Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Peter Box, Councillor Michael Ellis and Simon Pringle.

There were no pecuniary interests declared by members at the meeting.

There are no exempt items requiring exclusion of the press and public.

Resolved:     There were no exempt items for this meeting.

Resolved:     That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2019 be approved.

The Chair began the meeting by holding a one minutes’ silence in memory of Councillor Kane and Councillor Walton, and a number of members paid respects to their former colleagues.

The Chair also gave thanks to Councillor Peter Box who had stepped down from his role as leader of Wakefield Council and had contributed greatly to both the Investment Committee and Transport Committee at West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

It was noted that yesterday Leeds Council had passed plans for an inland port at Stourton - to link to ports via rail. The Chair agreed to keep everyone updated on any progress.

Market testing has been taking place on mass transit options by the Combined Authority and the business case is starting to be outlined.

Finally, The Chair informed members that the Transforming Cities Fund Bid was due to be submitted on 28 November 2019, and gave thanks to all the leaders and portfolio holders input into this piece of work.

Andrew Bradley

Resolved:

(i)            That the key objectives within the Bus Information Strategy as set out in paragraphs 2.21 to 2.24 of the submitted report be endorsed.

(ii)          That the next steps set out in Section 2.25 of the submitted report be endorsed.

(iii)         That the updated Bus Information Strategy 2019 - 2024 included at Appendix 1of the submitted report be adopted.

The Committee received a completed version of the strategy which now included their feedback from a previous Transport Committee. The public consultation which had taken place was highlighted and out of that the need for paper timetables was rated as important to a number of respondents, so the strategy was revised to reflect this.

Members made comment that the main group consulted was elderly white males and only a small number of young people. Also that only 1012 responses were received out of a population of 2.3 million in the region. It was acknowledged that this was perhaps the case due to consultations being held as drop-ins at bus stations, but young people are being consulted on an on-going basis as part of the Bus Alliance partnership. There is a rolling programme of engagement involving Youth Parliament and visits to schools and colleges. Visits to colleges had been taking place in November.

They also asked if the one page timetable sheet would be flimsy and disregarded as waste by passengers. The Combined Authority confirmed that a lot of unused timetables are currently recycled and the popularity of paper timetables varies route to route. Costs of producing these and the public feedback on the options of what new timetables could look like had resulted in this decision.

Members highlighted the issue of out of date information being displayed at bus stops and technical information sometimes being incorrect. The Combined Authority are looking to improve overall accuracy and the use of all technology and better data.

It was requested that all reports include consideration of the climate emergency and have impact assessments. The Chair confirmed that all reports to the Combined Authority do already include this.

Resolved:

(i)            That the key objectives within the Bus Information Strategy as set out in paragraphs 2.21 to 2.24 of the submitted report be endorsed.

(ii)          That the next steps set out in Section 2.25 of the submitted report be endorsed.

(iii)         That the updated Bus Information Strategy 2019 - 2024 included at Appendix 1of the submitted report be adopted.

Cllr Clyde Loakes & Steve Heckley

Members received a presentation from Councillor Clyde Loakes of the London Borough of Waltham Forest on the projects being delivered through the council’s Mini-Holland programme.

Key points were highlighted:

·         They started with the busiest road in the borough and began to close roads to traffic

·         There was an engagement and a consultation phase of 6 months

·         Public demonstrated against road closures

·         12 roads were closed

·         Enforced between 10am – 10pm

·         20mph speed limit

·         The ‘Hopper Bus’ still allowed access

·         After completion many were supportive of the positive impact

·         Increased walking and micro-scooting

Before and after pictures were shared with members which showed increased pedestrian traffic, previously empty shops occupied by local businesses. There was a use of blended crossings which prioritised pedestrians rather than cars. Also the achievements became a key response to the climate emergency and public health issues.

Members thanked Councillor Loakes for an extremely interesting presentation. They were then given the opportunity to ask questions and comment.

·         In implementing newer routes for cycling and walking has rail use increased?

More people are using cycle parking at rail and bus stations and often have to use a new application to check ‘parking’ availability.

·         Did the improvement of air quality in the area result in a negative impact to other areas?

Implementation did move more traffic back onto the main roads but not a high amount. It did mean that cars remain on A-roads rather than cutting through the borough to London.

