Epping Forest District Questionnaire for County Council Local Bus Service Network Review Consultation September 2015

Background (ECC) is carrying out a thorough review of its financial support for local bus services across the County. The role of the County Council under the Transport Acts is to look at where market failure occurs in the local road passenger transport network, decide whether a service is needed, and if in the council’s opinion, it is, then to provide one.

Given increased pressure on Local Government grant funding from Central Government and increased calls on statutory services such as education and adult social care, the County Council needs a way to balance the differing potential transport needs of residents when allocating funding. It also needs to manage the network in the light of changes to the commercial bus network, travel demand and changing corporate priorities over time.

This consultation sets out a proposed revised policy for doing this and the proposed revisions to the existing network that will result. The policy is based on responses to previous consultations which asked about people’s priorities.

We will collate all the responses from the survey and summarise them as part of our report. We will not identify individual people, and your name will not be mentioned in any reports that we write for this purpose. You do not have to take part if you do not want to - this is a voluntary activity.

A supporting document explains in more detail the contract changes, how they will affect our customers and how demand responsive transport works. It also lists timetables where a change has been proposed. This document can be viewed at www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. Reference copies can also be found in libraries or at your local parish, town or district council.

Please complete this survey and return to Freepost RTKH-XUBZ-CJZS, Essex County Council, Bus Review (Passenger Transport E1), County Hall, , CM1 1QH.

You may wish to complete this survey over the telephone, or may require it in an alternative format. If so, please call 08457 430 430 to arrange this.

Please complete the survey by Wednesday 21st October 2015.

The Proposed New Policy The Council’s proposed new policy approach to managing the supported local bus network is set out in the Local Bus Service Priority Policy 2015 to 2020 and the associated Appendices, which can be found on the Essex County Council website at: www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. A hard copy can be viewed at your local library, district council office or parish council office.

In summary existing services have been prioritised according to the priorities expressed by respondents to our three rounds of consultation carried out between 2013 and 2015, and the key corporate outcomes as set out below:

Essex County Council key corporate outcomes:

• Children in Essex get the best start in life. • People in Essex enjoy good health and wellbeing. • People have aspirations and achieve their ambitions through education, training and lifelong-learning. • People in Essex live in safe communities and are protected from harm. • Sustainable economic growth for Essex communities and businesses. • People in Essex experience a high quality and sustainable environment.

The results of the consultations can be viewed at: www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. The Local Bus Service Assessment and Priority Evaluation The proposed new policy sets out the order of priority in which service categories would be provided. This is set out below. Priority 1 indicates the most important service category:

Service Category Priority Allocated

Other Monday to Saturday daytime bus services linking rural areas to key service centres 1 (Shopping, Health, Employment, Education)

Monday to Saturday Peak Services, (Access to Employment, Training or Education) 2

Monday to Saturday services connecting to bus interchanges, railways and airports at peak times 3 (Commuter Services)

Infrequent rural ‘lifeline’ services (less than 5 return journeys per week) linking rural areas to 4 key service centres Non rural services providing access to major health sites (i.e. Hospitals)

Evening Services (after 19:00) 5

Sunday Services 6

Access to tourist/leisure destinations and other services 7

Within each category, services would be prioritised in accordance with its cost per passenger journey figure (annual net cost after all income is deducted, divided by number of passenger journeys carried out over a year, with priority given to the lower costing services). Currently provided services have been assessed according to this system and all new service requests will be considered in the same way. Where funding is insufficient to maintain all services categories, or services within categories services would be withdrawn in line with this priority system.

The proposed impact of this process is set out at www.essex.gov.uk/busreview or in the booklet accompanying the hard copy of this questionnaire, viewable at your local library, district or parish council office. Please look through these proposals and comment through the consultation questionnaire below.

Do you agree with these priority categories?

Yes No

If you have ticked no please explain why ECC currently funds 23 bus services that serve the district. These are shown below together with the proposed changes to each service.

For each one, please tell us whether the proposal meets your needs and whether or not you use the service.

For the following services there are no proposed changes.

Reason –

1. The current contract is not due to expire until 2017. The service will be reviewed in 2016 2. Satisfaction levels are high and no requests were received following the consultation process 3. This service will be tendered for one year and reviewed again in 2016 to allow them to be reviewed in concert with other services whose contract ends in 2016.

Service Current Route Journeys that are supported by Reason number Essex County Council (ECC)

32 Chelmsford to Ongar The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 1

47 Ongar to (via Moreton) The whole timetable 1

146 Hatfield Heath to Ongar The whole timetable 1

147 Toot Hill to Harlow The whole timetable 1

211/212/213 Waltham Cross to Breach Barns The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 1 /Roundhills/Epping

240/250/251 Waltham Cross to Debden/ The whole Sunday and Public Holiday timetable 1

250 Waltham Cross to Debden All Monday to Saturday journeys currently 1 operated by Regal Busways

251 Waltham Cross to Upshire All Monday to Saturday journeys currently 1 operated by Regal Busways

381/382 Toot Hill to Harlow All Monday to Friday journeys, and all Saturdays 1 journeys except 17:45 from Harlow

391 Bumbles Green to Harlow The whole Monday to Friday timetable 1

501 Ongar to Harlow The whole Sunday and Public Holiday timetable 2

505 Harlow to Chingford The whole Saturday and Public Holdiay timetable 2

510 Harlow to Stansted Airport Monday to Saturday journeys: Harlow to Stansted Airport 2 from 19.25 and Stansted Airport to Harlow from 20.20 and also 0013 from Stansted to Harlow. All Sunday journeys from 0430 and 0013 journey from Stansted Airport.

