Contact: Kevin Ings, ext 6986

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That approval be given to a grant of £21,986 in 2003/04 from the Community Transport budget to Community First for the operation of the New Forest Community Transport Scheme and the New Forest Shopping Trips service.

2. Reason

2.1 The increased grant will ensure that the services provided by the New Forest Community Transport Scheme and the New Forest Shopping Trips service are maintained.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Taking no action.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. New Forest Community Transport Scheme

7.1 The New Forest Community Transport Scheme is operated by Community First, the local Council of Voluntary Service for the District. The Community Transport Scheme undertakes the following functions:

(i) operates three (shortly to be four) mini-buses which are available for local organisations in the district to hire for group transport;

(ii) facilitates a mini-bus brokerage scheme, including those vehicles owned by Social Services in the New Forest;

(iii) operates a Moped Loan scheme which enables unemployed young people without their own transport to access local employment and training opportunities. This scheme was introduced through the Hampshire Rural Transport Partnership and is largely funded by the Countryside Agency;

(iv) operates a semi-scheduled Shopping Trips service, mainly aimed at older and disabled people unable to access the existing public transport network, serving the parishes of Brockenhurst, Damerham, Fordingbridge, Martin, Ringwood and Whitsbury. Again, this is a scheme introduced through the Hampshire Rural Transport Partnership and largely funded by the Countryside Agency;

(v) provides the day-to-day scheduling and administration for three small volunteer-run dial-a-ride services operating in Totton, Lymington and the Waterside, which are managed by the New Forest Dial-A-Ride Association;

(vi) provides Mini-bus Driver Assessment Scheme (MiDAS) driver assessment and training for voluntary and statutory organisations in the New Forest; and

(vii) provides advice, information and support to voluntary groups providing transport locally.

8. Core Costs

8.1 Community First employs a transport officer to manage and implement the services provided by the New Forest Community Transport Scheme. The core costs for this post are currently jointly covered by the County Council, New Forest District Council, New Forest Primary Care Trust and the Countryside Agency through the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme. The contribution from the Countryside Agency represents the management, development and administration, which the Community Transport Scheme is providing for both the Moped Loan and Shopping Trips services.

8.2 The cost of providing the necessary infrastructure for the New Forest Community Transport Scheme in 2003/04 is estimated at £41,384. Negotiations are currently under way for this to be funded as follows:

8.3 This represents an increase on the £4,776 contribution which the County Council makes in the current financial year. The increase in the core costs of the Community Transport Scheme is due to the following reasons:

(i) The majority of the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme funding for the Moped Loan and Shopping Trips schemes ceases at the end of June 2003 because the three year funding limit has been reached. This leaves a short-fall in the core management and administration costs associated with these schemes.

(ii) Transfer of the full management of the dial-a-ride operation from the New Forest Dial-A-Ride Association to the New Forest Community Transport scheme - this will enable all aspects of the dial-a-ride services and Community Transport services in the New Forest to be coordinated from one central point. The County and District Councils at present jointly provide a grant to the New Forest Dial-A-Ride Association for the operation of these dial-a-ride services. It is estimated that approximately £2,500 of this grant (£1,250 for the County Council) could be transferred to the Community Transport Scheme towards the additional dial-a-ride functions which the scheme would take on.

(iii) The transport officer's post has been rescoped and the salary adjusted accordingly to reflect increased responsibilities and the increasing role of the scheme.

8.4 The New Forest Primary Care Trust has already agreed its contribution to this scheme. The contributions from New Forest District Council and the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme are currently under consideration. A matching contribution of £11,310 will be required from the County Council. Given the grants already being paid to the New Forest Community Transport Scheme and the New Forest Dial-A-Ride Association, this would represent an increase of £5,284 on the current year's funding. This payment would be an ongoing revenue commitment funded through the Community Transport budget. The arrangement will be covered through a service agreement involving all funding parties.

9 Operational Costs

9.1. In addition to this, there is a need to consider how the operational costs for the Moped Loan and Shopping Trips schemes will be funded once the majority of the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme funding ceases at the end of June 2003.

9.2 The costs of operating the Moped Loan Scheme in the next financial year will be £6,020. The Rural Transport Partnership Scheme will be funding £1,130 of this, with the remaining amount of £4,890 being provided by New Forest District Council who has been providing match-funding for this scheme.

9.3 The costs of operating the Shopping Trips service in the next financial year will be £18,161. This figures reflects some house-keeping changes to some of the current services. The Rural Transport Partnership Scheme will be funding £7,485 and it is proposed that the remaining £10,676 be provided by the County Council, which has been providing match-funding for this scheme. In this current financial year the County Council is contributing £5,660 and the payment of £10,676 would represent an increase of £5,016 on the current year's funding. This payment would be an ongoing revenue commitment funded through the Community Transport budget.

10. Overall Funding Position

10.1 In summary, the total funding required to operate the New Forest Community Transport Scheme, Moped Loan scheme and the Shopping Trips service in 2003/04 is as follows:

It is proposed that this should be covered as follows:

10.2 The County Council is already contributing £11,686 towards these schemes in the current financial year. An increase of £10,300 will therefore be required in 2003/04 to continue the services. This will be an ongoing revenue commitment and can be funded through the Community Transport budget.

11. Benefits

11.1 There are a number of clear benefits in providing this funding in the next financial year to Community First. These include:

(i) maintaining a focus for voluntary and community transport activities in the New Forest. The New Forest has 15 voluntary car schemes and over 100 mini-buses owned by voluntary and statutory organisations;

(ii) continuing with the successful youth Moped Loan and Shopping Trips schemes which have been introduced through the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme. Approximately 20 young people each year benefit from the Moped scheme. At its current operating level the Shopping Trips services could be operated to provide 2,700 passenger trips per annum. A number of these services are relatively new and consequently the patronage figures are expected to increase during the next financial year;

(iii) consolidating the organisation of the existing dial-a-ride operation, offering scope for the development of this. The opportunities for doing this through the existing voluntary run organisation are limited. The dial-a-ride services provide 10,600 passenger trips per annum;

(iv) offering training through MiDAS the Passenger Assistant Training Scheme (PATS), shortly to be launched, to local schools, voluntary organisations and local authority establishments; and

(v) providing a focus for developing new group and individual transport services. A transport survey is currently under way in the New Forest, like the one undertaken in Hart, to identify local needs which could be responded to through new transport initiatives funded through the Countryside Agency. If this process in successful in identifying new transport initiatives then the Community Transport Scheme may be best placed to operate these.

12. Conclusion

12.1 Community Transport services in the New Forest have developed significantly over the last few years, partly as a result of funding available from the Countryside Agency through the Rural Transport Partnership Fund. As some of the funding is now coming to an end, there is a need to change the funding base of these services and the Community Transport Scheme which operates them.

12.2 The approach will ensure that Community Transport and dial-a-ride services are more coordinated in future and provide a firm basis for developing voluntary transport services further. There is a history of partnership funding towards these schemes which needs to be continued. In summary, the total funding required to continue in 2003/04 is £65,565 and the contribution required from Hampshire County Council is £21,986.

7777/KI