Decision

a)     To contribute to an Inter Authority Agreement (IAA0005) with Rutland County Council for service R1 between Corby and Melton Mowbray from 3 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, with an optional extension to 31 July 2029.

b)     To award contract PW2601 to Midland Red (South) Limited for the operation of services Wellingborough Town Services W1 and W2 and Wellingborough – Bozeat service W8 from 1 June 2026 to 30 July 2028, with an optional extension to 11 April 2030.

c)     To award contract PW2647 to Midland Red (South) Limited for the continued operation of service X47 on a Sunday and Bank Holidays between Wellingborough and Rushden from 19 July 2026 to 30 July 2028, with an optional extension to 11 April 2030.

Please see below links for the Executive decisions:

Decision - Zero-emission Bus Scheme - North Northamptonshire Council 9th September 2025

Decision Notice Executive 9th June 2026

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. 

This tranche of local bus contracts awards replaces a number of existing contracts and contains several changes to make more effective use of funding through matching service level and vehicle size more closely to the demand of services.

The contracts are designed to keep the current network in place, incorporate home to school contracts and increase access to employment sites in Wellingborough and Corby.  These changes will divert pupils from three existing gone to school contracts to travel on existing local bus services at a lower cost than would otherwise be the case,

The specific changes are:

Service R1 between Corby and Melton Mowbray via Oakham was enhanced in August 2026 through a jointly funded package between the Council and Leicestershire and Rutland County Councils.   The benefits to North Northants included:
A near hourly service for Cottingham and Corby during the day

The extension of the service to Corby Rail Station at peak times.

Four services a day diverted via Gretton to provide access to Corby, Uppingham and Uppingham Community College.

The continued incorporation of home to school contract for journeys between Gretton and Uppingham Community College.

The one-year trial has resulted in a 22% increase in ridership with patronage still rising month on month. Ther new contract will extend the service improvements for the continuation of the current contribution of £20,000 per annum and £25,602 worth of home to school tickets.

a)     Wellingborough Town Services W1 (Queensway) and W2 (Hemmingwell) were enhanced from two to three buses an hour on Mondays to Fridays from July 2024. The new contract continues the increased level of service for the larger part of the day but during the morning and evening peak periods will provide half-hourly services running through to Park Farm and Finedon Road industrial estates.  Some services will also serve the rail station to enable connections to and from trains to London.

The contract also contains a new timetable on Service W8 which continues the general level of service for Mondays to Friday peak hours but will be restructured to provide home to school journeys for Wollaston school via Easton Maudit and Grendon.
 

b)     New contract PW2647 will continue the existing Sunday service X47 of two buses per hour between Wellingborough and Rushden via Rushden Lakes.

The Council’s contributions on all these services will be funded from Government grant funding, excepting PW2647 which will be funded from the Council’s base revenue budget.