Agenda and minutes

Councillors and Officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and Officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

To consider a report of the Strategic Head of Service & Monitoring Officer (Legal & Democratic Governance)

The report sets out the Scrutiny Review Procedure Rules and suggests that the Panel should adopt them for the purpose of conducting the review.

The Panel are requested to formally adopt the Scrutiny Review Panel Procedure Rules for the purpose of conducting the review.

Officer Contact: David Clee on 0161 474 3137 or email: david.clee@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Strategic Head of Service and Monitoring Officer (Legal and Democratic Governance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Scrutiny Review Procedure Rules and suggesting that the Panel should adopt them for the purpose of conducting the review.

RESOLVED – That the Scrutiny Review Procedure Rules be adopted for the purpose of conducting the review.

A representative of the Corporate Director (Place) and Deputy Chief Executive will report at the meeting.

A representative of the Corporate Director (Place) and Deputy Chief Executive made a presentation which covered the following issues with regard to changes to public transport during the Covid-19 pandemic :-

·         The pre-Covid picture: General Travel Patterns and Trip Generators

·         Impact of the first lockdown on travel patterns and changes in travel during the recovery after that lockdown

·         The impact of social distancing, changes to capacity of public transport and access to public transport

·         Changes to the bus network

·         Changes to the rail network

·         Latest news and updates

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         In response to a Member’s question, Officers advised that Northern Rail had taken the decision to minimise the contact between members of staff and the public at off peak travel times and so on a number of occasions the ticket barriers had been left open at Manchester Piccadilly station. Different rail companies had adopted different policies in this regard.

·         Reference was made to a consultation document which had been launched on the day of this meeting on proposed options to improve train performance in the Manchester area and beyond by altering the north of England’s rail timetable. Three options were being considered aimed at improving train performance in the Manchester area and north of England by:-

-       Simplifying and spacing service patterns more evenly

-       Reducing the number of services running on the most congested parts of the network

-       Separating train movements as far as possible to minimise the amount of delay one train may cause on another.

Members expressed concern about the proposed reduction in services between Stockport and Crewe.

·         An issue which the Panel could discuss further was how the rail industry had been getting people back to work and when the current restrictions were lifted how the industry would regain the confidence of travellers. The work being carried out to promote people’s wellbeing on journeys, now and in the future, should also be considered.

·         The work of Community Rail Groups was raised and this would be considered at a future meeting of the Panel.

·         The issue of bus reform would be brought back to the Panel as soon as the outcome of the consultation was known.

·         A lot of work had been carried out on school transport during the pandemic and there had been an increased use of taxi provision.

RESOLVED – (1) That the presentation be noted.

(2) That Members of the Panel be sent a copy of the presentation used for this item.

In the light of the information considered at the meeting, the Panel is requested to agree the focus for the review and determine the areas which they wish to explore and scrutinise further.

The Panel debated the rationale and scope for the review and it was:-

RESOLVED – (1) That the next meeting of the Panel be devoted to changes to the rail service in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(2) That changes to the bus service be considered by the Panel once the outcome of the consultation on bus reform was known.