TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

Minutes of the meeting of the Transport Committee held at 7.45pm on Thursday, 20 November 2003 at The Institute. Councillor Chambers, Chair, presided over Councillors Blessett, Helyar, Warrick and the clerk. No members of the public were present.

029    APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received Cllr Anderson, ex-officio member.

030    DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST None.

031     MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2003, having previously been circulated, were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chair.

032    REVIEW OF BUDGET FOR 2003/04 AND BUDGET PREPARATION FOR 2004/05

The clerk produced the budget statement to 31 October 2003 and members were content that the budget was progressing satisfactorily. The clerk explained that much of the budget would be utilised by the financial year end with the exception of the funds for the Rural Transport Bid and the Road Safety Campaign and that any under-spend would revert to the general fund. The committee was happy for the budget element for the Road Safety Campaign to be so treated and reassessed when setting the budget for 2004/05. In respect of the Rural Transport Bid, it was proposed by Cllr Chambers, seconded by Cllr Warrick and unanimously resolved to request that the Finance Committee earmarks this element (£3,300) in the accounts.

In considering a budget for the forthcoming financial year, the committee considered that it had had two busy years with a high proportion of the Council’s budget and agreed that it was now important to assess the success of projects such as the traffic calming scheme. It was also felt that a strong road safety campaign could also significantly improve matters in the parish for a relatively modest cost.

It was proposed by Cllr Chambers, seconded by Cllr Helyar and unanimously resolved to submit the following budget to the Finance Committee:
    

Expenditure	Income
Bus shelter maintenance	1,000
Bus shelter provision (Spalding Rd) )	3,000	Bus shelter grant L.C.C.	750
Information boards/route maps at stops on the Shaw’s Spalding service	250
Road Safety campaign	2,000
TOTAL	6,250	TOTAL	750

    

This net budget of £5,500 equates to a Band D’ equivalent charge of £2.40 per annum on current figures.
    
033    BUS SHELTER & BUS STOPS INSTALLATION PROGRAMME

    The clerk reported that the bases, shelters and bus stop posts would be installed during week commencing 8 December 2003. Cllr Chambers reported that rainwater is pooling on the base of the Broadgate Lane (N)) shelter and proposed that this be attended to from the Committee’s budget. This was seconded by Cllr Warrick and unanimously approved. Cllr Chambers, seconded by Cllr Blessett, proposed that Cllr Warrick should produce bus timetables and route maps for the new shelters and bus stops. This was unanimously approved. The clerk was asked to ascertain from Delaine Bus Company if it was still intending to provide the flags and timetable cases.

034    PARISH TRANSPORT GRANT

Cllr Warrick reported that he had studied the grant documents against the Parish Council’s previously agreed plan to improve bus services. He believed that there was an opportunity to deliver improvements to both the Peterborough and Stamford services, the latter also bringing improvements to internal bus services in the Deepings, particularly in respect of access to the Deepings Health Centre.

Half-hourly direct services from 6.55am to 8.25am followed by hourly services until reverting to half-hourly during the evening peak with hourly services then until 11pm were envisaged for the Peterborough service. This would enable commuters to get to and from the railway station as well as give access to the recreational facilities the city has to offer. With respect to the Stamford service, it was hoped that that former 314’ route could be introduced on five services per weekday with three on a Saturday.

Cllr Warrick believed that the Council could make a good case for a grant but that it should be recognised there would be a lot of work involved. A written report is to be produced by Cllr Warrick and he proposed that this is sent initially to the transport expert at the Countryside Agency, Peterborough City Council and Lincolnshire County Council for initial feedback at this early stage. Cllr Chambers seconded this proposal, which was unanimously agreed.

035    ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Members agreed that this should be the main project for the committee in the forthcoming financial year.

036    DATE OF NEXT MEETING Thursday, 18 March 2004 at 7.45pm.

There being no further business, the meeting was closed at 8.50pm.