Decision

To award a local bus service contract to continue to provide an enhanced level of service between Kettering and Desborough and a later journey between Kettering and Thrapston.  The contract will be awarded to Midland Red (South) Limited and operate from 1 June 2026 to 3 September 2028, with a possible extension to 2 September 2029.

Link to the Executive decision for: Decision - Department for Transport Funding Allocation - North Northamptonshire Council

Reasons for the decision

Most bus services are provided commercially, but the Council can supplement these services with additional subsidised services.

The Council has its own supported bus service budget of £304,000.  This is supplemented by £2,747,301 of Government revenue grant from the Bus Services Fund for each financial year 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29.    In addition, £2,504,459 of Local Authority Bus Grant and £8,149 of Bus Service Operators Grant funding from 2025/26 was carried forward into the 2026/27 financial year. This grant funding can be spent more widely than just supporting subsidised bus services, but it is anticipated that the larger proportion of the funding will be spent in this way.

Since receiving the first significant levels of revenue grant funding for buses in September 2023, the Council has been progressively implementing improved bus services for its communities. 

A contract was introduced in September 2024 to improve the general level of service between Desborough to Kettering from two to three buses an hour.  The A new contract will continue the same timetable to 3 September 2028, with a possible extension to 2 September 2029.  The late journey from Kettering to Thrapston will be diverted via Burton Latimer and Finedon.

The service will be funded from the government grant funding and Section 106 funding from developments along the corridor.

Executive on 18 April 2024 (item 622) delegated authority to the Executive Member for Highways, Travel & Assets in consultation with the Executive Director of Place & Economy to award any individual local bus contracts exceeding £500,000.