appendix b community impact assessment community...

Appendix B Community Impact Assessment – Stafford

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Community Impact Assessment Approach

Name of proposal: Review of supported bus network in Stafford

State here which of the County Council priorities the proposal will deliver against: That the people of Staffordshire will:

Be able to access more jobs and feel the benefits of economic growth

Be healthier and more independent

Feel safer, happier and more supported in and by their communities

Project lead: (s) Clive Thomson

Names of other officers involved

Jeff Tucker

Paula Wright

Pete Barker

District Commissioning Leads, District and Borough Authority officers, and legal representatives, where relevant and appropriate

Date: May 2015

Executive summary of the assessment A community impact assessment has been carried out for each district/borough council area. These assessments have looked at the potential impact of bus services changes to connecting people to employment, essential public services, retail and leisure. The majority of changes impact on weekend or evening services and in some cases alternative transport options are available although they may require a service or modal interchange. Efforts have been made to maintain services where possible, by reducing frequency or days of operation on less used services, so that passengers are still able to make these journeys, albeit possibly at different times. In addition, part of the design of this review has been to look at ways of protecting


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demand-based (“dial-a-ride”) services to help to mitigate any loss of accessibility that some individuals may face. It is recognised that travel patterns and decisions made by individuals are complex and variable, and following the induction of proposed changes it will not be possible to mitigate each journey pattern. In addition with the majority of bus services provided on a commercial basis the actual impact of any changes may not be fully known until operators consider their individual operational requirements. It is anticipate that these proposals impact on 2% of current bus trips made in Staffordshire. Schemes such as the English National Concessionary Scheme will remain in place, along with the Your Staffordshire Card and operator discounted products (such as day travel tickets) helping to mitigate any financial impact of having to interchange etc on older or disabled people. The effects of this proposal will be kept under review, with a view to mitigate any unforeseen impacts through alternative means. In reviewing changes to the supported bus services the following criteria set out below has been used to determine the final shape of the supported bus network:

Cost per passenger journey (accounting for all revenue/contributions);

Availability of alternative services to other destinations, or by changing buses

Journey purpose / day / time – i.e. weekday peak journeys for education, training, employment and health are weighted more than weekend and especially Sunday journeys, which are more likely to be discretionary, (employment vs leisure journeys);

Differential weighting of urban, semi-rural and rural service provision;

Detailed analysis by route of journey patterns, passenger numbers and revenue;

Passenger and revenue generation from new developments and S106 contributions;

Declining route subsidy profiles, where feasible i.e. improve service to grow passenger numbers and reduce or eliminate subsidy requirement;

Assessment if reshaped services can be provided on a commercial basis.

Signature


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1. Summary of aims and objectives: Staffordshire County Council has been reviewing how it provides support to local bus services in the county. Engagement has been conducted in a number of areas of the county. The process is supported by Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet to provide value for money services on the previously adopted County Council Public Transport Strategic Commissioning Strategy and Strategic Plans. The majority of bus services, (in excess of 80%), in Staffordshire are provided by bus companies on a commercial basis without subsidy from the County Council. These commercially run services are mainly concentrated in the urban, inter-urban routes and areas of more dense populations and transport movement and transport approximately 85% of all bus passengers. The County Council has a statutory responsibility to provide transport to and from school for ‘eligible’ children under the Education Act 1996 (as amended by the Education and Inspections Act 2006). In addition to these statutory requirements, the County Council also currently provides financial support (by virtue of the powers set out in s.63(4) of the Transport Act 1985) to the local bus and community transport network in areas where commercial services are not financially viable and where it is considered there is a need for bus services. On a typical weekday around 6,000 passenger trips are made on those bus services that are subsidised by the County Council. It is important to note that not all of these services are within, or will be affected by, this review. The County Council proposes to secure the best outcomes for Staffordshire’s residents, through its understanding of need, matching supply with need, and making the most effective use of all available resources. This approach would effect change in the overall nature and configuration of subsidised bus services and be a statement of commitment about the way in which the County Council intends to purchase services in future to ensure best value for council tax payers.


