Business Case for Sible Hedingham to Sudbury bus service

Transcription

1 Business Case for Sible Hedingham to Sudbury bus service Executive Summary In 1753 a horse drawn coach travelled daily between Hedingham and Sudbury. Our community is worse off now than it was then, yet the need for good public transport is greater now than it has ever been. A need has been identified from the recent Public Transport Survey and building on this work and in consultation with service providers and users, the Transport Committee has been developing a public transport strategy. A summary of current provision and identification of the gaps is included in Appendix 1. There is a lack of provision for outlying communities to access the services provided by Sible Hedingham as a designated key service village. People in the village have limited access to work and education outside the local area due to lack of commuter services. Local people have limited access to shops, recreation and facilities in Sudbury and further afield. There are limited weekend services and no evening services. There is no public transport to support commuters wishing to come into the local economy from outside nor for tourists wishing to use the Hedinghams as a base to enjoy local attractions or the surrounding countryside. Young people and the unemployed are unable to access opportunities for work, study or training; local businesses are put at a disadvantage; and the opportunities for recreation and leisure are greatly reduced. The Localism agenda has put us in the unique position of being able to push forward a solution of our own and an opportunity to work with neighbouring Parish Councils to provide services which will meet the needs of all of our communities. As a part of the larger strategy, the Committee are proposing at this stage a single project to provide sustainable public transport links between Sible Hedingham and Sudbury and that project is the subject of this business case. This is the first step to providing a lasting and comprehensive solution to current shortfalls. Introduction Sible Hedingham is a large village with a growing population which is set to increase substantially when the housing development designated for the Premdor/ Rockways regeneration site is built. In spite of being identified as a Key Service Village within BDC s Local Development Framework, Sible Hedingham lacks a coherent public transport service. Residents in outlying hamlets and small villages have difficulty getting into the village centre to use the shops and services; there are few opportunities for people to travel out of Sible Hedingham for employment, education or leisure or to access onward journey connections; there is generally limited provision for the elderly and nondrivers; no provision for inward commuting to meet local business needs; and no infrastructure to support development of tourism in the area. The public transport which is available is disjointed and does not meet the needs of the community. Bus routes are meandering and time-consuming, often failing to offer viable return connections. The effect on the quality of life of those who do not drive is significant, as is the negative impact on the economy of Sible Hedingham.

2 Sible Hedingham Parish Council s Transport Committee is working towards a comprehensive strategy for public transport, building on local research and consultation already carried out. As a part of the larger strategy, the Committee are proposing at this stage an initial project to provide sustainable public transport links between Sible Hedingham and Sudbury and that project is the subject of this business case. Background The results of the Public Transport Survey undertaken in 2010 show that there is a demand for a scheduled bus service to and from Sudbury. The survey consulted a wide demographic within the local community. The conclusions of the survey were that there are insufficient buses to Sudbury, that the journey times to Sudbury on all services are too long, particularly the one and a half hours to go via Halstead, assuming that this connection can be made in time. 83% of those who completed and returned their questionnaires stated that they would regularly use a daily service between Sible Hedingham and Sudbury. The vast majority stated that they would use the service as a means to travel further afield provided they could return home to Sible Hedingham on the same day. Anecdotally, residents in Sible Hedingham identify with Sudbury as a destination and prefer the range of larger shops and services on offer in comparison with those in Braintree. Examples of leisure facilities include the popular Quay Theatre, a selection of crafting programmes on offer in the area, Gainsborough House Art Gallery, Kingfisher Leisure Centre and facilities such as Laser Quest and Ten Pin Bowling, in addition to heritage and cultural opportunities in Long Melford and Lavenham. There are further opportunities in the evenings for entertainment and local clubs and societies. West Suffolk College offer extensive adult education courses. National and Local Context The economic downturn has brought rising unemployment and increasing fuel costs. Rural communities are hit disproportionately harder by these factors than urban environments. The coalition government has made plain its Big Society/Small State agenda which means that local communities are increasingly being expected to solve their own socio-economic problems. Essex County Council has seen a 20% reduction in funding for rural bus services. The Localism Bill is designed to empower and encourage local communities to find effective, economic and environmentally acceptable solutions. Locally, there has been a significant loss of jobs in Sible Hedingham with several major employers closing down, including Tanner s Dairy, Rockways and Premdor. Many workers now have to travel outside the community to find work. If new employers are to be attracted to Sible Hedingham to replace those we have lost, good public transport links will be required to enable them to recruit the staff and skills they need from outside as well as within the village. The redevelopment of the regeneration sites will further increase the necessity for adequate public transport to sustain employment, education and recreation opportunities.

