He explained that the bus priority schemes would be concentrated on the main bus corridors with the first seven ready to be commissioned.

He referred members to a condition of the BSIP funding that an enforcement system was implemented via ANPR technology to ensure the free-flowing movement of buses, reduced journey times, safer highways and improved reliability.  Schemes were also being installed in the wider WECA area and the installation of the cameras was national policy.

Officers from the BSIP team were congratulated and thanked for their work.

Resolved: that the Executive

1. Approved a three-year extension of the Public Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to enable public bus contracts to be procured beyond the September 2023 expiry.

2. Approved the initial deployment zones for Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) as shown in appendix 5 to the report, noting that these may be amended across the life of the contract as the introduction of DRT was a trial.

3. Endorsed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (appendix 3 to the report) in February 2023 for BSIP and public transport to be signed by the Directors of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and NSC, incorporating joint governance arrangements for BSIP and Public Transport between the WECA and

North Somerset Council Transport Authorities.

4. Approved that the Contract Award for the BSIP Design and Build be delegated to the Director of Place, advised by the Section 151 Officer and Head of Strategic Procurement, due to the decision-making timescale required being within the pre-election period. The delegation was sought only for any decision required to be made during the pre-election period.

5. Endorsed the current iteration of the draft Enhanced Partnership Plan (EPP) and Enhanced Partnership Scheme (EPS) as consulted during December 22/January 23 and attached in appendix 2 of the report and delegated to the Executive Member for Highways and Transport in consultation with the Place Panel the authority to approve the final Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme on behalf of North Somerset Council.

6. Noted the current BSIP as updated in December 2022 (appendix 1 to the report) and delegated to the Executive Member for Highways and Transport the authority to approve the December 2022 iteration of the document on behalf of North Somerset Council following engagement with Place Scrutiny on the 20/01/2023.

7. Noted that the following amendments to the Council’s revenue budget would be approved:

• Increase to the revenue budget for 2022/23 of £1.2m to be funded by BSIP revenue grant would be approved by the Director of Corporate Services / S151 Officers as per the delegation approved in the June Executive report.

• Increase to the revenue budget for 2023/24 of £6.7m and 2024/25 of £5m to be funded by BSIP revenue grant would be approved as part of the Medium-Term Financial Plan in February 2023.

• Any future amendments to the profile of the revenue budget would follow the financial regulation thresholds.

Reasons for the decision:

As set out in the report and discussed above.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

As set out in the report and discussed above.