Braintree District Questionnaire for Essex County Council Local Bus Service Network Review Consultation September 2015

Background Essex County Council (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, CHELMSFORD, 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

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 51 bus services that serve the Braintree 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.

For the following services there are no proposed changes.

Note:

1. The current contract is not due to expire until 2017. The service will be reviewed in 2016. 2. No requests were received for changes to the route or timetable during the consultation. 3. This service will be tendered for one year and reviewed in 2016 to allow it to be looked at together with the other services ending in September 2017.

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

9 Great Bardfield to Braintree The whole Saturday timetable 1

11 Sudbury to Gosfield The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 1

12 Sudbury to Halstead, The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 1 via Great Maplestead

13 Sudbury to Halstead, via Pebmarsh The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 1

16 Wethersfield to Chelmsford The whole Monday to Saturday timetable 2

38 Witham town service Journeys to Ebenezer Close Monday to Saturday 2

39 Witham town service Early morning journeys and later evening 2 journeys Monday to Saturday

70 Colchester to Braintree Two Monday to Saturday evening return journeys 1

71C Chelmsford – Colchester The whole Sunday and public holiday timetable 1

89 Great Yeldham to Braintree The Monday to Friday 06:28 service to Braintree 1

90 Maldon to Witham Support to enhance the Monday to Saturday 3 timetable to a half hourly frequency.

91 Witham – Tollesbury Three trips Monday to Friday and whole Saturday timetable 3

NM60 Silver End to New Rickstones Academy School service 1

341 Fuller Street to Witham Two return journeys on Thursdays 1

342 Black Notley to Witham Two return journeys on Thursdays 1

343 Fuller Street to Braintree The whole Saturday service 1

344 Black Notley to Chelmsford One return journey on Fridays 1

345 Fuller Street to Braintree One return journey on Wednesday 1

352 Halstead to Chelmsford Monday to Saturday journeys from 18:38 3

SB21 Fairstead to Braintree One return journey on Mondays 2

SB28 Stisted to Braintree One return journey on Wednesdays 2

Note, following the tender process the fares may be set by the operator and may increase in line with those for commercial services Do you have any comments to make about this (or these services)?

Proposal - For the following services the proposal is to replace them with a Demand Responsive Transport service on Monday to Saturday, 6am to 8pm (please see notes in supporting document for details).

Reason for change - Previous consultations asked for improved access from villages to key services including healthcare centres and shopping. Demand Responsive Transport increases transport opportunities and offers better value for money to the tax payer.

Service Current Route Journeys that are supported by Does the proposal I have no opinion number Essex County Council (ECC) meet your or the on this proposal or I community’s need? do not use this service

Yes No

1 Ashen - Sudbury One return journey on Thursdays

5 Sible Hedingham One return journey on Thursdays to Sudbury

8 Toppesfield to One return journey on Fridays Haverhill

17 Little Sampford to The whole Tuesday and Saffron Walden Friday timetable

23 Steeple Bumpstead One return journey on Wednesdays to Braintree

89B Great Yeldham One return journey on Fridays to Haverhill

314 Great Dunmow One return journey Wednesdays to Braintree and Saturdays

323 Greenstead Green One return journey on Thursdays to Sudbury

327 Twinstead to Halstead One return journey on Fridays

329 Cross End to Halstead One return journey on Fridays

331 Sible Hedingham One return journeys on a Thursday to Sudbury and two return journeys on a Saturday

SB22 White Colne One return journey on Mondays to Braintree

SB23 Tilbury Juxta Clare One return journey on Tuesdays to Haverhill

SB24 Birdbrook to Haverhill One return journey on Tuesdays

SB25 Alphamstone One return journey on Wednesdays to Sudbury

SB26 Belchamp Otten One return journey on Wednesdays to Sudbury If you have said that any of these proposals do not meet your or your community’s needs, please explain why.

These schools services may be provided differently. Access to school will be maintained but some or all of the route may be provided commercially from April 2016. Due to this change the cost of ticket for students not entitled to free transport is likely to increase in line with commercial services. Students entitled to free transport will still travel free because taxpayers are required to meet this cost.

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

417 Rayne to Newport School day only

418 Great Saling to Newport School day only

419 Wethersfield to Newport School day only

Do you have any comments to make about this? The proposed changes and reasons are listed below for the remaining contracts which have Essex County Council support.

Service 9/10: Great Saling to Great Notley ECC contracted journeys The whole Monday to Friday timetable. Proposal This service will no longer serve Great Saling. Great Saling will be served by a Demand Responsive Service (DRT 2) Monday to Saturday, 6am – 8pm. (Please see notes in supporting document for details). The remaining timetable will have no changes. Reasons Previous consultations asked for improved access from Great Saling to key services including education, employment and shopping. Demand Responsive Transport increases transport opportunities and offers better value to money for the tax payer.