·         How were buses treated in the changes to roads?

Councillor Loakes said that bus use was on the decline in his district and they were seeing a 10% decrease every year. This was attributed to more working from home and treating leisure time differently. Bus lanes had actually been taken out. Bus gates were being used to enable ambulances to get through closed streets.

The Chair praised how had consultation worked well in this and the previous item. Members raised concerns as to the lack of consultation in regards to the New Mill Scheme, claiming that residents do not know what is actually being proposed. The Chair confirmed that she would come back to this at a later date.

Finally Councillor Loakes reiterated that engagement and consultation were really important as was meeting residents groups at each stage of the process. To take people on this transformational journey they must be invested in, as this is real change and will upset some people at first.

It was agreed that the presentation would be circulated to members after the meeting.

Resolved:    

(i)        That the Committee thanked Councillor Loakes for his presentation.

(ii)       That the Committee noted the progress with the Streets for People demonstration projects being delivered in West Yorkshire through the integrated Transport Block Programme 2019-22.

(iii)      That the Transport Committee agrees to hold a workshop in January or February 2020 with West Yorkshire District Portfolio Holders and members of the Inclusive Growth and Public Policy Panel, Place Panel and Green Economy Panel to review progress and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

Cllr Blake

The Committee was given an update on the main areas of Transport for the North’s (TfN) work that the Combined Authority is currently engaged with. Councillor Blake reflected on the journey that TfN had been on since its establishment in April 2018. Especially in regards to its working with partners across the north and the overall lack of resilience in the railway system. They believed that there needs to be a pan-northern strategic infrastructure with a local focus which does not overlap the work of the Combined Authority. TfN aspires to be accountable and transparent and to not necessarily model London.

Councillor Blake noted that the Grayling Review had taken place and the Williams Review was now due, post-election. TfN have submitted proposals to Keith Williams and awaits the publication of the review before deciding formally what role we think TfN ought to have and what role local Members may want to have directly with the new structure (if taken forward by a new Government).

A change had taken place in that operators were now talking about the customer and ensuring passengers had a say. She felt that the current franchising arrangement was not delivering for the travelling public and that it was under ‘active consideration’ but that TfN could not disclose any detail at this time due to commercial sensitivity. Although everyone was aware of the high levels of dis-satisfaction, particularly with the ongoing use of Pacer trains.

The Committee was reminded that the Transpennine route upgrade was underway and had experienced setbacks but was moving forward. HS2 had seen significant investment which also needed to be seen in the North- there should not be a choice between Northern Powerhouse rail and HS2. A large level of investment was required in the North’s infrastructure to unlock its economic potential. Also de-carbonisation was now at the centre of all deliberations.

One goal was to reduce congestion of the road network and to open up the Calder and Leeds waterways to use wharfs for freight. Socially the North required an integrated and smart travel arrangement similar to Oyster which TfN recognised.

Transport for the North informed the committee that they have a members group who are producing a Northern Transport Charter which should have a Northern budget attached. Members asked for sight of this Action Plan.

Members also noted that there was a belief that HS2 was not going to be delivered in the North and this had been widely held for some time by many parties. Councillor Blake appreciated that there had been objectors to HS2 but that in the main there was cross-party support. The scheme was originally Birmingham-Manchester- Leeds and strong economic arguments still supported this. The improvements to  connectivity and capacity still presented an incredibly strong case. If HS2 was to be cancelled there were still many large outstanding pieces of work required to update old stations and system works as capacity was at its limit.

The Councillor recognised that there was fragmentation across operators  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

Steve Heckley

The Committee was provided a summary of recently published research by the Urban Transport Group in respect of transport trends and challenges faced by UK city regions.

Members commented that the timing of the General Election would impact the proposed working group - made up of Portfolio Holders- taking place.  It was noted that the Urban Transport Group was due to attend the January Transport Committee.

Resolved:    

(i)        That Transport Committee noted the content of the Urban Transport Group’s reports on Transport trends in the City Regions 2019.

(ii)       That Transport Committee noted the work to produce a West Yorkshire State of Transport Annual Monitoring report 2019.

