Purpose

The most recent variation to the West Midlands
Enhanced Partnership Scheme was approved by the former Director of
Regeneration & Growth on 26th April 2023.

Further amendments have become necessary and following extensive
consultation with Local Highway Authorities and bus operators,
Transport for West Midlands is now able to formally make the
necessary variation (known as Variation 004.2).

The West Midlands Enhanced Partnership (EP) was made in June 2021
to enable formal partnership working arrangements between bus
operators, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the
seven West Midlands councils that act as Local Highway
Authorities.

The EP consists of a strategic document which sets out a clear
vision of improvements that are envisaged to bus services known as
an Enhanced Partnership Plan (EP Plan). The EP Plan includes a
commitment to such things as;
• Transition to a low emission bus fleet,
• Simpler payment methods,
• Faster journeys,
• Safer services,
• Better passenger information and concessions tailored to
excluded groups.

The EP is used to deliver on the themes and objectives set out in
the Strategic Vision for Bus and West Midlands Bus Service
Improvement Plan. The EP Plan covers the entire West Midlands
metropolitan area, setting out an overarching strategic roadmap for
bus service improvement across the urban area.

The EP Plan must be accompanied by one or more Enhanced Partnership
Schemes (EP Schemes) which set out the actions and commitments to
achieve the improvements in the EP Plan. An EP places a legal duty
on all signatories of the EP including the local authorities to
deliver against the actions and commitments made in an EP
Scheme.

To meet the objectives set out in the BSIP a variation was made to
the EP Scheme in November 2022 so that it covers the same geography
as the EP Plan, i.e. the whole of the West Midlands Combined
Authority area. This allows for more detailed planning and
specified actions across the urban area to deliver improvements to
bus services as outlined in the EP Plan and Bus Service Improvement
Plan. The details are contained in the report to Cabinet on 16th
November 2022.

A further variation (003.8) was made that related to the geography
of the EP, and provisions relating to maximum service levels and
ticketing. This variation was approved by Sandwell under delegated
powers.

TfWM has consulted on further amendments to the EP. These
amendments cover;
• Updates to Bus priority development programme target
milestones: Strategic Outline Business Case by March 2025 and
Outline Business Case by December 2025.
• Updates to Bus Priority Schemes (CRSTS) indicative
timescales and target operational dates.
• The variation sets out how the West Midlands’ BSIP
allocation will be apportioned to meet the aims and objectives of
BSIP reflecting the revised total funding now awarded to the region
which is £104.5m.

Variation 004.2 does not contain any changes in relation to
obligations on Sandwell as Local Highway Authority. No concerns
were raised through internal consultations.

Full consultation with operators and local authorities on the
varied EP Scheme was undertaken by TfWM within the Enhanced
Partnership Reference Group as outlined in Government
guidance.

Content

That approval be given to Variation 004.2 of
the Enhanced Partnership Scheme in conjunction with Transport for
West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Authority and the other six
local authorities in the West Midlands metropolitan area, subject
to compliance with the relevant statutory objection and
consultation processes for varying the Enhanced Partnership
Scheme.