Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Environment

15 January 2002

Project Appraisal: Community Transport Vehicle Funding

Report of the County Surveyor

Item 17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

PROJECT APPRAISAL

(Externally Funded)

PROJECT:

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT VEHICLE FUNDING

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

JANUARY 2002

COMPLETION DATE:

MARCH 2003

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2002/03

7.

7.1

Scheme

Introduction

A sum of £500,000 has been allocated in the Local Transport Plan for 2001/03 to assist with the capital costs of providing accessible minibuses at community transport schemes across Hampshire. This programme of support will help to provide a secure basis for the future funding of community transport schemes, enabling them to sustain and develop their services whilst supporting the Local Transport Plan objectives of accessibility and social inclusion. It will also help to resource the community transport sector so that it is able to play a part in providing feeder services into future bus service core routes as the network is reviewed and refocused.

A review of community transport schemes in Hampshire was undertaken in 1999. One particular issue identified was that of future funding arrangements. If schemes are to continue to offer accessible vehicles at affordable rates, thus enhancing social inclusion, then there is a need to provide assistance to meet increasing capital costs.

Funds are also needed to develop new schemes in areas where local needs have been identified. Use is being made of the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme and the Rural Bus Challenge to develop community transport and provide new rural transport services. By making provision for this capital expenditure in support of community transport schemes the County Council will be able to demonstrate significant added value:

(i) It will hopefully help to secure future contributions from health agencies by providing matching funding through the Community Transport Development Plan. The health sector has a history of supporting community transport, although the current investment ceases in March 2002.

(ii) The Community Transport Development Plan will enable a strategic approach to be made to community transport provision in partnership with health, district councils and the voluntary sector and enable the development of new schemes in areas where needs have been identified.

(iii) It will provide a secure basis for the future funding of community transport schemes, enabling them to sustain and develop their services, supporting the objectives of accessibility and social inclusion.

Above all, the recent best value transport reviews have identified a clear role for the community transport sector in supplying transport services.

The County Council will reconsider how some of these services are provided in the deeper rural areas, in some cases moving away from the conventional approach. In order to utilise this potential there is a need to ensure that the infrastructure of the sector is adequately resourced.

7.2

Details

There are a number of elements which are being pursued:

(i) A needs assessment is being undertaken as part of the Community Transport Development to determine what the baseline level of provision should be in each district of Hampshire. This will among other things propose the number of vehicles which should be available in each area. This should be completed by the end of January after which consultation will take place.

(ii) A survey is currently being undertaken of the existing vehicles which are based at community transport schemes to identify which are priorities for replacement.

(iii) The Hampshire Community Transport Operator's Forum has now developed a standard specification for a larger minibus which is based on The Romobus, produced by Rohill in Andover. This will ensure consistent safety and quality standards across the county. As an alternative to this the forum is developing specifications for smaller minibuses and a people mover.

The lead-in time for purchasing these vehicles is considerable because they are coach built at the Rohill factory. In order to progress this programme, agreement is sought to place an order for vehicles, built to the specification developed by the Operators Forum. The allocation of these vehicles to community transport schemes will take place on completion of (i) and (ii) above. The allocation of these vehicles can be considered at a future meeting.

7.3

Standards

The vehicles will comply with all necessary legal and safety requirements.

7.4

Statutory Procedures and Consultation

No statutory procedures are required.

7.5

Policy Considerations

The need to develop the community transport sector has been identified in both the Passenger Transport Group and cross-cutting transport review action plans. The need for a strategic approach towards supporting the sector is also set out in the Accessible Transport Strategy which has been adopted by the County and District Councils and many other organisations in Hampshire.

7.6

Environmental Impacts

Opportunities for developing community transport services across Hampshire will be significantly enhanced through this programme, potentially leading to lower car usage. In particular this may be so where the sector has the potential to provide local flexible feeder services which are demand responsive and needs led. These alternatives to the conventional bus service will be provided with smaller vehicles, thus reducing vehicle impact on the environment.

7.7

Land Requirement

No land required.

7.8

Alternative Arrangements

There are no feasible alternative arrangements. Without investment from the statutory agencies in Hampshire, community transport schemes will be unable to maintain their current levels of activities and this will have a detrimental effect on the overall transport network in Hampshire.

7.9

Local Members' View

Consultation with local Members will take place on the allocation of resources for individual community transport schemes in their area once the actual detail of the programme has been prepared.

7.10

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

Developing the community transport sector will enhance accessibility and reduce isolation, particularly in rural areas, for those people or families which do not have access to their own transport. Such facilities, targeted at youth to access recreational and leisure facilities, could help to reduce incidences of vandalism. The demand responsive nature of some services, particularly where these provide a door to door transport service, could offer some reassurance to those people who may have concerns about personal safety on conventional public transport.

7.11

Sustainability

The community transport sector has the potential to play a key role in providing transport opportunities in areas and at times when it is not feasible or cost effective to provide a conventional bus service. Consequently, the sector could help to sustain the present travel opportunities provided by the transport network whilst making use of alternative approaches.

8.

Financial Arrangements

8.1

Expenditure

£'000

Funds Available

£'000

Design Fee

Nil

Local Transport

Plan

500

Supervision

50

Project Works

450

Land

____

____

Total

500

Total

500

____

____

8.2

Revenue Implications

£'000

% Variation to Committee's budget

Net increase in

current expenditure

Nil

Nil

Capital Charge

130

0.22

____

____

Total Expenditure

130

0.22

____

____

8.3

Maintenance Implications

The operating cost of the vehicles once purchased will be covered by the community transport schemes themselves. The costs will be recovered through hire charges to organisations using the vehicles and income from contracts for providing specific services. This will recover some of the future vehicle replacement costs, although the majority of these will need to be addressed through the Community Transport Development Plan.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

Community Transport Development Plan - File 15/16.4.2.4/.5/.6

County Surveyor's Department

Room 206