7.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
DECISIONS
7.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
1) Approve the development of an Enhanced Partnership for East Sussex and the giving of a notice of intent to prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and accompanying Enhanced Partnership Scheme, as required and set out in section 138F of the Transport Act 2000.
Reasons
7.3 The establishment of the Enhanced Partnership together with required additional funding from Government is an opportunity to make significant improvements to bus services in East Sussex.From 1 July 2021 COVID-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) and any successor funding to it; funding to transform services as outlined in the Strategy; and Bus Service Operators Grant, will only be available to Local Transport Authorities who have committed to entering into Enhanced Partnerships or started the statutory process of franchising services, and to operators who co-operate with the process. There would therefore be a very significant impact of not complying with the requirements of the Government Bus Back Better Strategy, potentially leading to the collapse of the commercial East Sussex bus market and a call on unsustainable levels of Council funding to replace it.