The Growth, Highways, Transport and Waste Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the annual report on home to school transport, the strategy for enabling travel choice as part of the Local Transport Plan, and the implementation of food waste collection and disposal. The meeting also included the presentation of a petition regarding bus service changes in Wigston.

Home to School Transport Annual Report 2025/2026 and Key Priorities for 2026/2027

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance and delivery of the school transport service for the 2025/26 academic year, alongside an outline of the challenges faced by the service in managing growth and driving efficiency. The report was also set to detail key successes from the past year and summarise the next steps for the service. The primary legislation and guidance relevant to this service includes the Education Act 1996 and Department for Education statutory guidance. The council's existing transport policies, including the 'Mainstream and Special Educational Needs Home to School Transport Policy', were also referenced. The report highlighted that over 3.1 million pupil journeys were provided in the 2025/26 financial year, with 3,377 SEND students in receipt of transport assistance. Challenges noted included increasing SEND pupil numbers and difficult market conditions, with a significant increase in expenditure on SEND transport over recent years. The report also detailed the Assisted Transport Programme's work to manage demand and deliver efficiencies, including the implementation of new operational management systems and enhancements to safeguarding practices.

Delivering the Local Transport Plan (LTP4) 2025-2040 – Enabling Travel Choice Strategy

This item focused on the outcomes of an initial consultation for the Enabling Travel Choice Strategy (ETCS), which forms part of the council's Local Transport Plan (LTP4) for 2025-2040. The ETCS aims to be a county-wide strategy covering all modes of travel, setting out how the council will enable people to make informed travel choices. The strategy will work with existing communities and businesses to understand travel barriers and will engage with district councils and the development industry to ensure new places are well-connected. The initial consultation, branded 'The Big Travel Survey', involved online surveys, mapping tools, and face-to-face events. Key findings from the community responses indicated that public transport issues were the most significant barrier to accessing local services, affecting 87% of responses. Businesses also cited public transport issues, personal safety, and parking availability as major commuting barriers. The draft ETCS document contains 15 draft policies covering overarching principles, working with existing communities and businesses, and approaches to new communities and places. A twelve-week consultation on the draft strategy was underway.

Food Waste Collection and Disposal

The committee was scheduled to receive a summary of the introduction, current implementation, and planned rollout of household food waste collections in Leicestershire, and the County Council's role as Waste Disposal Authority (WDA). This initiative is part of the government's Simpler Recycling requirements under the Environment Act 2021. The report detailed that the seven district councils act as Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs), responsible for kerbside collections, while the County Council, as the WDA, is responsible for treatment, transfer, and disposal. Collected food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion (AD), which produces biogas for renewable energy and biofertiliser. Three district councils had already started collecting food waste, with others planning to roll out the service by November 2026, with the exception of Melton Borough Council. The report noted that a recent analysis of residual waste found food to be the largest component, with 66% of it being avoidable. Forecast tonnages for the first four years of the service were provided, indicating an expected increase from under 10,000 tonnes in 2026/27 to 16,000 tonnes by 2029/30.

Presentation of Petitions

A petition, titled Stop the bus changes! , with 1281 signatures, was scheduled to be presented by Mr. Michael Charlesworth CC. The supporting information highlighted significant inconvenience and disruption caused by recent changes to bus services in Wigston, particularly affecting the elderly and those without access to cars. The petition called for the reconsideration and revocation of these changes, or the provision of adequate alternatives.