3 Process for Development of this business case Sible Hedingham Parish Council s Transport Committee has consulted widely to produce this business case. We have taken into consideration the views expressed in the transport survey and the petition signed by 294 residents. We have consulted Rachel Price, Accessibility Planning Officer at Essex County Council, Tracey Corcoran, Braintree District Council Community Minibus Scheme, and local operators, DeVere Travel and Beestons. We also contacted Hedingham Omnibus, Regal Busways and Florida Coaches. Two local companies offered advice and an estimate of running costs. The existing scheduled bus services which serve Sible Hedingham have been identified and are illustrated in the attached table see appendix 1. Proposed new bus service Sible Hedingham/Sudbury The preferred route, from consultation with service providers and users, would have a comfortable 30 minute journey time and provide the following service illustrated in Appendix 2: Sible Hedingham, Station Road / Great Yeldham / Stambourne / Toppesfield / Delvin End / High Street Green / Sible Hedingham Church Street / Sible Hedingham, Hawkwood Road / Sible Hedingham, Alexandra Road / Castle Hedingham / Sudbury Bus Station Proposed Timetable: Departs SH Arrives Sudbury Connections SH > Sudbury Service to West Suffolk College Train to Marks Tey with onward connections to Colchester and London, Liverpool St SH > Sudbury Train to Marks Tey with onward connections to Colchester and London, Liverpool St SH > Sudbury Train to Marks Tey with onward connections to Colchester and London, Liverpool St. Departs Sudbury Arrives SH Sudbury > SH Sudbury > SH Additional evening services Sudbury to Sible Hedingham can be provided using a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service. These provide connections to bus and train links in rural areas. Passengers wishing to travel on the service would book a journey by phone up to a week before they wish to travel. The bus will then pick them up at the agreed stop and take them to where they want to go within the defined route. Journeys are charged like a bus fare and passengers are advised of

4 the fare when booking the journey and a ticket issued. Concessionary passes are valid on all journeys. It should also be possible to buy through fares for many journeys. BDC Community Transport would be able to provide vehicles for early morning and late afternoon and evening services, as well as weekends with the use of local volunteer drivers. Benefits A regular daily bus service to Sudbury would increase the opportunities for job seekers and those wishing to further their education and allow those with jobs in and around Sudbury to use public transport rather than individual cars, reducing cost and environmental impact. It would also enable residents to access dental and other health services, as well as further transport links, by bus and rail, to towns and villages in Suffolk. It would offer improved choice and availability to all those in the community who do not drive or have access to a vehicle including those who are temporarily off the road. Local people, including shoppers and employees in outlying villages and hamlets wishing to link into Sible Hedingham as a key service village would benefit from additional bus services. A modern public transport service meeting the needs of the community would also affect prospective future development of housing, business units and employment on both the Sible Hedingham Regeneration Area and the Tanner s Dairy site. The Tanner s site in particular is currently considered by some to be too far out of the village to be sustainable for leisure facilities. A regular bus with a route going past the Tanner s site would resolve this. Local bus companies would benefit from increased profile within the local community. DeVere Travel are currently considering the purchase of a new 86,000 bus but are concerned as to whether the business is available to justify that expense as it would currently stand idle for much of the time. Hedingham School would benefit from additional links to business and education in Suffolk. Feasibility It is recommended that a single local bus company operate the numbered weekday daytime service to Sudbury with additional evening and weekend services being covered by either a system of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) operated by the same bus company or use of BDC Community Transport Scheme and volunteer drivers from within the community. The latter could also include links with Gosfield and Great Yeldham (with links to Haverhill and Colchester) in the evenings to cover the current shortfall in commuter friendly evening services. DeVere Travel are keen to be involved in the local community and have expressed an interest in providing this service. They believe that there is demand in the community for a regular daily service to Sudbury based on the preferred route and suggested timetable. Braintree Community Transport have expressed an interest in being involved in providing part of the service and are keen to work with a local bus company to provide a bespoke service. The Community Transport Minibus Scheme are in a position to provide vehicles for weekends and evenings based on a pool of volunteer drivers from the local community. They have stated that they would be able to subsidise the service to get it off the ground.

