The provision of further financial contributions to enable Taunton's Park and Ride service to continue until March 2020
To consider a report of the Head of Commercial Investment regarding the Taunton Park and Ride Service.
The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee has agreed that due to the nature of the decision and for it to be made in a timely fashion (as the next Executive meeting is not until 20th August 2019) that the Special Urgency Clause (Access to Information Procedure Rules 16) be used to waive the 28 day rule in order to continue with the Park and Ride contract.
Decision:
RESOLVED to:-
i. Approve a one-off Supplementary Budget increase for the provision of a further £115,000 funding contribution to enable the Taunton Park & Ride Service to continue until March 2020, funded from New Homes Bonus Reserves.
ii. Approve a one-off Supplementary Budget increase of £20,000, funded by Garden Town grant funding, for anticipated enabling and due diligence work associated with exploration of further measures to attempt to secure the long term sustainability of the Park & Ride service and to develop any further proposals for consideration by the Council.
Minutes:
The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation introduced this item which concerned the provision of further financial contributions to enable Taunton’s Park and Ride service to continue until March 2020. The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee had agreed that due to the nature of the decision and for it to be made in a timely fashion (as the next Executive meeting was not until 20th August 2019) that the Special Urgency Clause (Access to Information Procedure Rules 16) be used to waive the 28 day rule in order to continue with the Park and Ride contract.
The further funding contributions would be for a period of six months for a total of £115,000 from Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) for the Park and Ride (P&R) Passenger Transport Service for Taunton. This further funding was to enable the P&R Service to continue until March 2020 and halt the suspension of the service by Somerset County Council (SCC). The Executive were also asked to approve a budget of £20,000 for anticipated enabling and due diligence work associated with this Council’s aim of taking greater ownership / control of the P&R service and sites, to work towards a totally self-sustaining service.
The original decision by Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) in 2018 to make a one off financial contribution to the running of the Taunton P&R Service halted the proposal by Somerset County Council (SCC) to suspend (for an unspecified period) all Taunton P&R services from the autumn of 2018. The current arrangement was due to end on the 6th September 2019. The total budget of £135,000 would be sourced from New Homes Bonus reserves and Garden Town grant funding. Over this period, the responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the contract and service to March 2020 would continue to remain with Somerset County Council and the contracted bus operator First.
Since the TDBC decision in September 2018 to make a financial contribution, a number of measures had been implemented to put the Taunton P&R service on a more commercial and sustainable long term footing. As set out in the officer report, further measures needed to be explored and implemented over the coming months to ensure that this continues.
The Portfolio Holder proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Booth.
During the discussion of this item, Members made comments and asked questions which included:-
· Concerns were raised around the process and why this proposal had come forward so urgently, considering it was known that the funding from last year would only be for twelve months.
· It was confirmed that this proposal in the background formed part of the Taunton Transport Strategy and there was an ambition to open two more sites alongside the provision open already.
· As highlighted in the report there had been increased patronage for the service in the past twelve months of an extra 200 tickets per week, equating to some £20,000 extra per year and further initiatives could be undertaken on ... view the full minutes text for item 31