Agenda item

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

11.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport together with written comments from Local Member, Councillor Standley.

11.2     Ms Erin Wigham, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to Stop Stagecoach from changing the 51 service to Eastbourne to hourly from half-hourly spoke to highlight loss of passenger confidence in Stagecoach to provide a reliable and punctual 51 bus service and concerns regarding the lack of response from Stagecoach to address passenger complaints.

DECISIONS

11.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise petitioners that:

(1) Stagecoach cannot sustain a half-hourly bus service between Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells due to the considerable costs involved coupled with passenger numbers;

(2) The level of ongoing annual subsidy from the County Council could not be accommodated within current Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding allocations without compromising other bus services and county-wide fare initiatives; and

(3) The County Council will continue to work with Stagecoach to identify and implement highways measures to reduce service delays, as well as improved real time information for passengers to help achieve improvements in service timekeeping which are key outcomes of the East Sussex BSIP.

REASONS

11.4     The Council has considered the petition calling on the County Council to work with Stagecoach to maintain a half hourly bus service between Eastbourne, Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells, which the bus operator reduced to hourly from 30 March 2025.

11.5     Whilst a higher frequency is more desirable, the current hourly frequency is still running at a loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. Stagecoach cannot financially sustain a half-hourly bus service between Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells due to the considerable increase in costs involved and the relatively low number of passengers.

11.6     The County Council is reliant upon future revenue funding allocations from UK Government so it can continue to support what is a growing number of socially necessary services which bus operators can no longer provide on a commercial basis. Funding must be prioritised to support services that are fully withdrawn, rather than maintaining a higher frequency on a continuing route where there are low levels of passenger use. The level of ongoing annual subsidy from the County Council that would be required to maintain such a frequency could not be accommodated within BSIP funding allocations without compromising the continuation of other bus services and county-wide lower fare initiatives which provide excellent value for East Sussex residents.

11.7     The County Council has worked with Stagecoach to resolve a morning timetabling issue for the 51 service and an issue regarding reduced service capacity between Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells schools. The County Council will continue to work in partnership with Stagecoach to try and ensure the best possible bus service for the communities on the route of service 51 and will continue to work with Stagecoach to identify and implement highways measures to reduce service delays, as well as improved real time information for passengers to help achieve improvements in service timekeeping which are key outcomes of the East Sussex BSIP.