To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 194a – to be published shortly) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Hannaford and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely
That this Council:-
a) Notes with great concern the huge reduction in the bus network across Devon, that has taken place since privatisation, deregulation, and under funding.
b) Believes buses are essential to freeing up congested road space, to cleaning up the air that we all breathe and above all to connecting people to jobs, friends and life opportunities.
c) Records the specific ongoing problems that our local school pupils and college students have in properly attending their places of education across Devon through inaccessible public transport.
d) Concludes that the bus service in Devon now presents itself as a failed model, to the extent that it no longer has widespread public confidence, because of its serious long term poor performance and post pandemic dysfunctionality.
e) Notes the completely unacceptable regional imbalances in funding for public transport services which prioritise the South East of England, and believes this must be radically reformed, and central government must do more to provide significant funding to revitalise local transport in the South West.
f) Wants to develop, design and achieve a good public transport system that runs where people need it, when people need it and at a price that is affordable.
g) Understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that public control would better address six out of seven Local Transport Authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage”.
h) Supports exercising powers to bring Devon’s bus services back under local control via franchising, at the earliest practicable date.
i) Acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data is employed.
Therefore, this Council requests that the Administration:-
(i) To conduct a statutory assessment of franchising at the earliest possible opportunity in 2022.
(ii) Explore a notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment at the earliest opportunity.
Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report (CSO/22/14) and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting, the Cabinet minutes (to be published here shortly - Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022, 10.30 am - Democracy in Devon will show the resolution of the Cabinet.
Decision:
(a) It is recommended that Council in response to the Devon Devolution deal seek to gain powers for the franchising of local bus services as a longer-term option, following the introduction of the Enhanced Partnership in the autumn; and
(b) that in the short term, Council express concern over recent timetable changes, reductions, revised routes and loss of the night bus and in light of the additional pressures (e.g Commonwealth Games and secondments of staff) contacts Stagecoach to protest at the secondments at a time of great public transport pressures in Devon and further asks them to concentrate on restoring reliable, affordable, safe public transport across Devon.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hannaford was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.
Minutes:
Pursuant to County Council Minute 113 of 26 May 2022 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Hannaford that:
That this Council:-
a) Notes with great concern the huge reduction in the bus network across Devon, that has taken place since privatisation, deregulation, and under funding.
b) Believes buses are essential to freeing up congested road space, to cleaning up the air that we all breathe and above all to connecting people to jobs, friends and life opportunities.
c) Records the specific ongoing problems that our local school pupils and college students have in properly attending their places of education across Devon through inaccessible public transport.
d) Concludes that the bus service in Devon now presents itself as a failed model, to the extent that it no longer has widespread public confidence, because of its serious long term poor performance and post pandemic dysfunctionality.
e) Notes the completely unacceptable regional imbalances in funding for public transport services which prioritise the South East of England, and believes this must be radically reformed, and central government must do more to provide significant funding to revitalise local transport in the South West.
f) Wants to develop, design and achieve a good public transport system that runs where people need it, when people need it and at a price that is affordable.
g) Understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that public control would better address six out of seven Local Transport Authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage”.
h) Supports exercising powers to bring Devon’s bus services back under local control via franchising, at the earliest practicable date.
i) Acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data is employed.
Therefore, this Council requests that the Administration:-
(i) To conduct a statutory assessment of franchising at the earliest possible opportunity in 2022.
(ii) Explore a notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment at the earliest opportunity.
and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 194(a) of 13 July 2022:
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that in response to the Devon Devolution deal, the Council seek to gain powers for the franchising of local bus services as a longer-term option, following the introduction of the Enhanced Partnership in the autumn.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.
Councillor Hannaford then MOVED and Councillor Asvachin SECONDED the following amendment (additional words in red)
(a) It is recommended that Council in response to the Devon Devolution deal seek to gain powers for the franchising of local bus services as a longer-term option, following the introduction of the Enhanced Partnership in the autumn; and
(b) that in the short term, Council express concern over recent timetable changes, reductions, revised routes and loss of the night bus and in light of the additional pressures (e.g Commonwealth Games and secondments of staff) contacts Stagecoach to protest at the secondments at a time of great public transport pressures in Devon and further asks them to concentrate on restoring reliable, affordable, safe public transport across Devon.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hannaford was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.