The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.
For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.
Minutes:
Four members of the public had requested to speak on the items on the agenda.
A. Mr David Redgewell (South West Transport Network and Railfuture Severnside) submitted the following statement in relation to Taunton Bus Station and spoke at the meeting;
“This statement is to request that Taunton bus and coach station is kept open until alternative facilities are provided in Taunton town centre and the railway station including the possibility of turning the council station car park into a bus station.
We would therefore like to ask the following questions about the impact of the bus and coach station closure on public transport users in Taunton. At a recent Cabinet meeting and Full Council meeting Travel-Watch South West Railfuture Severnside south transport network and RMT and Unite the union raised the following concerns to the Council about alternative investment in interchange facilities within the town centre:
1. The need for warm due covered shelters for Castle way, the Parade and East Reach for good lighting and castle kerbs for disabled access to be built in the scheme.
2. Real-time information to be provided on the stops and seating.
3. That facilities are provided for national Express Coaches service within the town centre including road space to put down the wheelchair lift.
4. That full public consultation be carried out with public transport user group and passengers about passenger’s facilities within the town centre.
5. The RMT union be given an assurance that a canteen and radio room be provided within the town centre.
6. That the bus and coach station would not close until a better interchange in the town centre had been provided.
7. Because of the proposed allocation for the site to be developed for a leisure complex and upmarket waterfront housing Somerset West and Taunton council owning half the bus station site already some of the development money should be re-invested in a bus interchange in the town centre. At present no consultation meeting have taken place since though council meetings.
Which a very congested town centre and poor air quality plus the climate change emergency and the need to close the centre of town to the private car. We would welcome progress on improving the bus service network and infrastructure other than the park and ride service which we welcome your support for.
In the South West government money is being invested in new bus interchanges at Gloucester, Exeter, and Weston super mare new bus interchange near Tesco with first group bus, national Express and stagecoach west. New facilities in Bus stations in Truro, Penzance, St Ives and Newquay in Cornwall by the DFT and Cornwall Council and first group. With a new bus rail interchange at Weymouth town and Dorchester south stations.
Whilst we welcome the transport interchange at Taunton railway station it's not big enough to operate the country bus service that use the bus station now just the west Somerset service and two others. At a time when there is a lot of government grant available via Somerset county council the transport authority from the Central government department for transport we wonder why no bid has been put in for a bus interchange by Somerset county council and SWT council. The south west transport board can also push the case for regional bus and coach stations.
We hope the council will now meet will public transport user groups and transport focus who have a guide to passenger disruption to find a way forward with the bus operator and the transport unions. In view of no new passenger's facilities being built to consign a further lease to first group until new interchange facilities are available please see guidelines from transport focus on disruption to passengers during relocation of the bus and coach stations.”
The Leader of the Council thanked Mr Redgewell for his questions and comments. Planning and Transport fell under Cllr Rigby’s Portfolio and sadly he was not able to be at the meeting. The Leader appreciated Mr Redgewell concerns and would ensure a written response was provided. The decision to close the Bus Station had been a commercial decision by First the operator and Somerset County Council was the relevant Transport authority. SWT took Transport seriously and looked to make things better, the Park and Ride being one such example.
Councillor Ross Henley added that he was registered as disabled and
covered under the Equalities Act 2010 and agreed with many of the
points Mr Redgewell had made. There had been an appalling lack of
communication by First, and as quite rightly pointed out this was
not a decision taken by SWT and the transport authority was the
County Council. He was very disappointed that Scrutiny had not
brought in First as recommended by himself and others. People with
his own disability do not like change and clarity about where going
with sudden moves may cause immense stress. There is huge concern
in the community regarding this and First have a number of
questions to answer, and they have not discharged their
responsibilities to their users effectively.
B. Mr Alan Debenham asked the following questions;
“1. With reference to the big debacle costing millions in wasted public funds and loss of operational performance regarding last year's amalgamation of the two councils to form Somerset West and Taunton Council, and, in the light of the recent South West Auditor's report to this council's Audit Committee, surely there should follow some severe actions of redress in terms of direct monetary compensation retrieved from the Ignite management consultancy AND possible surcharges imposed upon Councillors/Officers held responsible, plus possible partial retrieval of some extraordinary benefits paid to top officers? Has anything happened along these lines and if not, why not??
