Page 1 – Supported Local Bus Services
Agenda I tem: Cabinet 9
Date of Meeting 6 November 2013
Cabinet Member(s) Hilary Cox – Cabinet Member for Environment Local Member(s) All Members Lead Director Miles Butler – Director for Environment
Subject of Report Supported Local Bus Services
Executive Summary A proposal was previously submitted to Cabinet to reduce the future levels of public bus subsidy by £850,000. At the meeting on 17 July 2013, Cabinet deferred a final decision on subsidy levels in order to seek the views of parish and town councils on the impact of the preferred Option 3.
Subsequent to the Cabinet meeting further consultation has been undertaken through the Dorset For You online consultation portal.
Officers have reviewed the proposals made in Option 3 to offer some alternative solutions where possible to address the concerns raised through the consultation.
To ensure that revised proposals can be made taking into account any additional passenger figures and costings from bus operators, it is proposed that the final decision on Option 3 be taken at the December Cabinet meeting.
Proposals for a partial implementation of the plan are included in the recommendations. Page 2 – Supported Local Bus Services
Impact Assessment Equalities Impact Assessment:
An Equalities Impact Assessment has been undertaken. This concluded that withdrawal of bus services will have a detrimental effect on the elderly, disabled and women who are known to be the main bus users.
Use of Evidence:
The consultation has provided considerable evidence to support the previous consultation undertaken in January 2013. Buses are used for a variety of reasons including essential journeys for work, school and shopping, as well as social activities essential to reduce social isolation in rural Dorset. Loss of Saturday services and one day a week services were seen as detrimental to the groups identified through the Equality Impact Assessment.
Officers are currently seeking ways to maintain key Saturday services with a possible curtailment of weekday timetables in order to maintain the same reduction in subsidies. In addition, where Option 3 removes all services from a community currently served by a bus service, the costs will be identified so that Members can consider at their December Cabinet meeting whether it is appropriate to fully remove the service.
Consultation responses are available for inspection in the Dorset Passenger Transport office and will also be emailed to Members ahead of the Cabinet meeting.
Further summary analysis of the consultation responses concerning routes outside of Dorchester will be included with the December Cabinet report.
Budget:
Since the initial costs were provided most public bus route subsidies have been increased by 3.28% in line with the RPIX calculated from January 2012 to January 2013. The full implication of this related to the target savings will be identified within the December report.
Risk Assessment:
Having considered the risks associated with this decision using the County Council’s approved risk management methodology, the level of risk has been identified as: Current Risk: low
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Other Implications:
Officers have been asked to consider whether community transport can offer an alternative solution where conventional bus services have been withdrawn or reduced.
Either option proposed for the Dorchester town services and Poundbury offers a high level of travel opportunities and there are other commercial bus services operating in the area which passengers can use to replace either the Saturday services or reduced weekday timetable. Community transport was not considered to be an appropriate option in this case.
Recommendation 1. That Cabinet considers the consultation responses received and that a further report will be presented to Cabinet in December seeking a final funding decision. 2. That Cabinet agrees to provide revised Monday to Saturday Dorchester Town services 1,2 and 6 from January 2014 at a reduced subsidy level of £62,000 per annum.. 3. That Cabinet provides additional funding from Contingency, currently estimated at £642,000, to cover the cost of maintaining the current level of public transport to 31 March 2014, including changes in recommendation 2.
Reason for 1. The response from the consultation will inform the decisions Recommendation to be made at December Cabinet. 2. The bus operator has confirmed agreement to the reduced subsidy for Dorchester town services and Poundbury and has asked for the plan to be implemented from January 2014. 3. All variations to the five year subsidised local bus service contracts let in 2011 require the agreement of both the Council and the bus operator. 4. The majority of the savings expected to be made from a reduction in public bus subsidies will not now be realised until the next financial year 2014/15.
Appendices Appendix 1 – Summary of the numbers of consultation responses from the public for each service. The top 10 routes attracting comment are highlighted in yellow.
Appendix 2 – Summary of all other responses received.