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2. Who is using the service and who are the main people that will be affected?

Service Number

District affected

Route Description

Days of Operation

Contracted Journeys

Annual Cost

Annual Fare

Paying Patronage

Annual ENCTS

Patronage

Annual YSC

Patronage

Total Annual

Patronage

Subsidy Per

Passenger Per

Journey

Mitigation / Service

Implications

411

East Staffs,

small area of Stafford Borough

Uttoxeter - Church Leigh Circular

Wed excl Bank Hols

1 return journey

£7,812.60 47 560 0 607 £12.87

Service withdrawal. Opportunities being investigated via the Burton and Stone tender.

190

Stafford Borough/

small area of

Newcastle

Cranberry - Newcastle-under-Lyme

Mon-Fri excl Bank Hols

1 return journey

£25,815.24 164 3,162 8 3,334 £7.02 Service under review as part of Stone tender

436 Stafford Borough/

Newcastle

Stafford - Eccleshall - Market Drayton

Tu, F, Sat excl Bank Hols

1 return journey

£15,494.12 89 2,035 0 2,124 £6.86

Service under review as part of Stone tender

Stafford Borough

Lodgefield Park - Stafford

Tu, Th excl Bank Hols

1 return journey

£4,527.10 857 0 0 857 £5.28

Proposed charge of a flat fare of £2 per trip to reduce public subsidy.

435 Stafford Borough

Stone - Weston - Salt - Stafford

Mon-Sat inc Bank Hols

All journeys £127,268.90 1,820 16,040 4,461 22,321 £4.99



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Stafford - Eccleshall - Woodseaves - Knightley

Mon-Sat Eves excl Bank Hols

Journeys from Stafford at 19:10, 20:10. 21:10 and 22:10. Journeys from Woodseaves at 18:10, 19:40, 20:40 and 21:40

£38,774.02 3,669 2,044 2,413 8,126 £4.77



Cherryfields - Alleyne's High School - Walton Middles School

Mon-Fri Sch Days

1 return journey

£23,540.00 0 0 5,170 5,170 £4.55 Service under review as part of Stone tender

835

Stafford Borough/ Cannock Chase/ Lichfield

Stafford - Cannock - Burntwood

Mon-Fri Non College Days

1 return journey

£3,697.92 358 298 168 824 £4.49

Withdrawal – journeys can still be made with interchange at Cannock Bus Station

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South Staffs/

Stafford Borough

Stafford - Penkridge - Wolverhampton (Sun)

Sun & Bank Hols

All journeys Sunday

£25,518.11 2,649 3,120 1,484 7,253 £3.52

To continue with reduced frequency of service until 1800hrs.

841

Stafford Borough/

East Staffs

Uttoxeter - Hixon - Stafford

Mon-Sat excl Bank Hols

All journeys £230,772.60 23,153 31,476 24,132 78,761 £2.93

Mid-day journey withdrawn with reduced subsidy.

1/6/8/9/10/ 12/481

Stafford Borough

Stafford Area Evening & Sunday Services

Mon-Sat Eves excl Bank Hols; Sun & Bank Hols

Evening Journeys; All day Sunday (1/6/12/481); Sun eves (8/9/10)

£147,925.09 33,547 36,732 10,157 80,436 £1.71

Revised evening Stafford network with reduced frequency


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and withdrawal of evening services on routes 1 & 6 at reduced subsidy.

7/11/11A/ 67/72

Stafford Borough/

small area of South

Staffs

Stafford-Ten Butts/ Coton Fields/ Schools

Mon-Sat excl Bank Hols

All journeys £155,642.65 14,608 55,385 6,737 76,730 £1.08

Withdrawal of route 7 & 67 in daytime due to high subsidy costs. Revised Stafford network with journeys available on alternative services with potential longer home to bus stop walk trips.