541 to Epping/Harlow Mon-Sat journeys between Epping and Loughton, plus 2 journeys at 20:35, 21:35,22:35 Mon-Sat commencing from Harlow. Mon-Sat journeys between Loughton and Epping, plus Mon-Sat journeys at 19:34, 20:34, 21:34 and 22:34 continuing to Harlow. The whole Sunday timetable

542/543 Debden to Loughton The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 2

804 Debden to West Hatch The whole school day timetable 2 High School,

Continued overleaf... SB03 High Beech to Loughton Shopper Bus The whole timetable 3

SB01 Dobbs Weir to Hoddesdon The whole timetable 2

SB02 Dobbs Weir to the Brookfields Centre The whole timetable 2

Do you have any comments to make about this (or these services)?

The proposed change and reason is listed below for the remaining contract which have Essex County Council support.

Service 21A: Brentwood to Ongar ECC contracted journeys Two evening journeys run to meet Townlink’s commercial 21 service in Ongar. Proposal To withdraw the service from April 2016. Reasons This service significantly exceeds the £5 maximum cost per passenger limit used by ECC as a value for money measure.

The proposal meets my needs The proposal does not meet my needs I have no opinion about the proposal or I do not use this service

If you have said that the proposal does not meet your needs, please explain why Service 46/A: Chelmsford – Ongar ECC contracted journeys The whole Monday to Saturday timetable. Proposal There will be revised timings between Chelmsford and Ongar. The extension to Oaklands Park will be withdrawn. Reasons The proposed changes are being made to make more efficient use of resources employed. Oaklands Park will be served by route 14 to/from . Route 46 timings will be adjusted to provide improved journey options for shoppers in Ongar and Chelmsford. Connections are also provided for passengers wishing to travel onwards to Epping.

The proposal meets my needs The proposal does not meet my needs I have no opinion about the proposal or I do not use this service

If you have said that the proposal does not meet your needs, please explain why

Service 59: Chelmsford - Harlow ECC contracted journeys The whole Sunday timetable. Proposal Additional trips will be incorporated into the timetable. Reasons The proposals allow the operating day to be increased to bring it into line with other Sunday inter-urban services set out in the new strategy and will provide increased accessibility for leisure and employment purposes to both Chelmsford and Harlow

The proposal meets my needs The proposal does not meet my needs I have no opinion about the proposal or I do not use this service

If you have said that the proposal does not meet your needs, please explain why Service SB05/SB06: Ongar, The Lavers, Matching to Epping ECC contracted journeys The whole Monday timetables. Proposal To withdraw the service from April 2016 (but lost journeys picked up on revised 46 service). Reasons This service is failing the £5 maximum cost per passenger limit used by ECC as a value for money measure. However, replacement journeys will be picked up by the new 46 service. See the 46B-F service timetable for more details.

The proposal meets my needs The proposal does not meet my needs I have no opinion about the proposal or I do not use this service

If you have said that the proposal does not meet your needs, please explain why About you In order to ensure the continued development of our Under the Data Protection Act we have a legal duty to protect Diversity and Equality practices, everyone that we work with any information we collect from you. The information will only is asked to complete the information below. You are not be used for the purposes described above and will not be obliged to answer all questions, but the more information kept longer than is necessary to do so, up to a maximum of you supply, the more effective our monitoring will be. two years. We will not share your personal details with any If you choose not to answer questions, it will not affect other agency unless we have concerns that you or another your participation. The information you supply below is individual may be at risk of harm or if it is required by law. We confidential and will be used solely for monitoring purposes. do not collect personal information for commercial purposes.

Your gender: Copy of the report Male Female If you would like to receive a copy of the final report please tick Yes and insert your contact details below. Where in Essex do you live? Yes No Epping Forest Braintree Harlow Please tell us what format you would like the report in: Brentwood Large print (please specify font size) Audio Chelmsford Tendring Easy read Braille Other, please state Please give us your postcode

Do you consider yourself to have a disability, and if so Please provide details on how to contact you by your please tell us what type of disability you have? preferred method (post, telephone or email). These fields are all optional. Hearing impairment Name: Physical impairment Visual impairment Address: Learning disability Mental health need Other long term health condition that affects my transport needs (eg epilepsy) None of the above Telephone:

Please tell us which age bracket you fall into. Email address:

Age 18 - 24 Age 65 - 74 Age 25 - 34 Age 75 - 84 Thank you for your help Age 35 - 44 Age 85 - 94 Age 45 - 54 Age 95+ Further Information Age 55 - 64 If you have any queries about this strategy, please contact [email protected] Your employment status. Please pick the option that applies to the majority of your time. Complaint, Comment or Compliment Working full or part time If you would like to make a Complaint, Comment or Retired Compliment regarding any services provided by Essex County Council, please contact 08457 430 430. Studying full or part time Not working or studying Prefer not to say Other, please specify