5 Risks The use of Community Transport is possibly open to difficulties as the service cannot make a profit on any individual journey nor is it clear whether it would be necessary to offer free travel to bus pass holders making pricing difficult. The service must be widely advertised within the local community and those along the route to ensure reasonably rapid uptake of the new service. Advertising should be linked with promotion of the Hedinghams as a destination including Alderford Mill, Colne Valley Railway etc and Sible Hedingham as a key service village to attract passengers into the village, adding to the local economy. Costs DeVere travel have estimated a cost of per day based on a sixteen seater vehicle depending on the route and timetable with additional DRT evening service from Sudbury at a cost of 25 per day. Beestons estimated a cost of around 300 per day for the daytime weekday service. A basic weekday daytime service would cost from approximately 35,000 Per Annum with additional services, alternative routes and changes to the timetable adding to this overall cost. Ticket fares based on current prices of the existing service to Sudbury would be 2.40 each way. The existing service experiences approximately 80% bus pass users travelling after weekdays and on Saturdays who are entitled to free travel. On some occasions the existing 331 service has insufficient capacity to cope with passenger numbers and the service provider has a car on standby to provide additional capacity. Funding The service would in all likelihood require some subsidy. Funding should be sought as part of section 106 agreements with developers on the grounds that the service would add value to developments and to the community at large. Additional funding would be available through long term grants and from the parish precept. Next Steps It is recommended that this business case is presented at the Annual Parish Meeting to help gauge interest and likely take-up within Sible Hedingham. Alternative routes and timetables could also be offered at this time. Neighbouring Parish Councils should be contacted and invited to comment and express an interest in being involved in the scheme. This would allow us to assess the merits of the bus stopping in neighbouring parishes. Detailed costings would then be possible and funding sought. It is recommended that the service would need to run for a minimum of one year to make an accurate assessment of viability in the long term and to secure grant funding. Report of an Independent Public Transport Survey carried out June August 2010 (Jan Cole & Sally Glen)

6 Appendix 1 Current Scheduled Bus Services Sible Hedingham To/from Commuter Daytime Evening Weekend/BH Braintree/Halstead Service 89, hourly, Great Yeldham Halstead Braintree from until Journey time about 38 minutes. Last bus leaves Braintree at too early for most commuters linking via the rail service. Last bus leaves SH for incoming commuters at towards Braintree and towards Great Yeldham Service 89, hourly, Great Yeldham Halstead - Braintree. Journey time 38 minutes. The last bus leaves Braintree at None 2 hourly on Saturdays from towards Great Yeldham and from towards Braintree. Last bus leaves Braintree at No service Sundays or Bank Holidays Colchester Service 88A daily to Colchester departing SH at Journey time 1 hour 12 minutes. Returns from Colchester at and too early for most commuters. There is a further bus departing SH at but no return bus. No service for incoming commuters. Service 88A, daily to Colchester Journey time 1 hour 12 minutes. Returns from Colchester at and Sudbury None Hail and Ride Service 331 Thursdays (via Great Yeldham) 13.30, returning from Sudbury at Journey time approx. 55 minutes. Service 5 Thursdays only (via Gestingthorpe), and returning at Service departs SH to Colchester at but there is no return bus. None No service at weekends or Bank Holidays Hail & Ride service 331 on Saturdays and returning at No service Sundays or Bank Holidays

7 Appendix 2 Preferred route for Sible Hedingham to Sudbury Buse Service