Purpose

In November 2024 the Government announced £670m to
enable local authorities to deliver their BSIP’s.

Dorset has been allocated £3,326,867 of Bus Grant funding
for 2025/26, of which £2,006,762 is capital and £1,320,105 is revenue.

Release of the funding by the Department for
Transport is conditional on submission of a Delivery Plan which lists the
schemes to be delivered with this funding. The delivery plan has been approved
by the Enhanced Partnership at a Board meeting Chaired by Cllr. Jon Andrews on
the 20th March 2025.

The delivery programme will be published on the
council website at - Bus
Service Improvement Plan - Dorset Council

Content

To give final
approval of the decision of the Enhanced Partnership Board to:

     
i.        
Commit £1,320,105 revenue bus grant funding to the
schemes listed in Appendix A

    
ii.        
Commit £1,355,049 capital bus grant funding to the
schemes listed in Appendix B

   
iii.        
Submit the 2025/26 delivery programme to the
Department for Transport to release the Bus Grant funding

  
iv.        
Make an
application to the Department for Transport to transfer the remaining £651,713
capital to revenue to support the priority of improving local bus services

Reasons for the decision

To commit Bus Grant funds to deliver the 2025/26 delivery
programme and submit the Delivery Plan to the Department for Transport.

Alternative options considered

A number of schemes
have been considered as part of the development of the delivery plan.

Local bus operators
and the council’s public transport team were invited to submit proposals to
improve the local bus network. 21 proposals were received. A total of £2.68m
revenue funding was requested. It has therefore been necessary to shortlist
revenue proposals. Capital funding proposals submitted totalled £1.36m.

All proposals were
assessed on their individual merits with consideration given to the following
factors:

a)   
Area of impact

b)   
BSIP objectives met

c)   
Expected benefits

d)   
Long term viability (revenue only)

e)   
Financial risk to the council

f)     
Financial ask 

Schemes that could
not demonstrate value for money or long-term sustainability without significant
ongoing support being required were discounted. Schemes that were rejected for
this Bus Grant funding round will be further discussed by the Enhanced Bus Partnership
with more detailed service reviews completed ahead of being reconsidered for
future rounds of funding should it be available.