BUS SHELTERS COMMITTEE

Minutes of a meeting of the Bus Shelters Committee held at 7.00pm on Wednesday, 20 November 2002 at The Institute. Councillor Lewis, Chair, presided over Councillors Chambers, Warrick and the Clerk. Councillor Anderson was in attendance. No members of the public were present.

001 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE None as all members were present.

002 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

It was confirmed that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 May 2002 were presented to the Council meeting held on 30 May 2002 and adopted as a true and correct record at the meeting held on 27 June 2002. The minutes were therefore taken as read.

003 MATTERS ARISING NOT DEALT WITH ELSEWHERE ON THE AGENDA

.1	Horsegate (North) Shelter	Cllr Lewis asked whether the turf had been laid to the rear of this shelter yet. The clerk reported that instructions had been given to the Council’s grounds maintenance contractor and whilst no turf had been laid, it was understood that the area had been seeded.
.2	Broadgate Lane (North) Shelter	Cllr Chambers reported that water pooling on the floor of one side of the shelter is causing significant problems for users. It was agreed to recommend that rectification works to allow rainwater to drain off be undertaken as soon as possible.

004 CORRESPONDENCE none.

005 MARKING OF BUS STOPS WITHOUT FLAGS OR SHELTERS

Members noted that £1,000 had been allocated in this year’s budget for the provision of litter bins and bus stop markers. The clerk reported that South Kesteven District Council had now provided bins for each shelter thus removing the requirement from the Parish Council. The clerk further reported that the three bus operators in the parish had been asked to identify which of their stops were unmarked and would benefit from a post with flag and timetable/information board. Shaw’s Coaches and Stagecoach East had not requested any of their stops to be included; Delaine Buses Ltd had identified several locations in the Crowson Way/Burchnall Close areas. Delaine Buses Ltd further offered to provide the flags and timetable boards if suitable posts could be installed.

Having noted the suggestions, it was agreed that the clerk should obtain a quotation for the installation of posts at the following locations:

·    Campion Way near junction with Buttercup Court
·    Campion Way near the junction with Cowslip Drive
·    Burchnall Close near the junction with Marigolds
·    Crowson Way near the junction with Feneley Close
·    Crowson Way near the junction with Panton Close
·    Horsegate opposite the junction with New Row

It was noted that a number of these locations would require passengers to cross a grass verge. The clerk was instructed to assess the number of stops within the parish where this occurred and contact the Highways Department to see whether a hard surface could be provided.

006 BUS SHELTER PROVISION NEXT PHASE

The clerk confirmed that a similar scheme to that undertaken at the end of February 2002 was feasible in order to take advantage of grant aid opportunities available in this financial year. This would require the shelters being ordered and installed before the end of February 2003 so that Lincolnshire County Council and the Rural Transport Partnership could release their grant cheques before the year-end of 31 March 2003. The Parish Council would negotiate the order with the supplier so that payment would not be made until after 1 April 2003, hence out of the next year’s budget. The clerk counselled a cautious approach to this type of phasing in circumstances where the Parish Council had a significant underspend in its overall budget to carry forward to the next financial year and asked that the Committee bore this in mind when setting its budget for 2003/04.

In completing the installation programme, advice had been sought from Delaine Buses Ltd as to the locations within the parish which, on passenger numbers, warranted the provision of a bus shelter. Their report identified that shelters should be installed at the following locations:

·    Burchnall Close, south of the junction with Foxgloves, on the public open space.
·    Horsegate, east of the junction with New Row, on the highway verge.
·    Crowson Way, opposite the junction with Panton Close, on the public open space.

The Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that the Council resolves to install bus shelters at the three locations identified. It was noted that concrete bases would be required in all three cases and that all sites could take shelters with full side panels. It was agreed that the shelter at the first location should be 4 metres in length and the other two 3 metres in length. The Council’s supplier had agreed to hold prices at the same level as last year, including the multiple order discount, thus the cost of supply and installation would be £8,275. An allowance of £1,250 was added for the bases. The clerk was instructed to obtain the necessary approvals from the landowners (L.C.C. and S.K.D.C.) and consents from the statutory undertakers for all three locations.

Members considered the bus shelter on Church Street outside the Vicarage (3 metres long with half panels) and felt that there was potential to replace it with a 4 metre shelter, as it had proved extremely popular at peak times. The clerk was asked to investigate whether it was feasible to remove the shelter and re-site it at one of the new locations, with full panels instead of half panels, and install a longer shelter in its place. The cost of this would not attract grant aid and would need to be met entirely from the Committee’s budget.

007 BUDGET FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2003/04

Members reviewed Committee expenditure for the year to date against the agreed budget. It was noted that there would potentially be a small underspend as a result of South Kesteven District Council’s decision to provide litter bins at bus shelters. It was noted that any underspend would return to the Council’s overall balances at the end of the year.

In setting the budget, it was agreed that the additional shelters would increase the maintenance costs, such as cleaning. It was also felt that further provision would be needed for litter bins at the new locations and a contingency sum to cover the cost of any unanticipated works, such as repairing vandalism or meeting policy excess charges for insurance claims, should also be earmarked.

The following budget was unanimously agreed and will be submitted to the Precept meeting on 2 January 2003 for adoption. Members agreed to recommend that, should the Council wish to reduce its carry forward balances at the year end, consideration be given to bringing forward completion of the bus shelters installation programme to this financial year:

Expenditure
Maintenance                                                         £ 750 
Provision of litter bins/contingency for damage and/or other works £1,000
Provision of three bus shelters and
 
bases at locations identified above                               £11,275
 
Income 
LCC Grant (25% of cost of shelters)                       £2,380
R.T.P. Grant                                              £1,000  £ 3,380
Net budget                                                        £ 7,895