Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

The information report provided an update on the activities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) Board. Therefore, there was no decision to be made by the relevant Executive Councillor.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from Councillor A Smith. 

In response to Members’ questions Councillor A Smith said the following:

      i.         Would be happy to talk to Officers to arrange a briefing on the bus franchising consultation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

    ii.         Would investigate if the bus franchising consultation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough could be brought to the next Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee for Members comments.

   iii.         In response to the question if the CPCA had held further meetings with Government; there had several conversations amongst the constituent authorities and meetings which Cambridge City Council were involved with.

  iv.         Cambridge City Councillors who sat on the CPCA, such as Councillor A Smith and Cllr Davey consistently worked hard to make the case for Cambridge City on all projects and scrutiny.

    v.         Councillor Davey, as Leader of the Counci,l sat on the Cambridge 2050 Advisory Board. 

  vi.          UKREiiF (Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure) was an investment and infrastructure forum. The CPCA planned to attend the 2024 annual conference. Cambridge as a major contributor the UK economy would feature next year.

 vii.         The Infrastructure delivery framework was being worked on which would form part of the local growth plan.

viii.         At the National Infrastructure Round Table discussions had been held on water scarcity, Cambridge City Council  had been represented by Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, Stephen Kelly. Could not provide a date on when the information from that meeting would be published.

  ix.         Last year the Council had agreed to move funding for Dial-a-Ride to the CPCA, in addition to direct funding from the CPCA.

    x.         The City Council were aware that Dial-a-Ride required more support and would contribute an additional year’s funding to allow the organisation to put together a long-term viability plan.

  xi.         Papers from the last  CPCA Transport and Infrastructure meeting could be accessed online outlining where improvements had been made to the school transport bus services. This also listed a variety of routes that the CPCA were looking to improve and when.

 xii.         Work was also being done at combining certain school routes which should lead to a decrease in the cost of school taxis.

xiii.         The CPCA were  currently exploring issues around the capital cost of franchising and location of depots; to make it fair there should be several bus companies who run the depots rather than a single bus company. 

xiv.         Currently consulting on the concept of franchising; do we agree franchise.

xv.         A Business Growth and Social Impact Investment Fund of £9.5million spread over a few years had become available to support small and medium enterprises across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region, some of which was aimed at supporting the third sector.

xvi.         The orbital bus route around Cambridge should be starting in November.  

The Chair thanked Cllr A Smith for their update report.