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Demographic Information Population (protected characteristics relevant here include age, gender, race, deprivation)

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Total 2013 Population 4,160 4,430 1,969 2,356 4,468 4,696 6,705 5,283 5,907 6,542 6,401 6,584 6,773 7,381 6,409 5,494 1,973 4,567 4,450 5,043 3,489 5,653 4,455 4,650 5,870 6,384 132,092 857,007 56,948,229

Total under 5 Population 206 202 96 89 242 424 253 310 208 304 255 422 373 286 384 197 84 385 210 290 129 346 178 314 303 292 6,782 46,099 3,592,907

Total under 16 Population 677 795 287 358 647 1,009 949 754 906 1,037 1,037 1,293 1,222 966 1,205 786 306 1,050 723 1,033 432 1,000 686 986 917 1,137 22,198 149,370 10,764,403

Total Working Age (16-64) Population 2,378 2,534 1,161 1,432 3,181 3,307 4,055 3,779 3,395 4,009 3,874 4,338 4,114 5,215 3,930 3,677 1,171 2,911 2,814 3,219 1,977 3,469 2,750 2,748 3,462 3,675 82,575 536,755 36,278,017

Total 65+ Population 1,105 1,101 521 566 640 380 1,701 750 1,606 1,496 1,490 953 1,437 1,200 1,274 1,031 496 606 913 791 1,080 1,184 1,019 916 1,491 1,572 27,319 170,882 9,905,809

Population under 5 Years (%) 5.0% 4.6% 4.9% 3.8% 5.4% 9.0% 3.8% 5.9% 3.5% 4.6% 4.0% 6.4% 5.5% 3.9% 6.0% 3.6% 4.3% 8.4% 4.7% 5.8% 3.7% 6.1% 4.0% 6.8% 5.2% 4.6% 5.1% 5.4% 6.3%

Population under 16 Years (%) 16.3% 17.9% 14.6% 15.2% 14.5% 21.5% 14.2% 14.3% 15.3% 15.9% 16.2% 19.6% 18.0% 13.1% 18.8% 14.3% 15.5% 23.0% 16.2% 20.5% 12.4% 17.7% 15.4% 21.2% 15.6% 17.8% 16.8% 17.4% 18.9%

Population Working Age (16-64 Years) (%) 57.2% 57.2% 59.0% 60.8% 71.2% 70.4% 60.5% 71.5% 57.5% 61.3% 60.5% 65.9% 60.7% 70.7% 61.3% 66.9% 59.4% 63.7% 63.2% 63.8% 56.7% 61.4% 61.7% 59.1% 59.0% 57.6% 62.5% 62.6% 63.7%

Population 65+ Years (%) 26.6% 24.9% 26.5% 24.0% 14.3% 8.1% 25.4% 14.2% 27.2% 22.9% 23.3% 14.5% 21.2% 16.3% 19.9% 18.8% 25.1% 13.3% 20.5% 15.7% 31.0% 20.9% 22.9% 19.7% 25.4% 24.6% 20.7% 19.9% 17.4%

Population Density (people per km2) 109 3,164 51 50 1,951 5,336 54 1,791 396 83 178 5,104 4,207 3,549 3,705 142 37 1,952 1,279 2,534 61 1,672 122 1,505 1,668 2,660 221 327 413.5

Minority ethnic group (%) 3.8% 7.1% 3.3% 4.1% 12.2% 24.8% 5.0% 16.3% 3.6% 2.3% 3.0% 7.9% 7.9% 13.3% 7.0% 8.8% 3.5% 9.2% 9.2% 3.4% 5.0% 5.3% 3.9% 7.7% 4.0% 6.7% 7.4% 6.4% 20.2%

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2010) weighted score 14.7 3.5 8.2 7.1 19.2 15.5 11.0 16.1 12.8 9.6 7.7 26.1 14.7 14.4 22.3 6.9 14.6 25.1 9.8 8.6 10.8 13.3 9.3 18.7 12.4 3.2 13.1 16.4 21.5

% in the most deprived IMD national quintile (%) 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 27.2% 0.0% 32.6% 23.8% 0.0% 0.0% 48.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 6.0% 9.4% 20.4%

Dominant Mosaic Group A D A A L H A L A A G M H E K B A M B D A D B H F B A H E


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Overall, Stafford has a lower under 5 population compared to both national and county proportions. At ward level there is some

variance, with Coton and Penkside having higher proportions than the national average. These wards along with St Michael’s and

Tillington also have a higher percentage of under 16 year olds compared to the national average and higher levels than the county

average.

