Contacts: Kevin Ings, ext 6986 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The proposal will maintain and develop services provided by community transport schemes in Hampshire which contribute towards maximising well-being.

2. Recommendation

That grants be paid from the Local Transport Plan funding programme for Community Transport for 2006/07 to assist the purchase of three community transport vehicles for the following organisations:

Community First, New Forest 1 vehicle

Winchester Area Community Action 1 vehicle

Bishop's Waltham Minibus Group 1 vehicle

3. Introduction

3.1 A sum of £300,000 has been allocated from the Local Transport Plan (LTP) to support the provision and development of community transport services in Hampshire in 2006/07. The Executive Member for Environment agreed a report on 12 September 2006 which allocated grants to three organisations to assist in the purchase of four vehicles. The grant allocated to Hart Voluntary Action on 12 September 2006 will now be used to replace both vehicles currently operating on the Hart Call and Go service. The possibility of transferring this operation to Rushmoor Voluntary Services is currently under consideration and if this occurred then these vehicles would eventually be transferred to Rushmoor Voluntary Services. This report outlines the programme for utilising the remaining allocation.

4. Background

4.1 A review of community transport schemes in Hampshire was undertaken in 1999. One particular issue identified was that of future vehicle funding arrangements. If schemes are to continue to offer accessible vehicles at affordable rates, thus enhancing social inclusion, there is a need to provide assistance to meet increasing capital costs. These vehicles generally offer older, disabled and younger people the opportunity to access a range of services and facilities within their local community.

4.2 The need to develop the community transport sector was identified in both the Passenger Transport Group and cross-cutting transport Best Value 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.

4.3 Previous work has recommended a framework for the future development and funding of community transport in Hampshire. This involved developing a needs assessment which has determined what the baseline level of community transport provision should be in each district of Hampshire, together with the required levels of resources and funding. Without this level of investment community transport schemes will in time be unable to maintain their current levels of activity at an affordable price and this will have a detrimental effect on the overall transport network in Hampshire.

5. The Role of Community Transport in Hampshire

5.1 This continued support will help to provide a more secure basis for the future funding of community transport schemes, enabling them to sustain and develop their services whilst supporting the LTP objectives of accessibility and social inclusion. Services provided by community transport schemes include group hire, dial-a-ride, wheels to work schemes and shopping trip services for older and disabled people. The sector is well placed to make a key contribution towards enhancing accessibility and reducing isolation, particularly in rural areas, for those people or families who do not have access to their own transport. Where such facilities can be targeted at youth to access recreational and leisure facilities then this could also help to reduce incidences of vandalism.

5.2 The sector also has a part to play in providing services that complement the public transport network which the County Council supports. The Best Value transport reviews have identified a clear role for the community transport sector in supplying local transport services. This sector has the potential to provide services in areas and at times when it may not be feasible or cost effective to provide a conventional bus service, thus helping to sustain present travel opportunities whilst making use of alternative approaches.

5.3 In addition many of these alternative approaches will be provided with smaller vehicles, thus reducing vehicle impact on the environment. The demand-responsive nature of some services, particularly where these provide a door-to-door transport service, could also offer some reassurance to those people who may have concerns about personal safety on conventional public transport. Supporting the opportunities for more group transport movements may also potentially lead to lower car usage.

5.4 The role of community transport services is being considered as part of the ongoing series of district by district comprehensive public transport reviews which are underway and the Review of Transport in the Community which has been requested by Members.

6. Funding Programme

6.1 A sum of £300,000 has been allocated from the Local Transport Plan (LTP) to support the provision and development of community transport services in Hampshire in 2006/07. The Executive Member for Environment agreed a report on 12 September 2006 which allocated grants to three organisations to assist in the purchase of four vehicles. This report outlines the programme for utilising the remaining allocation due in part to lower than anticipated vehicle purchase prices being achieved by some schemes, pump-priming money for new schemes following area reviews not being needed and the implementation on several community transport developments being delayed until the next financial year. This leaves a balance of approximately £100,000. This funding will be used in the following way.