Appendix 3 – Summary of the 10 petitions received
Background Papers Dorset County Council – Supported Local Bus Service Report – 17 July 2013 Dorset County Council – Supported Local Bus Services Report – 26 June 2013
Officer Contact Name: Jan Stevenson Tel: 01305 225709 Email: [email protected] Page 4 – Supported Local Bus Services
1. Background
1.1 Cabinet decided on 17 July 2013 to seek the views of Town and Parish councils concerning the impact of the changes which would be implemented in their areas if the decision is made to ratify Option 3 of three options presented to Cabinet on 26 June 2013.
1.2 It was subsequently decided to also carry out a full public online consultation which closed on 24 September 2013. Responses were also accepted by letter and email. The consultation was publicised on the Dorset For You website and through a press release to ensure that as many people as possible had the opportunity to respond by any means, regardless of whether they had access to a computer or not.
1.3 Approximately 1183 responses were received. Details are shown in the attached appendix 1 and are linked to the relevant bus service.
1.4 Negotiations are ongoing with the bus companies in order to achieve a revised ‘Option 3’ which addresses some of the main concerns raised through the consultation process. This will be presented to Cabinet at the December meeting. This revised Option 3 will strive to provide Saturday services on key corridors and to maintain at least a weekly conventional bus link to a town where a subsidised local bus service is currently provided and is known to be used by the communities concerned.
2. Savings Target
2.1 The savings target identified for the supported local bus services budget in Option 3 was £850,000.
2.2 The commercialisation of the X53 service by First reduced the subsidy requirement by £107,000 resulting in a residual savings target of £743,000.
2.3 It should be noted that existing five year contracts awarded in 2011 can only be varied or terminated by agreement with the operator concerned.
2.4 In order to reach agreement for the changes proposed in Option 3 and any subsequent variations based on consultation feedback, the bus companies are currently reviewing their subsidised services and will submit alternative priced options in time for a revised Option 3 matrix to be presented to Cabinet in December 2013.
2.5 Wilts and Dorset are considering whether any of the routes currently subsidised by the Council may be operated without financial support in whole or part. This will ensure that services will be retained while reducing the financial burden for the Council.
2.6 In line with consultation responses, the provision of a minimum weekly bus link to a town where communities are currently known to use subsidised local bus services and the retention of Saturday services on key corridors will be main features of this anticipated alternative priced option. Any further identified possible add-on journeys will be listed at separate prices.
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3. Dorchester Town Bus Services
3.1 The service 6, Poundbury to Dorchester electric bus service previously operated by Dorset County Council was awarded to Wilts and Dorset Bus operator from September 2013. The Dorchester town services 1 & 2 were also awarded to Wilts and Dorset from September 2013. Both contracts were awarded on a net (minimum) subsidy basis where the operator will retain the fares thus reducing the Council subsidy. Under the proposals contained in Option 3 the Saturday service would be withdrawn on these routes and this has attracted considerable comment from the consultation.
3.2 There were 19 consultation responses received concerning the Dorchester Town routes 1 and 2 of which 9 (47%) stressed the value to the individual of Saturday services and four (21%) of their appreciation of the services in general. Six other responses (32%) concerned the fare level which was deemed too high, expressed regret at the loss of the early morning commuter service and concern for those disabled or without personal transport.
3.3 There were 57 consultation responses received concerning the Dorchester – Poundbury (6) electric bus service. The main comment from 33 responses (58%) expressed concern at the possible withdrawal of Saturday services while 14 responses (25%) highlighted the value of the service as a whole and expressing doubt concerning the ability of residual services to cope with passenger demand. There were six (11%) respondents who were most concerned at the temporary removal of the electric bus fleet pending Wilts and Dorset operation while a small number of comments (6%) related to other issues such as a desire for a greater range of direct destinations from Poundbury, aspirations for a lower fare level and Sunday services and also expressing regret at the loss of very early morning services.
3.4 Wilts and Dorset have proposed an alternative timetable whereby a Saturday service could be maintained on the 1 and 2 routes between approximately 9am and 5pm and on the number 6 route between approximately 8am and 5pm but the Monday to Friday service would also be curtailed at approximately 5pm – an hour earlier than the current service pattern.
3.5 The level of subsidy for the current Monday to Saturday Dorchester Town bus services on routes 1, 2 and 6 is £71,300 per annum. A lower price of £60,200 has been offered by Wilts and Dorset to reduce the services to a five day per week operation. The subsidy required by Wilts and Dorset to operate the reduced six day per week service on all three routes as described in 3.4 is £62,000 per annum.