2. To hear PM Johnson's and Chancellor Sunak's Commons’ blather recently concerning the Budget and the coming delayed summer Comprehensive Spending Review, you’d think the “get it done” Brexit golden age of fantastic new opportunities was with us, instead we witness the opposite :-
· continued tight Local Government austerity despite big 4% Council Tax rise yet again, and no attempt to restore any services previously butchered - fundamental review of unfair Council Tax, based on 1991 valuations, is needed and full local Council control through the Layfield Royal Commission’s proposals for local income and sales taxes, plus latest campaign for site and land value taxes;
· virtually no significant extra bus, bike, and rail investments yet, despite jocular Johnson’s recent extra £5.5bn centrally pledged support - maybe (?) re-instate recent savage cuts to local routes and timetables, and review of old Beeching cuts to include new Wellington station ;
· nebulous promise of 20,000 extra police on the beat met by 137 last year for Avon & Somerset and probably the same this year, but paid for largely by 10% increase in police Council Tax levy last year and another extra 4% this year ;
· Road potholes and roadside waste dumping still forever growing;
· promises tackling climate emergency still much more Johnson fantasy, particularly related to recent storms and flood prevention, and urgent need for an end to GDP/economic growth with a planned and financially fair recession with any new development only allowed which is tied to this ( so says Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion ) ;
What are the Council's responses to these statements and, in the light of the Budget, what alterations are the Council going to have to make to its now agreed 2020-21 budget in terms of possible shortfalls in Business Rate funds and extra funds, or loan allocations for Housing and Homelessness??”
The Leader of the Council thanked Mr Debenham for his questions and stated that the Transformation Audit report would be debated later on the Agenda and that would shape where the Council went from there. In relation to the Budget and Chancellor Sunak’s priorities.
For the present and the future, Covid-19 would change a lot in the ways of working and as a Council we are going to prioritise the most vulnerable and change some of the funding streams and hopefully the Council would get the reimbursement and support for Business Rates etc. In regards to where are we if that wasn’t happening, we had set a balanced budget for 20/21 and we are looking to do more in the community where we hadn’t cut services, but Covid-19 had now taken over and the approach to tackling that was day by day.
C. Ms Bryony Chetwode submitted the following questions in relation to Taunton Bus Station;
“Following an intense period of online speculation, we are led to understand that vacant possession of the Bus Station is expected by March 27th. Assuming this to be correct, TravelWatch SouthWest is concerned that the uncertainty over passenger provision risks damage to existing bus patronage which the community can ill afford.
A statement to address to online concerns would be helpful, as although I understand the points around privacy of contract on the sale of property, I am concerned that the duties of care whether legal or moral are being seen to be overlooked. It would be helpful to stakeholders, if the Council was to:
1. Release a statement addressing concerns around disabled access,
2. Answer concerns around provisions of shelter and other items/services previously requested by TWSW and User Groups.
3. Provide a timetable for the proposed changes to access to services
4. Give an indication of how future bus provision will be developed in the town and plans being brought forward
5. Describe how SWAT plan to engage with the Stakeholder community over the decisions around their facilities and services
It would be my hope that his could provide some certainty from which we could work together in the interest of passengers with the local Highways, SCC and SWAT to help people navigate on what may in the worst case scenario be a very short available timescale.
I must add that, there are clear and straight forward guidelines provided by Transport Focus during changes to bus stop placement and it will be a challenge for all concerned to meet these. And, we need to hear formally if there is an opportunity for a short-term extension/license for First to occupy the bus station during the adjustment preparation. It is worth noting that quick action could propel Community engagement which would assist a bid for infrastructure funding and TravelWatch SouthWest supports park and ride improvements funded via parking charge increases in the centre of town.
Could the Committee explore this and come back to TravelWatch SouthWest?”
The Leader of the Council stated that a written response would be provided as Councillor Mike Rigby who had overall responsibility for Transport was not present. The Leader reiterated that First Group had made the decision to close the bus station not SWT Council.
D. Mr Nigel Behan asked the following questions in relation to Taunton Bus Station;
“The Future of Taunton Bus & Coach Station
This statement and questions relate to the pending closure of a vital Public and Social Space and Asset.
Presumably Equality Impact Assessments, Environmental (Air quality and pollutants etc.) Impact Assessments have been produced, if so please can you point out where they are?
Since SWT are not the primary Council for Public Transport (but certainly are a significant stakeholder in the bus station) what “pressure” and “persuasion” has SWT applied to Somerset County Council and the Department for Transport (and regional bodies) to replace and improve the facilities for the public and the frequency of buses and coaches at the existing (an upgraded replacement) Bus and Coach Station?
Will you release (publish) the correspondence (emails etc.) between SWT, DfT, SCC, First and National Express, Network Rail and GWR that relates to the closure (and replacement) of the Bus Station (and provide a list of all the correspondence)?”
The Leader of the Council stated that a written response would be provided as Councillor Mike Rigby who had overall responsibility for Transport was not present.