Stafford has a lower proportion of working age population compared to England and a higher percentage of 65 and overs compared to

England. However these levels vary between wards, with low proportions in Coton and Penkside. There is a lower population density

when compared to Staffordshire and England.

Estimated Population (Source: ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates 2013)

Female Male Total

Cannock Chase 49,589 48,530 98,119

East Staffordshire 57,793 57,129 114,922

Lichfield 51,325 50,443 101,768

Newcastle-under-Lyme 63,187 62,052 125,239

South Staffordshire 55,349 54,946 110,295

Stafford 65,669 66,423 132,092

Staffordshire Moorlands 49,458 47,957 97,415

Tamworth 39,328 37,829 77,157

Staffordshire 431,698 425,309 857,007


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Children and young people (protected characteristics including age)

The following table shows numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), who might be disproportionately

affected by changes to bus routes in terms of access to vocational and education opportunities.

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Total school absence (%) 4.5% 4.0% 3.1% 4.6% 4.1% 4.8% 3.7% 4.6% 4.4% 3.8% 3.6% 6.1% 4.3% 3.9% 5.3% 3.8% 4.1% 5.9% 4.4% 4.5% 4.2% 3.2% 4.4% 5.4% 4.6% 4.2% 4.5% 4.5% -

Total school unauthorised absence (%) 0.7% 0.1% 0.7% 0.3% 0.5% 0.7% 0.4% 0.5% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 1.0% 0.7% 0.4% 0.7% 0.3% 0.5% 1.3% 0.5% 0.8% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 1.1% 0.7% 0.2% 0.5% 0.6% -

School age fixed term exclusion (%) 2.0% 0.6% 0.0% 1.3% 5.0% 1.8% 1.1% 1.3% 0.6% 2.0% 1.7% 5.9% 3.3% 2.3% 3.9% 1.3% 0.0% 4.3% 0.9% 1.7% 2.5% 0.0% 0.0% 2.5% 0.7% 1.6% 2.3% 2.6% -

KS2 Level 4+ Reading, Writing and Maths (%) 73.1% 94.9% 92.9% 80.0% 86.5% 60.0% 67.6% 69.0% 81.0% 80.0% 87.3% 42.5% 81.2% 83.3% 70.2% 79.5% 94.1% 65.9% 54.5% 80.7% 85.0% 76.5% 73.3% 72.4% 82.7% 90.7% 78.2% 76.7% 79.0%

5 GCSEs (A* -C) including Maths and English (%) 57.9% 78.0% 53.8% 52.9% 47.7% 38.2% 62.0% 53.1% 66.7% 55.6% 69.0% 37.4% 62.9% 55.8% 34.8% 72.2% 87.5% 40.4% 65.3% 63.8% 51.9% 59.6% 77.1% 53.7% 69.1% 75.4% 58.8% 54.9% 53.4%

Young people not in education, employment or training (16-19) (%) 4.8% 1.9% 0.0% 1.2% 7.4% 6.0% 2.2% 5.8% 0.5% 2.5% 2.6% 4.8% 6.3% 0.0% 7.1% 1.4% 1.9% 8.9% 2.5% 1.5% 3.3% 5.0% 3.6% 4.1% 2.9% 0.9% 3.5% 4.0% -

Excess weight (Year 6) (aged 10-11 years) (%) 34.1% 16.7% S 28.8% 37.5% 38.4% 30.4% 35.1% 30.6% 29.4% 32.9% 33.2% 40.3% 26.5% 36.5% 25.5% S 34.2% 30.9% 29.5% 27.0% 30.8% 30.6% 38.0% 25.7% 27.6% 31.7% 33.9% 33.5%

Children who claim free school meals (%) 14.7% 1.7% 1.7% 6.0% 10.4% 11.5% 5.1% 5.9% 6.5% 4.2% 5.7% 25.0% 13.4% 6.6% 19.2% 1.0% 2.8% 21.3% 7.7% 6.6% 3.3% 10.5% 4.4% 20.5% 5.4% 2.8% 9.8% 11.8% 16.3%

The percentage of pupil absence including unauthorised absence is similar in Stafford to the county average. The percentage of fixed

term exclusions is lower in the district compared to the county average, however, at a ward level, Highfields and Western Downs has a

significantly higher percentage which is over double that at county level.

