Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of any interests.

To confirm the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group – Public Transport Issues meeting held on 4 November 2014 (enclosed).

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group – Public Transport Issues meeting held on 4 November 2014 be confirmed a s a correct record for signing by the Chair.

To consider the draft response and covering letter to Lancashire County Council (enclosed)

The Group received a copy of the completed consultation on the new criteria for subsidised bus services proposed by Lancashire County Council. Although the consultation had finished the Group had been invited to submit their views by Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, Councillor John Fillis, at a previous meeting.

The main points that the group wanted to comment on where around social isolation and rural accessibility as it appeared that there was no scoring criteria listed to cover these issues and Members considered this contrary to both Council’s strategic objectives relating to health and wellbeing.

RESOLVED – That the revised criteria for Subsidised Bus Services to be implemented by Lancashire County Council be brought to a future meeting of the Group.

Attached is some information from Cumbria County Council’s website on their Rural Wheels, Village Wheels and Community Wheels scheme.

The link below takes you to the Cumbria County Council Travel and Transport pages of their website which has further information.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/public-transport-road-safety/transport/commtrans/ruralwheels.asp

We hope to have more background information from their Rural Wheels Co-ordinator and this will be issued as soon as it becomes available.

As part of the review of the Subsidised Bus Services being undertaken by Lancashire County Council, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport had talked to the Group about the possibility of a Parish Partnership scheme that was being looked into as a potential alternative for bus travel in rural parts of the borough.

Democratic Services had undertaken to research similar schemes to that which had been discussed to ascertain if there was anything already available that the Group could investigate to ascertain if this type of scheme would be a viable option for the parishes of Chorley.

It appeared that Cumbria County Council operates three schemes, Rural Wheels, Village Wheels and Community Wheels that broadly fit the description that included:

Rural Wheels

Rural Wheels provides door-to-door transport for people who do not have, or are unable to access scheduled transport. The service can be used for a variety of purposes including, making connections with buses or trains, doctor, dentist or optician appointments, visiting friends or family in hospital, shopping or visiting friends or family

It does not duplicate other County Council transport provision and therefore cannot be used for transport to day care, school, nursery or college and cannot be used for hospital appointments/treatment if Patient Transport is available.

The Rural Wheels scheme uses a 'Smartcard' to pay for travel and a central booking system to plan journeys and passengers need to apply for the Smartcard before they are able to travel. The value of the Smartcard can be topped up with the transport provider or alternatively at local post offices, libraries and mobile libraries and transport requests must be booked by telephone before noon the day before travelling and passengers may be asked to be flexible about their travel time and also to share transport which will be at a reduced fare.

Village Wheels

Village Wheels provides a timetabled service for communities to their nearest town and uses the Rural Wheels membership scheme, planning service for booking and smartcard for payment. As Village Wheels is not a registered bus service, passengers are unable to use their concessionary NOWcards.

Community Wheels

Following the allocation of Government funding specifically to develop Community Transport services, six new accessible minibuses were purchased by Cumbria County Council.  These enhanced the fleet of Community Minibuses available countywide and their usage was prioritised to provide regular transport, driven by volunteer drivers in areas where scheduled bus services are not sustainable.  

This scheme appears to be a partnership approach that sees the County Council and a local steering group, drawn from the local community working together to deliver the service; each partner having specific roles and responsibilities.

Cumbria County Council have provided the minibus asset and retained ownership of the vehicle, worked with the community through the steering group to develop a service that meets evidenced need and supports the recruitment of volunteer drivers. They also ensure volunteer drivers are Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checked (formerly Criminal Records Bureau CRB) and ensure volunteer drivers are trained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1411.

To discuss revising the task group’s scoping document to include Combined Authorities. The current scope is attached.

The Group discussed the possibility of looking at the proposals for a Combined Transport Authority (CTA) for Lancashire as part of a wider discussion on Combined Authorities (CA).

Since May 2013 there has been a Transport for Lancashire Committee, chaired by the Leader of Lancashire County Council, Councillor Jennifer Mein and has representation from the two unitary Councils, Blackburn and Blackpool, Network Rail, Highways Agency and the Department for Transport. The Committee had been established after the Government agreed in September 2012 to hand power to new local transport bodies as part of its localism agenda.

In May 2014 the role of the Group was amended and will now advise the LEP Board with regard to progress and delivery of all transport schemes programmed for delivery through the Growth Deal.

The Group AGREED to consider the role of a Combined Transport Authority to understand and comment upon what a typical existing Combined Transport Authority as part of a Combined Authority would focus their attention on, for example, their role, priorities and projects.

The Group could form a view of the likely impact a Combined Transport Authority would have on Chorley and make recommendations to the Future Governance Viability Working Group of Chorley Council on what should be the priorities/areas of focus for a Combined Transport Authority for Lancashire in order to improve public transport for Chorley residents.

The Group considered looking into the feasibility of inviting a representative of the Manchester Transport Authority to a meeting of the Group in order to explore areas of best practice within this area.

RESOLVED – That the scoping document be amended to reflect the Groups consideration of a Combined Transport Authority for Lancashire