Vehicle Grants

6.2 Grants will be provided to individual community transport schemes to assist with the purchase of accessible vehicles. The allocation of grants to community transport schemes is being based on the following guiding principles:

(i) Previous work which has determined what the baseline level of community transport provision should be in each area. This, among other things, proposes the number of vehicles that should be available in each district council area. In some cases this means that grants will be used to introduce new vehicles to meet these levels, whilst in other cases they will be used to replace current vehicles in order to ensure the sustainability of existing community transport schemes.

(ii) Where existing vehicles are replaced the current age/mileage profile and condition of the vehicle fleet currently owned by community transport schemes in Hampshire is used. Data has been gathered from each of the schemes and recommendations for vehicle replacement are based on those minibuses which are approaching the end of their economic life as assessed by a combination of age, mileage, general condition and suitability.

(iii) The opportunities to develop the community transport sector as a whole. For example, there has been a particular emphasis on developing schemes in some of the more underdeveloped rural areas through the later part of this funding programme, eg Test Valley, Hart.

(iv) As many schemes as possible should benefit, particularly those which had received little support through previous replacement programmes.

(v) Generally schemes would receive up to 75% of the costs of replacing existing minibuses. Where new vehicles are being provided to extend vehicle fleets then these will be funded at full cost on the first occasion with subsequent replacements being funded at 75%.

6.3 Using the guiding principles outlined in 4.2 above the following schemes will receive financial support towards the cost of purchasing vehicles under the LTP capital funding programme for 2006/07:

Scheme Number Guiding

of Vehicles Principles

Community First, New Forest 1 (i), (ii)

Winchester Area Community Action 1 (i), (iii),

Bishop's Waltham Minibus Group 1 (i), (ii)

The grant proposed for Winchester Area Community Action will be used to purchase a new small wheelchair accessible vehicle. This will provide additional capacity in the southern parishes of the Winchester district for single and low number passenger journeys.

6.4 A table showing the current numbers of vehicles allocated to schemes throughout the county is attached as an appendix. The above vehicles will be purchased and owned by the nominated schemes following grant awards from the County Council. The exact amount provided to each scheme will be clarified once the individual organisations have undergone a tendering exercise, where this is required.

6.5 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 will need further funding in other years. Priorities will continue to be established from the work previously undertaken.

7. Grant Conditions

7.1 Utilisation of the new vehicles purchased by community transport schemes will be covered under the terms of grant conditions. These will ensure that vehicles comply with all necessary legal and safety requirements and are used in a manner which is compatible with the overall objectives set out in the Community Transport Strategy. The grant conditions could also allow for vehicles to be utilised to provide additional services.

7.2 The grant conditions will also cover those situations where either the organisation is disbanded or if the vehicle is disposed of and not replaced. In these instances the County Council would be entitled to and be paid a percentage of the resale value which is equivalent to the percentage of the original vehicle price which the County Council provided. The conditions will also outline the process for addressing situations where vehicles are not being used in a manner which contributes to the overall objectives set out in the Community Transport Strategy.

8. Impact Assessments

8.1 The vehicles operated by community transport schemes are generally available to all bona fide voluntary and community groups in their area of operation.

9. Conclusion

9.1 This report proposes grants to community transport operators to assist with the purchase of three accessible minibuses. These grants are part of a programme of support which seeks to sustain and develop the community transport sector as a whole so that it is able more effectively to meet some of those journey needs which cannot be fulfilled through the conventional bus network.

1208Rpt/KI

APPENDIX

CURRENT PROVISION OF COMMUNITY TRANSPORT MINIBUSES

Notes: The number of community transport vehicles operating in each district varies and in many cases these represent the ways in which services have developed historically. The process of enabling a more equitable balance of vehicles is dependent on the appropriate infrastructure (capacity within the local community transport scheme) and resources (drivers) being available. The programme of Area Reviews of Public Transport will contribute to this process.

Some of these vehicles are used on contract hire/service provision and currently not available at these times for general community use. The vehicles operated by Gosport Disability Trust can only be used by older and disabled people and are not available for general community use.