Agenda item

To receive a report identifying what is currently provided in terms of public and community transport across Northumberland, what is needed by the people of Northumberland and where the gaps are.  The report will be presented by Kaat Marynissen, Public Health Trainee.

Members received a presentation on what was currently being provided in terms of public and community transport across Northumberland, what was needed by the people of Northumberland and where gaps are.  The report was presented by Kaat Marynissen, Public Health Trainee.

Councillor Jones introduced the report and referred to the lack transport which was acknowledged as an inequality in the Health & Wellbeing Strategy and transport was one of the building blocks of a good life.   The report was about the availability of public and community transport and to identify gaps.

A number of key points were raised in the presentation including:

•       Looking at population needs and the current provision.

•       Public transport theoretically was available to all with fixed routes and fares.

•       Community transport was community led with volunteer driver schemes, patient transport and home to school transport.

•       The work grew from the Health Inequalities Plan

•       Health defined in 3 keys areas – access to health care services; economic health and social health.

•       The Place Standard Tool was often used to develop the Inequalities Plan.

•       Different scores in different areas guided the report.  Rurality and sparse areas gave rise to different challenges.

•       Four key themes – geography; socio-economic, protected characteristics and accessibility.

•       Since the pandemic there had been a drop in the usage in public transport and numbers were still lower than pre-pandemic

•       The darker areas of the maps identified the higher areas of deprivation.  The dense cluster in the rural areas showed higher deprivation where transport was sparser and evening services less in rural areas.

•       More services could be run commercially in the southeast of the county.

•       The impact of getting to and from work and travel time.

•       The diminishing capacity of providers, eg costs and increases.

•       What do we need?

o      Reliability and how to sustain the service.

o      Reach, the network has shrunk over the past few years.

o      Flexibility – travel time and timetabling.

o      Affordability – appreciation of the £2 cap and concessionary passes.

o      Accessibility- ensuring passengers with extra needs are supported eg, visual and access to information.

o      Safety – personal and safeguarding.

•       The overarching recommendations of the assessment were:

o      To prioritise transport as a key factor in sustaining good health with healthcare partners; work with businesses and employability schemes to incorporate into the JHWB strategy.

o      To ensure sustainability of public transport network for regular data analysis of networks; highlight rural transport needs in regional work; lobby for continuation of the £2 cap fare and invest in digital platform for public transport.

o      To ensure sustainability of community transport network with longer term funding and collaboration between VCSFE and LA.

o      To support those at highest risk of transport related exclusion by a place-based approach to community transport, increase awareness of concessionary passes and accessibility.

The following comments were made:

•       The presentation would be forwarded to S. Rennison.

•       As the assessment mainly concentrated on the current transport provided, there had been an in-depth look into air quality.  The transport need had mainly focused in the rural areas.

•       A follow up report would be brought back in 12 month's time.

•       Discussion took place on the issue missing bus timetables; investment into an interactive infrastructure and the maintenance of bus stops and whether the Council or Parish and Town Councils were responsible. 

•       A summary should be sent to the leaders and portfolio holders of the Combined Authority and the whole report to Henry Kippin.

RESOLVED that the Health & Wellbeing Board receive and endorse the recommendations detailed in Chapter 7 of the full report and to embed those into the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.