CAB.WS.20.061 Appendix a Rural
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Appendix A – Rural Taskforce Implementation – Action Plan (September 2020 update) DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY, ACCESS TO HEALTH AND TRANSPORT Better connected rural places, where people are able to stay safe, healthy and well, build relationships and community and access skills, education and jobs. Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities Improving T1. Initiate a a) Review a) Understand from a) ONGOING. SCC Corporate rural review of rural timetabling and SCC what processes Leadership Team (CLT) reviewing transport transport options whether it meets they undertake to actions. and access across West the needs of review rural transport to services Suffolk and then customers efficiency and co-ordinate a plan effectiveness; then to fill in any gaps, review what further including action West Suffolk exploring the may need to take. potential (Contact - Simon alternative b) explore taxi Barnett – SCC) options to address buses these b) Explore with SCC, b) ONGOING. Issue was raised at including lessons WSC/SCC Portfolio Holder liaison learned from school bus meeting in December 19 and it was pilot. agreed to discuss at next meeting on 26 March 2020. 1 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities However, this meeting was cancelled and no further liaison meeting have yet been convened. SCC submitted a bid in June 2020 to a DfT Rural Mobility fund, with a proposal for piloting taxi buses in three Suffolk localities, including Lidgate, Ousden, Hawkedon and Hundon in West Suffolk. SCC are in contact with DfT to try and ascertain any progress on the bid, as no further announcements have yet been made. T2. Review how Include Understand how ONGOING. SCC Corporate Leadership all existing consideration of a transport information is Team (CLT) reviewing actions. transport services single point of currently and alternative contact for communicated; then Earlier in 2020, The Voluntary Network transport methods transport consider what further had requested a meeting with WSC to are publicised and information action West Suffolk promote the Connecting Communities consider (whether may need to take to Service. This meeting has not yet been improvements improving support communication convened however The Voluntary existing or in rural areas. Network provided medication pick up for creating new) West Suffolk during Covid and Home But Not Alone also promoted their use of Connecting Communities Service. West Suffolk Families and Communities team continue to promote the service as and when opportunities arise. 2 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities T3. Work with the Contact Chamber of COMPLETE. Officers contacted Suffolk business Commerce to discuss Chamber of Commerce. They are not community to how best to promote aware of any companies offering this at assess the this idea. present, however, Suffolk Chamber are commercial doing some work to encourage better viability of cross- bus use, especially for rural businesses. funded services to A roundtable meeting was held in provide transport January 2020 with bus operators, to rural areas businesses and Suffolk County Council, at which ideas were explored for doing this, particularly in light of the sustainability agenda. T4. Explore with Discuss with bus COMPLETE. The viability of changing bus companies companies and SCC to the routes of buses coming into Bury the viability of find out what could be from rural areas was discussed at the incorporating possible. Bury St Edmunds bus liaison meeting stops at key (between SCC, West Suffolk Council and locations eg West the bus operators) on 11 February Suffolk Hospital, 2020. The clear response from the bus Western Way for operators was that this proposal would buses to Bury St require additional funding in order to be Edmunds viable and not to result in negative consequences for other bus services. This was because an extension of the current routes would result in services becoming less frequent in rural areas. Concerns were also raised about the impact on road surfaces of more buses 3 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities driving on the roads around West Suffolk Hospital. In response to reading the minutes of the meeting, officers were contacted by The Voluntary Network and asked to promote ‘West Suffolk Hospital Ride’ which supports people needing to travel to West Suffolk Hospital from Haverhill and rural areas between. Further details are attached to this report. Enabling T5. Review Find out what ONGOING. SCC Corporate Leadership more availability of information is currently Team (CLT) reviewing actions walking and information about available; then review cycling rural foot and what further action around cycle paths West Suffolk may need rural (maps, signage to take. settlements, etc), encouraging safe from parish councils to speeding publicise these vehicles T6. Promote use Find out what activities ONGOING. SCC Corporate Leadership of cycle and are currently Team (CLT) reviewing actions footways for both undertaken in this recreation and area; then review what The Cycling Policy Development Panel purposeful further action West completed its three-month task and journeys Suffolk may need to reported to SCC Cabinet in June 2020. take. The Government awarded funding to 4 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities Suffolk for a number of Emergency Active Travel Fund schemes, listed here: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus- covid-19/advice-on-travel/active-travel- improvements-for-cycling-and-walking/ T7. Explain the Contact SALC to discuss ONGOING. process/criteria how best to that are available communicate this This has not been progressed yet due to to parish councils information to parish Covid-19, however Families and to influence speed councils. Communities Officers are able to limits provide advice to Parish and Town councils in relation to setting up Community Speedwatch schemes T8. Continue to Continue role of COMPLETE co-ordinate Families and support for Communities Team in Community signposting community Speedwatch from groups and parishes the police who come to West Suffolk Council asking how to do this (the Council has no role as it has to be done directly between the community and the Police). 5 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities T9. Explore with a) explore ANPR Contact Suffolk Police NOT YET STARTED SCC/Police/Suffolk use to discuss this proposal. Roadsafe the potential for a rural road safety / driver behaviour change campaign to tackle speeding in villages Improving T10. Work with a) aim for 100% ONGOING. SCC Corporate Leadership digital SCC/Suffolk coverage Team (CLT) reviewing actions connectivity Broadband to in rural understand areas existing provision and planned improvements, including not - spots and plans to target them 6 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities T11. Establish Contact WS CCG to find NOT YET STARTED what out current situation in Officers have not contacted due to CCG improvements are surgeries and health focus on Covid-19 response. required to data centres and what speeds for health improvements are service centres in needed. rural areas to promote access to local provision, minimising travel and maximising use of technology T12. Lobby Invite Peter Stevens to ONGOING Government to write to Secretary of influence policy on State for Culture, Media This issue has been included in the further funding to and Sport, copied to wider lobbying and strategic support rural area Chair of Rural Services communications approach that officers rollout of Network and Matt have developed during Covid-19. This superfast Hancock MP, lobbying approach has been developed to ensure broadband / for better Broadband. key messages are fed into different mobile data lobbying opportunities as appropriate, and in a coherent, timely and joined-up way, especially given the pressures Government ministers are facing during the response and recovery phases of Covid. 7 Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities T13. Ensure clear a) Provide Signpost community ONGOING and realistic information / groups to Openreach Families and Communities officers will provision of support to Community Officer and continue to signpost community groups information to communities on website to these resources. community how they can groups on local access land for (short term) self-dig provision solutions to of ducting to broadband data enable improved speeds and access pace / cost of to funding infrastructure provision b) engage open reach fibre project 8 APPROPRIATE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING A wider variety of housing in rural areas that is appropriate and affordable for a range of local people, located in developments that the local community support Themes Actions Associated Planned actions Progress activities Community H1. Increase a) Proactively inform Build engagement with ONGOING. Local Plan engagement the involvement and engage with rural communities and consultation and engagement with future of local communities and parish councils into the strategy being developed, planning and communities parishes on the need West Suffolk Local Plan including a Parish Forum. Officers development and parish for local growth and consultation and building in input from the Member councils in new affordable housing engagement strategy, workshop on engagement and housing including a Parish Forum. findings of the Rural Taskforce development surveys about how best to engage with rural communities. H2. Improve