3.6 The saving offered for the five day per week service is £11,100 per annum while the reduced six day per week service would deliver a saving of £9,300 per annum.
3.7 Cabinet has three options in respect of Dorchester Town services 1,2 and 6:
a) Continue to fund the current Monday to Saturday services for £71,300 per annum. b) Discontinue funding for the Saturday services which would lower the subsidy requirement to £60,200 per annum. c) Fund revised Monday to Saturday services as outlined in 3.4 for a subsidy of £62,000 per annum.
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4. Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils (DAPTC)
4.1 A letter has been received from Dorset Association of Parish & Town Councils (DAPTC) confirming that financial support can be considered under s106A(1) of the Transport Act 1985 for a bus service appearing to the council to be wholly or mainly for the benefit of members of the public who are elderly or disabled or a community bus service operated under section 19 or 22 of the same Act.
4.2 DAPTC has requested that Dorset County Council contacts parish councils where services are at risk to discover whether or not the parishes concerned would wish to make a financial contribution towards appropriate transport arrangements. As precepts are set in November, it is not envisaged that any parish or town council part-funded transport could be in place until April 2015.
4.3 Dorset Passenger Transport will contact borough, district, parish and town councils where conventional local bus services are withdrawn to establish whether or not financial assistance may be available towards appropriate passenger transport services.
5. Community Transport
5.1 Officers have been asked to consider whether community transport can offer an alternative solution where conventional local bus services could be withdrawn or reduced.
5.2 Community Bus Transport does not necessarily offer a cheaper transport solution compared to conventional public transport in all cases. Many of the weekly conventional subsidised local bus services are currently provided off peak between school journeys and this may still represent the most cost effective way of serving the communities concerned in future. It is recommended that alternative transport options are fully explored but conventional bus transport is only replaced by alternative options where it makes financial sense to do so.
5.3 Current community transport dial-a-ride schemes provided by Dorset County Council cost between £8.44 and £23.53 per passenger per round trip. The operating cost of dial-a-ride schemes operating in the 2012/13 financial year in Dorset ranged from £2895 - £5140 per vehicle per annum.
5.4 Dorset Passenger Transport is currently working with Adult Services PoPP (Partnership for Older Peoples Programme) to look at ways of extending the voluntary car schemes (Neighbour Car Schemes) in the County. Neighbour Car schemes are financially self-sufficient and if the local community is willing to set up such a scheme, this could provide a realistic transport option where there are no conventional local bus services or such facilities are reduced or withdrawn.
6. Net Subsidy Conversion
The overall aim of the Public Transport Policy is to create a sustainable transport network which encourages commercial bus operations and reduces Council subsidies. This is seen as the most effective way to ensure that communities retain bus services.
The majority of the current subsidised local bus service contracts were awarded in 2011 on a gross cost basis with the operator returning fares collected to the County Council. It is proposed to convert the remaining gross cost contracts to minimum Page 7 – Supported Local Bus Services
(net) subsidy with effect from 1 January 2014 to simplify administration and encourage operators to attract passengers to bus services through advertising and promotions. This incentive will help nurture future commercial registrations with potential reductions in subsidy requirement.
Miles Butler Director for Environment November 2013
Appendix 1
Option 3 • Rural services costing over £5 per passenger withdrawn • Urban services costing over £3 per passenger withdrawn • Services carrying an average of less than 7 passengers per journey withdrawn • School services not carrying entitled children withdrawn • Summer only tourist services withdrawn • No subsidised services evenings, Saturdays (unless they average 20 passengers per journey or more), Sundays, Bank Holidays and school holidays unless additional external funding • No specific subsidised journeys early mornings/evening peaks • Service 103 not replaced • Dorchester to Poole route – significant changes - no service between Bere Regis & Poole • Revised North Dorset network • Revised Dorchester – Yeovil services • Revised Christchurch services • Southill service extended to run during school holidays • Cross boundary route support significantly curtailed
Services to be totally withdrawn/significantly modified:-
Services to be withdrawn/substantially modified 1, 2 Dorchester town services. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Averages around 10 passengers per journey – comparable with weekday figures
6 Dorchester – Poundbury SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Averages 8.7 passengers per journey. Hourly Service 31 parallels
13 Wimborne – Bournemouth (evenings) WITHDRAWN
14 Marshwood – Chard WITHDRAWN. Averages 5 passengers per journey
21 Bournemouth – Burton. Service to be merged with route 33. WITHDRAWN EVENINGS AND SUNDAYS. Saturday service very busy – 45 passengers per journey so must be maintained
34/35 Todber etc – Shaftesbury WITHDRAWN due to low demand and high costs. Averages 7 passengers per journey and costs over £9.50 per passenger
38 Ferndown – Ringwood WITHDRAWN ON SATURDAYS. Averages 6.7 passengers per journey
40 Swanage – Poole (early am, daily evening services). NO EVENING OR SUNDAY SERVICES
42 Bridport – Drimpton NO SATURDAY SERVICE
44 Swanage - Worth Matravers WITHDRAWN ON SATURDAYS. Average 4 passengers per journey
47/47A Bridport – Yeovil WITHDRAWN (peak period, college holidays, Sundays) Averages 5 passengers per journey and costs over £7 per passenger. Much of the traffic is within Somerset
59/158 Shaftesbury – Gillingham NO SATURDAY SERVICE
71 Lyme Regis Town Service. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Use on Saturdays is comparable to weekdays – ave.12 passengers per journey
72 Lyme Regis Park & Ride WITHDRAWN FROM 2014. Not a local bus service and therefore should not be subsidised by the public transport budget
73 Cattistock – Bridport. Becomes fixed route – no telephone bookings but some locations abandoned. WITHDRAWN ON SATURDAYS
74/74A/212, 216, 307 Dorchester – Yeovil SATURDAY SERVICES WITHDRAWN
76 Bridport – Catherston Leweston WITHDRAWN due to low demand. Averages 4.5 passengers per journey and costs £5.78 per passenger.
83 Shaftesbury - Blandford – Wimborne. SECTION BETWEEN BLANDFORD AND WIMBORNE WITHDRAWN. LIMITED REPLACEMENT – Service 25. Low demand between Blandford and Wimborne. NO SATURDAY SERVICES
88 Wimborne Town Service WITHDRAWN ON SATURDAYS. Averages 6.3 passengers per journey
89 Wimborne – Castlepoint WITHDRAWN. Other services available by changing at Poole
101 Dorchester – Crossways SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN
103 Dorchester – Bovington/Wareham. WITHDRAWN – Existing service poorly used (average 5 passengers per journey). Cost per passenger £6.42. Could cause overloading on service 104
104 Wareham/Bovington – Wool – Dorchester SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Ave 6.6 passengers per journey
111 Highcliffe - Castlepoint. REVISED to improve reliability and cover areas no longer served by service 33 (– ex 21) Saturday service well used – ave. 21 passengers per journey so must be retained
158 Shaftesbury – Gillingham – Wincanton SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN
183/4/5 Salisbury – Blandford – Dorchester – Weymouth. WITHDRAWN –provisionally replaced by 20/21/34/35 between Salisbury and Dorchester, but unaffordable & needs to reviewed. No SATURDAY, SUNDAY/BANK HOLIDAY services.
