report Nottinghamshire County Council meeting COUNCIL date 24 September 2009 agenda item number 7j REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS REPORT FOR PERIOD JUNE - AUGUST 2009 Sunday Train Service to Skegness 1. I was very pleased to welcome the launch in July of the new Sunday service to Skegness from Mansfield Woodhouse, via Kirkby and Hucknall. The service has been introduced at the request of the County Council and will be operated by East Midlands Trains. 2. Many Members will be aware that the County Council is already funding the Sunday service on the Robin Hood Line between Nottingham, Mansfield and Worksop, and the through train to Skegness is being run at no additional cost. Since the introduction of the Sunday service on the Robin Hood Line in December of last year, patronage has been growing steadily. Skegness has always been a traditional destination for Nottinghamshire residents and I am sure that this new service will prove to be popular. 3 Counties Alliance Plans for Climate Change 3. The 3 Counties Alliance of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire County Councils along with the design and engineering consultancy Scott Wilson have carried out a study to identify the key risks to our road network related to changing weather conditions. The study looked at: • damage to surfaces from high temperatures and increased rainfall • the effects of longer growing seasons on grass verges • increased rainfall and its impact on the drainage system • damage to bridges from more extremes of weather • more landslips from increased rainfall • less predictable snow and ice in winter 4. Revised policies and highway practices are now being drawn up and the study will be an invaluable tool in making sure that we have road networks fit for purpose now and in the future. 1 New Bus Services for Rushcliffe and Gedling 5. Most of the village bus network in Rushcliffe and Gedling is funded by the County Council and with contracts due to be renewed this year the opportunity was taken to review and improve services. The successful bidders were local bus operators Premiere Travel and Trent Barton and the new services began in August. 6. Ten new or revised routes have been introduced, several with improved frequencies and additional evening services and these will offer residents a much better bus network with links to essential facilities such as shops and healthcare. I am particularly pleased to report that this has been achieved at a reduced cost, saving the County Council some £400,000 over the period of the contracts. Evening Bus Services between Nottingham and Loughborough 7. Following the decision by Arriva to withdraw their Nottingham to Loughborough bus service, the County Council has negotiated with local operator Premiere Travel to save the route and daytime services began in July. The County Council previously funded Thursday-Saturday evening services on this route and have taken this opportunity to re-tender this work. As a result we can now offer a six day a week evening service at no extra cost and with the additional benefit of journeys via East Leake, the Showcase Cinema and the QMC. This is an excellent example of the County Council’s ability to achieve better value and services for residents. 8. Both this service and the services reported above for Rushcliffe and Gedling, clearly demonstrate that the County Council is committed to delivering better bus services and value for money. I am proud to say that these new routes actually surpass this goal by delivering more for less. Calverton Connection Bus Service 9. In August I was invited to the launch of the new look Trentbarton Calverton Connection high quality bus service. The operator has purchased the latest environmentally friendly buses with investment of over £1. They boast a special livery and a team of dedicated drivers. The Calverton Connection service has also been equipped with the latest technology in ticketing equipment and I personally signed up for the innovative Mango smartcard which provides further benefits to customers and speeds up journey times. 10. Calverton Connection was one of the first bus quality routes between Trentbarton and the Council. Our investment in bus infrastructure and bus facilities in Arnold Town centre, along with investment by the operators, has seen patronage increase year on year, even during these difficult financial times. I would like to congratulate Trentbarton on this outstanding commercial success and their continued commitment to provide quality bus services for the people of Nottinghamshire. 2 Free Child Care Seat Checks 11. During a week in August the Road Safety Team undertook a series of roadshows at supermarkets around the county offering free child car seat safety checks and general advice to parents about in-car safety. When we have done these checks in the past some 60-70% of car seats are found to be fitted incorrectly. The County Council is committed to reducing the number of children injured as car passengers on Nottinghamshire’s roads and I very much hope that events such as this go some way to reducing that number. Ashfield to Bolsover Trails 12. I was pleased to attend the ceremony to celebrate the completion of highway works associated with the development of the Ashfield to Bolsover Trails. The improvements included a new entrance to the Teversal Manor Station Heritage Works, a resurfaced Teversal link track, a new section of platform, interpretation boards, finger posts and general ecological work such as tree maintenance and hedge laying. As part of the ceremony a memorial bench was unveiled to the Station Master, Louis Zelickman who died last year and who took a very keen interest in the development of the trails. Sutton Road, Huthwaite 13. I met recently with the family of Hilda Jepson who died in May of this year whilst crossing Sutton Road in Huthwaite and I was presented with a petition of almost 6500 signatures. I listened carefully to their concerns and those of other local residents and discussed possible road safety improvements to Sutton Road. After considering all the issues, I have agreed that a zebra crossing should be installed on Sutton Road Huthwaite near Mill Close as soon as possible. Road Safety Improvements to the A614 14. Following a fatal road traffic accident between Eakring Road and Mickledale Lane in February 2009, a detailed investigation of the A614 between Lockwell Hill and Ollerton Roundabout has been carried out. Improvements to the signing and road markings have been recommended at certain locations along this length which have been approved for implementation in the near future. Last week I met Paddy Tipping, Member of Parliament for Sherwood, along with officers from the Council’s Accident and Investigation Unit to discuss these improvement plans. Highways Development Control 15. Following discussions with officers in Highways I have put in place arrangements to ensure that all members receive a weekly summary of any applications being considered by Highways Development Control which affect their divisions. This will mean that members are better informed and will ensure that members have adequate opportunity to feedback any concerns to the Department. 3 Meetings 16. As part of the general work of my portfolio I have attended a number of meetings over recent weeks: • along with the Leader of the Council I met the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Notts and Derbyshire Chambers of Commerce for a wide ranging discussion on a number of regional issues including transport • I have met with the Nottinghamshire Association of Private Hire Operators to discuss their concerns over future highway restrictions and how the council can engage with their members • I met with bus operators • I met with Railtrack. COUNCILLOR RICHARD JACKSON Cabinet Member for Transport & Highways 4.