(iii)      That Transport Committee agreed to hold a workshop with District Transport Portfolio holders to review performance data and provide input to the analysis and presentation of the West Yorkshire State of Transport Annual Monitoring Report 2019.

(iv)      That Transport Committee delegated to the Chair of Transport Committee the decision to sign-off for publication the West Yorkshire State of Transport Annual Monitoring Report 2019.

Dave Pearson

Members were presented with a report to advise them of the decision taken by the Combined Authority to explore options arising from the sale of First West Yorkshire including, but not limited to, potentially participating in the sale. The Committee was also advised of the Combined Authority’s decision to approve spending of up to £200,000 on legal and consultancy support to assist with the development of options for future bus services in West Yorkshire.

The Committee was updated on the progress with the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance and advised on the recent Government announcements regarding funding for bus services.

The Chair acknowledged that it was a time of unprecedented change and possibly the end of deregulation. There could be no speculation at this time as work was underway but it should be noted that the Combined Authority wanted the best service for its people. Members asked if the £200,000 had already been received and this was confirmed. They also asked if the work was of value given that current legislation clearly stated that Local Authorities and Combined Authorities were not allowed to buy or run companies.

Members were informed that Ernest and Young had already produced two out of three reports and they were aware of the current law but still could explore options to then present to Leaders. Members acknowledged that the Secretary of State had recently spoke of enabling Authorities more so perhaps a change may be ahead.

The Chair informed the Committee that there would be funding implications but that the Government needed to invest in tackling climate change and there would be opportunities for other bodies to contribute to transport. Both buses and rail required large investment. These would be large pieces of work for Portfolio Holders and members.

It was raised by members that assets and liabilities (such as pension schemes) would need to be discussed. Also any investment schemes must involve bus priority measures.

Members asked if there would be a similar discussion taking place regarding Arriva. The Combined Authority advised that as Arriva is not a public limited company there was no visibility as to what was going on with the proposed sale.

The Committee asked to see the details around the spending of the £200,000 as they had concerns regards the costs of running buses and felt that they should be fully informed. The Chair explained that all relevant information had to be gathered before being made public and that a move to own services could not take place without public consultation.

Finally members applauded the Combined Authority for exploring these options as buses are a public accountable service and thanked the Combined Authority for co-operating with York as they are also dependent on the current contract for their park and ride operations.

Resolved:    

(i)        That the Transport Committee was updated on the development of options for future bus services in West Yorkshire including those which might emerge from the sale of First West Yorkshire Limited.

(ii)       That the Transport commit noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

The Committee was provided with an update on current Leeds City Region transport issues.

Members commented that they felt it was not operators who were the main issue but National Rail. The Chair highlighted that the new Rail Forum had been formed to address these issues and that both Operators and National Rail attended.

Resolved:     The Committee noted the updates provided in the report.

Mary Innes

The Committee received a report on the transport related West Yorkshire and York Investment Committee (the Investment Committee) recommendations from its meetings on 3 September 2019 and 1 October 2019.

Members again raised their concerns regarding there being no consultation plans for the Cooper Bridge scheme and that there appeared to be no plan for buses in the scheme.

The Chair noted that Investment Committee do look at if there is a need relating to public transport when reviewing a scheme and that she wanted to work more closely with Investment Committee so there is input from Transport Committee.

Resolved:     That the Committee noted the report.

Roseanna Brett-Davis

The Committee was provided with a report updating them on carbon reduction and air quality improvement activities being progressed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partner councils.

The paper gave a summary of the work currently being undertaken but it was pointed out that there is also much work being undertaken in the Districts which will be reported on at a future Transport Committee.

Members acknowledged that there has been a lot of positive work come out of the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group and it was positive that the scale of the challenge is being realised. It was queried if this working group could be expanded to include private industry and the public. They were informed both members and private sector representative currently sat on the group but it may be useful to include representatives from aviation, central government and new technology sectors.

Resolved:

(i)        That the Committee noted the updates on current carbon reduction and air quality improvement activities across the region.

(ii)       That further detailed reports on the West Yorkshire Zero Emission Bus Roadmap, West Yorkshire Transport Emission Reduction Pathways commission and West Yorkshire Low Emission Strategy Review and Delivery Plan are presented to a future meeting of the Transport Committee.