The percentage of pupils attaining Level 4+ in Reading, Writing and Maths at Key Stage 2 is similar to the national average, with

Baswich ward exceeding the national average. The percentage of pupils attaining 5+ A*-C GSCE’s or equivalent including English and

Maths is higher than the national average with only Manor and Highfields and Western Downs wards falling below the national average.

There is a lower proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in compared to Staffordshire and there is a

significantly lower percentage of pupils claiming free school meals in Stafford Borough compared to England.


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Health (Protected characteristics including age and disability)

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Provision of population providing unpaid care (%) 13.6% 11.9% 12.8% 12.9% 8.3% 6.9% 11.7% 8.2% 15.0% 12.1% 13.1% 10.0% 10.6% 9.8% 11.5% 11.2% 13.1% 10.9% 12.1% 10.1% 13.9% 10.3% 15.0% 11.5% 12.3% 13.2% 11.5% 11.6% 10.2%

Mortality from causes considered preventable (ASR/100,000) 158.3 110.9 168.9 191.1 232.1 193.6 151.5 262.0 183.9 105.4 122.9 247.4 204.9 186.9 151.7 113.8 119.8 185.4 146.4 124.8 130.1 173.2 160.9 137.2 162.4 112.1 158.4 179.2 183.9

Limiting long-term illness (%) 23.1% 17.4% 17.2% 16.0% 17.7% 12.6% 17.8% 16.9% 22.4% 16.5% 18.0% 19.6% 18.9% 18.2% 22.4% 13.8% 19.0% 18.1% 19.1% 14.0% 20.3% 19.0% 17.5% 18.4% 21.4% 16.3% 18.2% 19.2% 17.6%

Limiting long-term illness (65+) (%) 50.1% 45.4% 43.0% 40.6% 58.3% 62.0% 41.5% 60.6% 51.4% 44.3% 44.7% 54.9% 50.5% 51.0% 57.2% 43.1% 38.3% 55.0% 47.4% 49.0% 45.3% 52.5% 45.2% 46.7% 49.4% 43.6% 48.5% 52.6% 51.5%

Disability Living Allowance claimants (%) 5.3% 2.7% 2.8% 3.8% 4.6% 4.2% 3.1% 3.8% 5.8% 3.8% 3.8% 6.6% 4.5% 4.4% 6.9% 2.2% 3.0% 5.9% 3.8% 3.9% 3.7% 4.7% 3.7% 4.9% 5.0% 2.8% 4.3% 5.1% 5.0%

Lone pensioner households (%) 15.6% 15.5% 11.7% 11.8% 11.8% 7.2% 14.1% 13.5% 14.2% 12.8% 12.5% 11.1% 13.8% 13.1% 14.7% 9.8% 12.0% 10.0% 10.2% 10.0% 13.2% 15.0% 12.9% 13.1% 14.3% 14.0% 12.8% 12.6% 12.4%

Older people aged 60 and over living in income-deprived households

(%)9.1% 7.3% 6.0% 7.0% 21.9% 22.7% 10.2% 20.2% 10.4% 10.9% 10.5% 18.2% 13.9% 15.6% 18.4% 4.5% 11.0% 20.0% 11.1% 11.6% 6.0% 13.3% 6.5% 10.7% 9.0% 5.5% 11.4% 15.0% 18.0%

Fuel poverty (%) 14.3% 8.7% 13.9% 14.3% 15.1% 15.0% 15.2% 20.8% 10.6% 12.9% 8.7% 10.2% 12.4% 13.8% 10.7% 13.1% 20.1% 13.9% 11.9% 6.9% 12.4% 13.7% 11.5% 10.3% 10.1% 9.5% 12.4% 12.2% 10.4%