204 Thorncombe – Yeovil WITHDRAWN. Costs £6.61 per passenger journey.
210/44 Bridport – Bothenhampton/Litton Cheney. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Saturday is generally the busiest day on these services
211/207 Weymouth – Upwey/Downclose. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN
275 Swanage – Wareham WITHDRAWN. Averages 3.2 passengers per journey
300 Cranborne – Wimborne SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Averages 1.2 passengers per journey
302 Wimborne – Salisbury WITHDRAWN. Costs £7.55 per passenger journey
309/10 Blandford – Sturminster Newton – Gillingham – Shaftesbury REVISED. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN
311 Blandford – Milton Abbas – Dorchester REVISED. SATURDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Averages 4.7 passengers per journey
316 Bere Regis – Blandford WITHDRAWN. Costs £5.98 per passenger journey and averages 3.6 passengers per journey
320 Tarrant Keynston – Wimborne WITHDRAWN. Averages 3.9 passengers per journey
322 Milton Abbas – Poole WITHDRAWN. Costs £6.07 per passenger journey
324 Cranborne – Christchurch WITHDRAWN. Costs £6 per passenger journey
325 Sixpenny Handley – Blandford WITHDRAWN. Costs over £7 per passenger journey. 7.7 passengers per journey
328 Wimborne – Kingston Lacy WITHDRAWN. Averages 1 passenger per journey
368 Yeovil – Sturminster Newton – Blandford. Replaced by new service X10. No Saturday service
387 Dorchester - Bere Regis – Poole WITHDRAWN. Bere Regis to Dorchester section covered by 184/185 replacements (limited through traffic and frequent rail service between Dorchester and Poole). NO SATURDAY SERVICE. Commercial (off peak) service between Lytchett Matravers and Poole runs Mondays to Fridays only
719 Creekmoor – Lychett Minster School WITHDRAWN. Carries Poole parental preference students and Dorset under-distance students only
720 Poole – Lychett Minster School WITHDRAWN. Carries Poole parental preference students and Dorset under-distance students only
844 Tricketts Cross– Ferndown schools WITHDRAWN Carries non entitled students only – less than 3 miles from the schools
X8 Blandford – Poole (Friday & Saturday evenings, Sundays) SERVICE WITHDRAWN. Could undermine aspirations for improved commercial daytime service
NEW X9 Blandford – Shaftesbury – Gillingham (replaces service 83 north of Blandford). NO SATURDAY SERVICE
NEW X10 Blandford – Yeovil (replaces 368 & part of 309). NO SATURDAY SERVICE
X43 Weymouth – Swanage WITHDRAWN FROM 2014
X53 Lyme Regis – Bridport – Weymouth WINTER SUNDAY SERVICE WITHDRAWN – other parallel services for key communities
Sydling taxi WITHDRAWN – Averages 5.5 passengers per journey. Possible diversion of other services
Other services 215 Southill service extended school holidays only.
Cross boundary routes significantly curtailed – reduced support for evening, Saturday and Sunday services
Option 3 Revised supported network.
This grid outlines the option 3 proposals, lists the number of individual letters received relating to each route and comments relevant to the assumption that option 3 is adopted. Following the public consultation, officers are exploring opportunities to retain Saturday services on key routes at minimal or no additional cost by reducing weekday services – this is still under negotiation with the bus companies. A proposal in this respect for Dorchester Town services 1, 2 and 6 is included in the main body of this report. Officers are also exploring ways to maintain a weekly link for some of the villages that will lose their services completely if option 3 is adopted. Excluding petitions, the 10 highlighted services attracted the most written responses.
Service Route Changes Number of letters from Comments individuals 1,2 Dorchester Town Saturday service withdrawn. Circa 10 passengers 19 Will leave Mon-Friday service. See separate proposal in main report. Services per journey 3 Poole – Wimborne Remain in place No change 4 4
5 Swanage – Durlston Externally funded. Subject to funding continuing 4 No other service for Durlston and Bon Accord area of Swanage (summer only) 6 Dorchester – Hospital - Set up funding from West Dorset, Duchy of 57 Will leave Mon-Friday service. See sparate proposal in main report. Poundbury Cornwall and Department for Transport. No Saturday service 13 Wimborne – To be withdrawn 24 Will leave service from early am to approx 1800 Mon-Sat Bournemouth (evenings)
14 Marshwood – Chard To be withdrawn 47 688 and/or 204 available NEW 20 Dorchester - Blandford - Replaces most of service 183/4. 3 full return trips. 12 See 183. Salisbury No Saturday or Sunday service 21 Bournemouth – Burton. to be merged with route 33. WITHDRAWN 71 No village or part of the current route will be without a bus service. See service 111 EVENINGS AND SUNDAYS. Saturday service very busy – 45 passengers per journey so must be maintained
NEW 21 Blandford – Blandford Replaces service185. No Saturday service See 83 Camp NEW 33 (ex 21) Burton - Bournemouth No evening and Sundays service – Saturday Still under consultation service well used so retained 34/35 Buckhorn Weston – To be withdrawn No other service for East Orchard, Stour Row, Pillwell, Hartgrove, Bedchester, Woodville, Shaftesbury and East Twyford, Guys Marsh, Buckhorn Weston Stour - Shaftesbury NEW 36 Blandford – Bere Regis - Revised service – part replaces 387. No Saturday 2 See 387 Dorchester service 38 Ferndown – Ring’wood No Saturday service 20 Will leave Mon - Fri service 38 Gillingham – B’mouth Remains in place 2 No change
40 (45) Bridport – Hospital Part of Bridport – Beaminster service. Difficult to 7 No change isolate Saturday journeys 40 Gill’ham –Dorchester Remains in place No change
40 Swanage - Poole No evening or Sunday services 9 Will leave service from early am to approx 1800 Mon-Sun
42 Bridport - Drimpton No Saturday service 30 Will leave Wednesday service
42 Gillingham - Yeovil Remains in place 1 No change
44/143 Swanage – Worth No Saturday service 4 Will leave Mon – Fri service Matravers 47/47A Bridport – Yeovil To be withdrawn for peak period, college 18 Will leave Mon – Sat service (reduced in college holidays – no peak journeys between holidays, Sundays Bridport and Yeovil) 59/158 Shaftesbury - Gillingham Minor modifications. No Saturday service 4 Will leave Mon – Fri service 61 Wyke Regis - Dchester Remains in place No change 71 Lyme Regis town service Saturday service withdrawn. Service well used on 4 Will leave Mon – Fri service Saturdays 72 Lyme Regis Park & Ride To be withdrawn 2 Unless externally funded, no service
73 Maiden Newton - Bridport Converted to fixed route – no pre-booking. Some 19 No other service for Frome St Quinton, Askerswell. places not served. Saturday service withdrawn 74/74A/212, Dorchester - Yeovil 74/74A & 212 revised due to low demand & high 36 Will leave Mon – Fri service with all villages receiving at least a weekly link to a town. 216, 307 cost. No Saturday services NOT ACCEPTABLE – to be re-negotiated 76 Bridport – Catherston To be withdrawn 32 No other service for Ryall, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine, Catherston Leweston Leweston 83 Shaftesbury - Blandford – To be partially withdrawn 49 See new service X9. Wimborne 88 Wimborne town service Saturday service withdrawn 6 Will leave Mon – Fri service 89 Wimborne – Castlepoint To be withdrawn 10 Other commercial services available
97/303 Cranborne – Ringwood Remains in place No change 101 Dorchester - Crossways Saturday service withdrawn 22 Will leave Mon – Fri service 103 Dorchester – To be withdrawn 64 No other service for Warmwell, Woodsford, Lewell. See 104 Bovington/Wareham 104 Dorchester – Wool – Saturday service withdrawn. No ex 103 journeys 19 Will leave revised Mon – Fri service. No other service for East Chaldon, Warmwell. See Wareham/Bovington incorporated. 103 Danger of overloading 111 Castlepoint - Highcliffe Revised timetable – replaces part of former 36 No area of Christchurch currently served will be without a service service 21. Saturday service well used so retained 158 Shaftesbury – Gillingham No Saturday service See 59/158 - Wincanton 183/4/5 Salisbury – Blandford – To be withdrawn and partially replaced by another 48 See new services 20,21 and 36. No villages left without a service Dorchester – Weymouth service 204 Thorncombe - Yeovil Fridays only – no service Weds & Sats 46 Will leave Friday service 210/44 Bridport – Litton Cheney - Saturday service withdrawn – busiest day of the 44 Will leave Mon – Fri service Bothenhampton week for 210 211/207 Weymouth – Saturday service withdrawn 7 Will leave Mon – Fri service Upwey/Downclose 213 Broadwindsor - Remains in place No change Dorchester NEW 215 Weymouth - Southill Enhancement to existing commercial service – 4 Will provide all year Mon – Fri service. (In place until June 2014) weekday school holidays service 253 Beaminster - Weymouth Remains in place 1 No change 275 Swanage – Wareham To be withdrawn No other service for Church Knowle, Bradle, Kimmeridge, Blackmanston, Creech, Creech Bottom, East Creech, Furzebrook, Ridge 300/319/327/328 Wimborne area Service 300 revised – no Saturday service. 3 No other service for Kingston Lacey House or Horton Heath. Service 328 withdrawn 301 Wimborne – Verwood - Remains in place – revised 5 Route not confirmed but all settlements will have this service or an alternative Salisbury 302/302A Wimborne/Colehill - Service to operate Tuesdays only due to high 8 See 301 Salisbury costs of Saturday operation 309/310 Blandford – Gillingham - Revised service. No Saturday services 20 See new services X9 and X10. No villages left without a service. Will provide bus service Shaftesbury between Sturminster Newton and Gillingham covering all villages currently served and will link in to new service X9 at Gillingham for Shaftesbury. Service X10 will replace journeys between Marnhull and Blandford. 