Agenda item

The Lead Scrutiny Directors of the Commission to outline the service areas that form part of the commission.

The Director of Planning Development & Transportation, the City Transport Director and the head of Economic Regeneration gave an outline of the service areas that form part of the commission using the slides attached with the agenda.

Points in addition to those on the slides included:

• An active travel event had been held with schools and communities.
• An item on air quality was likely to come to the Commission.
• It was not yet known how the new government would fund transport and infrastructure.
• Highways worked with schools on school streets and parking issues.
• Business Support aimed to help support smaller businesses in the city.
• The LLEP had transferred into the City Council.

The Commission were invited to ask questions and make comments. Key points included:

• Money had not been received from the previous government for buses through main capital Bus Service Improvement Programme.  However, the Council had successfully bid for other funds, including funds to electrify buses.
• Bus improvements had also been invested in through the Transforming Cities programme, especially in terms of infrastructure.
• A bus improvement plan funding had been received and the Council would continue to support and invest in bus transport.
• Substantial improvement shad been delivered.  However, there was more to do, more money was needed, and the team were looking for funds to take forward plans into to the future.
• Future bids for money for investment in bus transport would likely be different to past bids in so much that the government maybe considering multi-year applications done through a formula.
• Converting buses to electric power had led to savings in fuel costs.  However, only half the fleet had been converted.  It was hoped that all would be converted by 2030.
• The costs of the operators running the services had increased, this had initially been due to fuel costs but was now due to the need for operators to pay drivers more as many drives had left the service to drive Heavy Goods Vehicles.  Therefore, driver retention needed to be considered. 
• The bus network continued to be supported by the Council with government funding.  If more money was received from the government, then more bus services could be added.  As things stood, it was aimed to increase frequency and patronage, however, this was dependant on central government.
• In response to a query regarding Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points on terraced streets, this had formed part of the discussion in the recent task group on EV charging.  Authorities who had trialled such charging points had been engaged with and both positives and negatives had been taken from these trials.  It was recognised that provision of EV charging areas would need to be factored into future considerations.
• In response to a query on the site of the Marks and Spencer store scheduled to close, from the Council perspective it was necessary to consider the plan for the whole of the city centre (not just retail).  Looking at the site of the former Debenhams, this had received permission to be used either for residential development, so owners were considering as to whether the site could be used this way.  The M&S store was due to shut in August and the Council intended to discuss with M&S where they were with the property and would look into the potential for the site.
• In response to a question regarding the marketplace.  The City Mayor had paused development, during which time the market continued to operate out of green dragon square.  A number of options were being considered regarding where the market could operate from.  There had been a lot of interest, and stakeholders and the City Mayor had met with market traders.  No decision had been made as yet, however, there was an intention to conduct a consultation with stakeholders and with the Scrutiny Commission.  A consultation process had been mapped out and it would need to be considered as to how scrutiny could have oversight within the timescale.  It was suggested that a special meeting may need to be convened if the next scheduled meeting fell outside the timescale of the decisions.
• In terms of options for the marketplace, several alternatives had been put forward by different people, and these were being considered seriously by the Council.
• Air quality had improved consistently over a number of years.  Electric busses had only been one aspect of this.  Other aspects had included encouraging the use of public transport, and walking and cycling.  Additionally, technology on vehicles was improving and older, more polluting vehicles were being scrapped.  The city had been under the EU emissions target for some time.  There was potential to engage more fully with the issue of air quality in the future.
• The John Ellis building had been part of a joint scheme with the University of Leicester.  The university had raised funds to build the Space Park and the Council had raised the funds to generate the site as it had been contaminated in terms of the foundations.  The Council had put the land in at no cost and had invested in remediation works.  The college had then brought money in to bring about the Space Park.
• Regarding the Riverside development, the water quality in the river was now much better and the service were not aware of any negative issues.
• Historically, Section 106 Money had been used to improve the riverside environment and Neighbourhood Services had run volunteer sessions to help keep the river clean and tidy.
• Responsibility for the river was a combination of the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water.  The Council met with these organisations every quarter to raise issues, especially following flooding events that had revealed weaknesses in sewage and drainage systems.  The Director of Planning- Development & Transportation was happy to pick up any issues raised.
• In relation to concerns raised about disabled access and the railway station development, it was reported that there had been extensive engagement with accessibility groups on disabled access.  Local groups such as All In and LTAP had been worked with and this was still ongoing.  There was also ongoing engagement on the issue though rail industry auditors.  There were some matters outstanding, including the locations of toilets, and East Midlands Railway were being engaged on this.  The planning application was in, and the consultation was happening and responses to issues raised were being prepared. 
• Regarding the new government, it was still uncertain what they were looking to do.  There had been discussion around the focus on devolution and how it would continue, however, the detail around this was not yet known.  Many topics needed to be engaged with as it became clearer with the new government.
• Many different funding streams had been secured without being part of a multi-council arrangement.  Joint plans with district councils had been looked at.  A report was requested on the implications of the new government once they were clearer.

AGREED:

          That the update be noted.