Excess winter mortality (%) -4.6% 16.2% 13.5% 51.0% -2.3% 13.8% 38.2% 22.4% 25.0% 7.7% 18.1% -8.6% 33.0% 1.0% 24.7% 25.7% 24.1% 34.2% 41.7% 31.0% 32.8% 21.8% 20.4% 48.8% 38.5% 26.7% 22.1% 18.6% 18.6%

Life expectancy at birth - males (Years) 80.6 84.9 84.8 81.4 79.9 78.3 79.6 76.5 81.6 81.2 81.8 76.9 79.3 79.9 80.4 83.6 80.2 78.7 76.2 80.9 80.2 78.8 80.8 81.3 80.7 82.8 80.2 79.3 79.1

Life expectancy at birth - females (Years) 80.9 90.1 86.4 86.9 81.2 86.1 83.8 82.1 82.6 88.7 82.2 85.5 81.8 81.7 84.0 84.6 84.2 86.1 81.0 87.6 84.2 84.5 86.5 83.8 81.8 87.7 83.6 83.0 83.0

There are a higher proportion of residents aged 75+ and 85+ in Stafford when compared to both Staffordshire and England. This is true

across all wards with the exception of Common, Coton, Highfields and Western Downs, Littleworth, Penside and St.Michael’s. Of these

age groups there is a slightly higher proportion of pensioners living alone in Stafford compared to England. Within Stafford there is a

lower proportion of the 65+ population with a limiting long-term illness. Stafford Borough also has a lower proportion of residents

claiming disability living allowance and this is true across all wards except for Fulford, Highfields and Western Downs, Manor and

Penkside.


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The proportion of older people aged 60 and over living in income deprived households across Stafford is much better than the national

and county averages. Life expectancy in the district is better than the national average in both males and females. Forebridge is the

only ward that is worse than the national average.

Employment Figures (Protected characteristics including age and disability):

Business

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Total Employees (aged 16+) 1,100 300 400 400 4,300 300 3,000 11,800 1,100 800 2,400 300 700 6,400 800 5,400 500 600 2,000 3,100 600 3,500 1,900 300 3,200 800 55,800 315,100 23,631,900

Rate of Business Start-ups per 1,000 working-age population 2.9 1.6 3.5 2.1 3.8 1.7 4.2 4.5 1.5 2.0 4.0 0.9 2.2 1.6 1.8 3.2 5.0 2.1 1.8 4.3 1.5 4.1 2.5 1.5 2.6 3.5 2.7 2.4 -

Unemployment (16-64 year olds claiming jobseekers allowance) (%) 0.7% 0.5% S S 1.4% 0.9% 0.4% 1.2% 0.9% 0.4% 0.4% 1.8% 1.0% 0.6% 1.5% 0.2% S 2.0% 0.7% 0.2% 1.1% 0.7% 0.4% 1.3% 0.8% 0.4% 0.8% 0.9% 1.9%

Youth unemployment (18-24 year olds claiming jobseekers allowance)

(%)2.5% 1.7% S S 2.3% 0.6% S 1.7% 1.4% 2.2% 1.3% 3.3% 1.8% 0.5% 4.0% S S 3.8% 1.5% 1.4% S 1.2% 1.6% 3.0% 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 1.8% 2.7%

Out-of-work benefit claimants (16-64) % 7.6% 3.2% 3.0% 3.8% 9.6% 7.4% 3.7% 8.3% 7.1% 4.5% 4.4% 13.1% 8.6% 6.0% 13.2% 1.9% 3.4% 13.4% 6.2% 1.9% 8.3% 6.8% 4.5% 10.2% 6.4% 2.9% 6.8% 8.0% 9.8%

