Agenda item

Post 16 Policy for Home to School Transport

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

KEY DECISION

 

That the Executive approved the revised Post 16 Policy for Home to School Transport for publication.

 

Reasons for Recommendation: To ensure that statutory obligations are fulfilled by the publishing of a Post 16 Policy for Home to School Transport in line with legislation. The policy currently before the Executive takes into account the changes previously approved for pupils of statutory school age and the legislation and guidance specifically relating to education transport for Post 16 students.

 

Alternative Options Considered:

 

Do nothing: Failure to adopt a revised policy would result in the current policy being de facto adopted, leading to a two-tier charging system for discretionary seats as well as confusion over entitlement to and availability of services at the transition between Statutory School age and Post 16 services.  In addition, failure to adopt the revised charging system would result in the Council being required to continue to subsidise Post 16 transport at its current rate, rather than recouping a higher proportion of the actual cost from service users, which will lead to budgetary pressures.

 

Refer the draft policy back for further revision:  If the Executive prefer not to approve the policy as drafted, they may make recommendations as to any alterations they may require.  Members are requested to be mindful of the statutory requirement to publish the final version of the policy before the end of May 2024 and the timelines for re-presentation of the policy at Executive for approval.  Failure to approve the final version within this timeframe will result in the current policy being de facto adopted for the coming academic year with the same outcomes as Do Nothing. If this option is adopted it is therefore recommended that Members give delegated powers to the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets and the Executive Director of Place and Economy to authorise and approve the final draft, without the need to return to Executive.

 

 

Minutes:

The Chair invited Cllr Lyn Buckingham to address the Executive. Cllr Buckingham raised concerns querying withdrawn bus routes and the impact this had on children being able to get to school by bus. 

 

The Chair thanked Cllr Buckingham for her comments before inviting the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, Cllr Matt Binley to introduce a report that sought approval to publish the revised Post 16 Home to School Transport Policy for the school year 2024/25. It was noted that the policy had to be published by 31st May 2024, but if approved would be published as soon as possible to assist parents of children affected.

 

In response to Cllr Buckingham’s comments Cllr Binley noted that no bus routes had been lost following the Covid pandemic, although service frequency had declined in some instances. Cllr Binley stated that work was ongoing as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan to develop improved commercial services in key areas allowing students to utilise these where appropriate mitigating the overall cost of, and demand for, transport provision for Post 16 students as well as benefitting all passengers by allowing greater choice of travel times.

 

It was reported that all Post 16 home to school transport was discretionary, with the policy having last been reviewed over a decade previously by the former county council. The associated Statutory School age Home to School Transport policy had been approved by Executive in 2023 with the proposed changes to the Post 16 policy bringing it into line with those changes previously approved.

 

The meeting heard that extensive public consultation had been undertaken as part of that Statutory School age Home to School Transport policy review process, with responses included as an appendix to the report.

 

It was noted that the cost to parents to purchase a seat on the Council’s contracted bus service had been £600 per school year, equating to a charge of £3.15 per school day for transport. The Council also currently offered a guarantee this it would commission sufficient additional seats to accommodate all those who applied for the service before a set date each year.

 

Cllr Binley stated that this service was running at a significant loss to the Council, the current cost for providing this discretionary service being £172,000, with approximately only £86,000 being recovered through the £600 charge.

 

The meeting noted that the policy had been re-written and re-formatted due to comments that the previous iteration had been hard to understand. The Parents’ Forum had agreed that the proposed policy was more accessible.

 

In addition, it was proposed that the guaranteed discretionary seat for early applicants be removed with the proposed fare increased to £760 per school year for new and existing students, still significantly lower than the actual cost of providing the service which amounted to £1200 per student. It was heard that there were mitigations in place for those on low incomes or who had multiple children in Post 16 education. Fares would be reviewed annually as part of the Council’s fees and charges structure.

 

Concluding, Cllr Binley stated that the Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee had reviewed the policy proposals, recommending that the new format be adopted, that the guaranteed seat option be removed, that applicants pay the full amount and those currently in the system pay a reduced rate of £760.

 

Cllr Scott Edwards spoke to welcome the recommendations that would bring the policy into line with the Statutory School age Home to School Transport policy, without resorting to full cost recovery.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

KEY DECISION

 

That the Executive approved the revised Post 16 Policy for Home to School Transport for publication.

 

Reasons for Recommendation: To ensure that statutory obligations are fulfilled by the publishing of a Post 16 Policy for Home to School Transport in line with legislation. The policy currently before the Executive takes into account the changes previously approved for pupils of statutory school age and the legislation and guidance specifically relating to education transport for Post 16 students.

 

Alternative Options Considered:

 

Do nothing: Failure to adopt a revised policy would result in the current policy being de facto adopted, leading to a two-tier charging system for discretionary seats as well as confusion over entitlement to and availability of services at the transition between Statutory School age and Post 16 services.  In addition, failure to adopt the revised charging system would result in the Council being required to continue to subsidise Post 16 transport at its current rate, rather than recouping a higher proportion of the actual cost from service users, which will lead to budgetary pressures.

 

Refer the draft policy back for further revision:  If the Executive prefer not to approve the policy as drafted, they may make recommendations as to any alterations they may require.  Members are requested to be mindful of the statutory requirement to publish the final version of the policy before the end of May 2024 and the timelines for re-presentation of the policy at Executive for approval.  Failure to approve the final version within this timeframe will result in the current policy being de facto adopted for the coming academic year with the same outcomes as Do Nothing. If this option is adopted it is therefore recommended that Members give delegated powers to the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets and the Executive Director of Place and Economy to authorise and approve the final draft, without the need to return to Executive.

 

 

Supporting documents: