The Policy & Engagement Officer introduced the report and said that KCC used to manage and run Quality Bus Partnerships for each district to raise and discuss local issues. Those meetings ceased when the government started developing its National Bus Strategy.

The National Bus Strategy was launched in March 2021 and was the blueprint to help improve issues such as infrastructure, bus travel, and air quality.

KCC received funding from the government for various initiatives which were detailed in the report. As part of the funding, each area was required to set up an Enhanced Bus Partnership which was a statutory board. Other high-level groups had been set up but with no district level representation.

To bridge that gap KCC had suggested that Enhanced Bus Partnership, Local Focus Groups were set up in each district. KCC would send along representatives to these meetings but could not resource them.

It was agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee to set up a Swale Local Focus Group which would meet twice a year. It would be managed by the Director of Regeneration & Neighbourhoods who would chair and coordinate the meetings. SBC would be a conduit to bring partners together rather than leading or delivering any work directly.

Given the interest locally in bus infrastructure, it was proposed that issues to be raised were requested from each Area Committee prior to the Local Focus Group with feedback to the Area Committee after the Local Focus Group had met.

It was anticipated that the Swale Local Focus Group would hold their first meeting at the end of January/beginning of February 2024 and each Area Committee were invited to nominate one representative to sit on the Swale Local Focus Group.

Councillor Alastair Gould nominated himself as the Eastern Area Committee representative on the Enhanced Bus Partnership Swale Local Focus Group. This was seconded by Councillor Hannah Perkin and on being put to the vote was agreed.

Members commented as follows:

·         Areas such as Lower Road and Ospringe Road, Faversham were effectively cut off as there were only two buses timetabled per day with the last but at 2 pm;

·         Boughton, Faversham was often bypassed by the buses which left school children unable to get to school;

·         if residents could not rely on bus services, they would stop using them;

·         requested a breakdown of how much of the funding allocated to KCC by the Government would be spent in the Eastern Area;

·         due to the changes to family hubs in Kent, families had to travel further to get to them. If they used the bus service from Bysingwood, Faversham, there was only room for 2 pushchairs;

·         a Member asked if there were any allocated funds for rural services which had been lost? and

·         there were no bus services from Oare, North Preston, Faversham Lakes, Lakeside Avenue into Faversham.

The Policy & Engagement Officer agreed to request responses to the questions on funding and feedback after the meeting.

Resolved:

1)    That Councillor Alastair Gould represented the Eastern Area Committee on the Enhanced Bus Partnership Swale Local Focus Group.