Agenda and minutes

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

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider whether it is in the public interest to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of Agenda item 5 – ‘Providing an Overview of Transport Finance, Bus Franchising and Reform’ which contains information ‘not for publication’ by virtue of Category 3 ‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority)’ as set out in the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

RESOLVED – That in order to prevent the disclosure of information which was not for publication, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda item 5 – ‘Providing an Overview of Transport Finance, Bus Franchising and Reform’ which contained information ‘not for publication’ by virtue of Category 3 ‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority)’ as set out in the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

A representative of the Assistant Director – Legal & Democratic Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Scrutiny Review Panel Procedure Rules and suggesting that the Panel should adopt them for the purpose of conducting the review.

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

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report outlines the proposed scope for reviewing the topic of The Financial Impact of Bus Franchising.

The Panel is invited to agree the scope of the review and outline any areas which they wish to scrutinise further.

Officer Contact: Michael Cullen on 0161 474 4631 or email michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the proposed scope for reviewing the topic of the Financial Impact of Bus Franchising.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Members commented that the scoping report included financial information related to other forms of public transport. It was responded that aspects of the whole of public transport funding had been included in the report because, while the focus of the report was on bus franchising, it was one element of the overall transport revenue funding and would allow the panel to develop its key lines of enquiry.

·         In terms of the schedule of meetings, it was noted that a representative from Transport for Greater Manchester had been invited to attend the second meeting and Members wanted to use the opportunity to consider lines of enquiry. Members agreed that a third meeting of this review panel was necessary to discuss the scope, format and coverage of the final report.

·         Members gave consideration to inviting Councillor Grace Baynham, Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways & Transport Services, to the third meeting of the scrutiny review in order to report its findings.

·         Members concluded that it would be advantageous for the final report of this scrutiny review to be reported to the 21 January 2024 meeting of the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee and the 30 January 2024 meeting of the Cabinet, to allow findings to be considered prior to the 22 February 2024 Budget Council Meeting.

·         Bus franchising in Stockport was expected to be implemented from the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 Municipal Year. It was expected that the findings of this panel, including any risks to be minimised and understood, should be contained within the robustness of the budget for 2024/25.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the scope aims and objectives of the review as detailed in Section 5 of the report.

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a presentation (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview of transport finance, bus franchising and reform.

Members commented on this presentation.

RESOLVED – That the presentation be noted.