311 Blandford - Dorchester Revised service. No Saturday services 12 School journeys remain. All villages will retain at least a weekly service 314 Pamphill – Salisbury Remains in place No change (part) 315 Blandford - Ringwood Remains in place No change 316 Bere Regis – Blandford To be withdrawn 32 No other service for Coldharbour, Winterbourne Houghton and if 322 is withdrawn, Lower Street 317 Stalbridge - Blandford Possible withdrawal. High costs 1 No other service for Lower Belchawell, Ibberton, Woolland, Droop, Wonston, 320 Tarrant Keyneston – To be withdrawn No other service for Shapwick, Cowgrove, Pamphill, Hillbutts Wimborne 322 Milton Abbas - Poole To be withdrawn 12 No other service for Lower Street if 316 withdrawn,
323 Buckland Newton – Remains in place No change Sturminster Newton 324 Cranborne – Christchurch To be withdrawn 4 No other service for Avon Castle, Matchams 325 Sixpenny Handley – To be withdrawn 7 No other service for Dean, Minchington, Chettle Blandford 368 Yeovil – Sturminster Replaced by service X10 12 No shopping journey for Alweston and Bishops Caundle Newton – Blandford 387 Dorchester - Bere Regis Withdrawal and partial replacement. See 96 Replacement with revised 36 and revised 183. No other service for Bloxworth, Morden, – Poole comments above. Anderson, Winterbornes – Muston and Zelston 400 Cann Common - Remains in place No change Salisbury 688 Thorncombe - Axminster Remains in place No change 718 Lytchett Minster School - Remains in place No change Wareham 719 Creekmoor – Lytchett To be withdrawn Carries non-entitled students within walking distance Minster School 720 Poole – Lytchett Minster To be withdrawn Carries non-entitled students within walking distance School 739 West Moors - Ferndown Likely to be combined with a home to school Carries a combination of entitled and non-entitled students contract 740 Salway Ash - Beaminster Remains in place No change 769 Corfe Mullen – St Peters Remains in place 1 No change (at present time) School 844 Tricketts Cross - To be withdrawn 42 Carries non-entitled students within walking distance Ferndown schools X8 Blandford – Poole DCC subsidises Friday & Saturday evenings, 32 Will leave Mon – Sat daytime service Sundays and these are to be withdrawn. Weekday services operated on a commercial basis NEW X9 Blandford – Gillingham Replaces 83 north of Blandford. Includes one All villages north of Blandford will retain a Mon – Fri service. South of Blandford, no villages return journey from Blandford to Wimborne – will be without at least a weekly link to Wimborne service 25. School contract revised to take Lockyers children. No Saturday service NEW X10 Blandford – Yeovil No Saturday service. Replaces 368 3 See 368 and 309.. X43 Weymouth – Swanage To be withdrawn 18 Summer seasonal service
X53 Lyme Regis – Bridport – Winter Sunday service already withdrawn. 16 Will leave Mon – Sat service Weymouth
Cross boundary contributions to other authorities X1 / X2 Bournemouth – All could be potentially significantly reduced – no Lymington evenings, Sundays & Saturdays 4 ???? Poole – Wimborne 8 Poole – Upton 50 Swanage – Bournemouth 175/6 Ringwood – Bournemouth
Full year total cost £1,944,418
Part year total cost (November 2013 to March 2014 inclusive) £810,174
APPENDIX 2
CONSULTATION RESPONSES
From individuals 1183
Petitions 10
Organisations 15
District/borough/town/parish councils 43
Councillors 9
Other Councils 2
The following uses of bus services and issues were highlighted from the comments:
• Social isolation – particularly older retired or disabled people, many of whom live alone or in rural areas. The wish to retain independence and the ability to get out and about. Comments express the benefits to health and well being benefits if independence can be maintained, leading to fewer demands on the health and social care systems. • Access to shops for essential shopping – (in some cases preferences for services to specific towns expressed). • Access to medical services – hospitals (for appointments and visiting), dentists, opticians, chiropodists etc. • Access to banks/post offices • Travel to school • Access to work – not only for Mon – Fri, 9-5 but also part time, shift and voluntary work on different days at various times. • Government guidelines to use cars less and public transport more. • Access to leisure and social facilities – see comments on isolation above. Evening entertainment to avoid use of car • The willingness of many holders of Concessionary Pass holders to pay either a flat rate or half fare for their journeys if it would help to maintain services.
Appendix 3: Petitions Received
1. 21 bus service Burton to Bournemouth Number of signatories: 310 Petition summary: Petition from Burton residents, to show that people feel strongly about the bus service being cut. They advise the bus route is far too important to so many people to have cuts made to a service that only runs once an hour. They ask that the Council do all you can to stop us becoming an isolated rural village. Letter attached to petition.
2. 38 bus service Ferndown to Ringwood Number of signatories: 24 Petition summary: Petition from Turbary Court a large assisted housing development in Heatherlands, Ferndown who signed to say they did not agree with the proposal to withdraw the 38 bus service on Saturday.
3. 42 bus service Bridport to Drimpton Number of signatories: 33 Petition summary: Petition from residents in Broadwindsor and South Bowood who ask that the 42 bus service be retained from Bridport to Broadwindsor on Wednesday and Saturday. They advise that residents rely on this service for doctor’s appointments, hospital and shopping.
4. 83 and X8 bus services, Shaftesbury to Blandford and Wimborne (83) and Blandford to Poole (X8) Number of signatories: 92 Petition summary: Petition from residents living in and around the areas of Sturminster Marshall, Bryanston and Wimborne who are against the proposed cuts to the 83 and X8 bus routes. They wish to keep the present bus service times for Sturminster Marshall residents to get to Wimborne for health visits, shopping and other amenities.
5. 83 bus service Shaftesbury to Blandford and Wimborne Number of signatories: 275 Petition summary: Petition from residents living in and around Wimborne, Sturminster Marshall, Colehill, Corfe Mullen, Blandford and Merley. The petition is related to the proposed removal of the 83 bus service from Blandford to Wimborne via Sturminster Marshall. They advise this will be detrimental to the elderly who will become isolated and for people trying to get to and from work. They say retail outlets in Wimborne will also be affected.
6. 103 bus service Dorchester to Wool, Bovington and Wareham Number of signatories: 101 Petition summary: Petition from Bovington and surrounding area who are concerned about the proposed withdrawal of the 103 service. They advise the proposal would cut off rural communities from vital facilities. They appreciate that efficiency could be improved, but the current proposals will disadvantage and isolate residents in a rural area. Some comments from individuals are included in the petition.
7. 204 bus service Thorncombe to Crewkerne and Yeovil Number of signatories: 382 Petition summary: Petition from the villages of Chedington, South Perrott, and other villages along the bus route. They think the 204 bus should continue. Many comments from individuals are included in the petition.
8. 204 and 14 bus services, Thorncombe to Crewkerne and Yeovil (204) and Marshwood to Thorncombe to Chard (14) Number of signatories: 29 Petition summary: Petition from residents in Thorncombe who object to the withdrawal of the 204 service to Crewkerne and the 14 service to Chard. They advise the 14 and 204 bus services provide access to essential services such as health care and shopping in Chard and Crewkerne. They advise the removal of the bus services will result in social isolation for the elderly and Thorncombe will become more rurally isolated.
9. 210 and 44 bus services serving Bridport to Litton Cheney and Bridport to Bothenhampton Number of signatories: 58 Petition summary: The petition requests that the plans to cut the 210 and 44 Saturday services are reconsidered. They advise the services allow users to access the Saturday market in Bridport and helps reduce social isolation for older people many of whom live alone. They advise the cut would disproportionately affect women.
10. 387 bus service Dorchester to Bere Regis, Lytchett Matravers, Upton and Poole Number of signatories: 62 Petition summary: Petition from the villages of Morden and Bloxworth who are concerned about the proposed withdrawal of the 103 service. They advise the proposal would cut off rural communities from vital facilities. They appreciate that efficiency could be improved, but the current proposals will disadvantage and isolate residents in a rural area. Some comments from individuals are included in the petition.