No qualifications (%) 23.2% 17.7% 17.2% 19.8% 20.4% 15.6% 20.6% 16.7% 24.7% 19.1% 18.6% 28.0% 23.9% 20.6% 26.9% 13.2% 21.5% 26.9% 15.5% 16.0% 20.6% 20.4% 17.1% 23.7% 23.2% 14.5% 20.4% 24.8% 22.7%

Level 4 qualifications and above (%) 30.7% 34.4% 38.5% 35.7% 25.6% 25.3% 34.1% 33.7% 29.0% 33.8% 33.7% 19.5% 22.3% 25.4% 18.7% 36.0% 34.7% 22.6% 38.9% 38.2% 32.2% 34.9% 37.5% 25.5% 26.6% 36.3% 30.3% 24.0% 27.2%


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Forebridge has the highest number of employees in Stafford. There is a higher rate of

business start-ups in Stafford when compared to the county.

The percentage of working age people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in

Stafford and across all wards is lower or similar than the national average. Youth

unemployment is also lower or similar across all wards to the England average. Out

of work benefit claimants in Stafford are lower than the England average, with the

exception of, Highfields and Western Downs, Manor and Penkside.

The percentage of residents in Stafford with no qualifications is significantly lower

than the national average and the percentage of residents qualified to Level 4 (HNC

or equivalent) or above is higher than the England average.

Demand based, community and voluntary transport schemes

There are several schemes running in Stafford borough, which help to provide an

alternative to the supported bus network. These are1:

Demand-based services

Border Car reaches into Eccleshall as well as Newcastle (Loggerheads, Ashley,

Baldwin’s Gate)

Also West Staffs Connect reaches into Gnosall, Haughton, Seighford

Voluntary and Community Transport

Colwich and Haywoods Voluntary Car Scheme

Area: Colwich, Great Haywood, Little Haywood, Moreton, Coley, Bishton area.

Gnosall and District Voluntary Car Scheme

Area: Gnosall and 5 mile radius.

Staffordshire & District Community Link

Area: Stafford town boundary for dial a ride. Stafford borough & mid South Staffordshire for

the community minibus.

Community and voluntary transport services receive grants and support from Staffordshire

County Council, and the council is actively working maintain an overview of provision and to

increase their number in areas of need.

1 Source: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/transport/publictransport/buses/Plan-your-journey/Call-and-

Book-Services/Community-and-voluntary-schemes/Local-schemes-in-place.aspx [accessed April 2015]

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/transport/publictransport/buses/Plan-your-journey/Call-and-Book-Services/Community-and-voluntary-schemes/Local-schemes-in-place.aspx

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/transport/publictransport/buses/Plan-your-journey/Call-and-Book-Services/Community-and-voluntary-schemes/Local-schemes-in-place.aspx


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Potential impact on protected characteristics

Data is available through the 2011 Census and through more granular analysis on the protected or identified characteristics, as defined in the Equality Act 2010. These are below. Health, rural isolation and climate change implications are also considered in more detail later in this document. More general risks and mitigations are dealt with in sections later in this document, but this section details any known impacts for specific protected groups. It is important to note that for many of these groups, the insight and detail on passengers, and the potential positive or negative impact on them which this review may have, is very difficult to assess because information required is not available on those groups. In these instances, it is recognised that the potential impacts of this review could potentially be negative (by limiting accessibility), and potential mitigations for this are explained later in this document. If this proposal is approved, its effects will be kept under review, with a view to mitigate any unforeseen impacts on any groups through alternative means.

Age Age is one of the protected characteristic that could potentially be negatively affected by the by potential changes to public transport provision in Stafford without mitigation. According to Department for Transport figures2, across Staffordshire as a whole approximately 41% of total passenger journeys in 2013/14 were made by elderly or disabled concessionary passengers. Stafford has significantly lower proportion of residents aged 75+ and 85+ when compared to England. However there is a higher than national average numbers of school aged children / children under 16. This is important when considering the impact of changes to bus routes in the District. The Annual ENCTS Patronage column of the table earlier in this document shows numbers of passenger journeys made by older or disabled people on the services within this review. This often makes up a large proportion of annual passenger numbers, in Stafford this is particularly on services such as the 411, 190 and 436. As such, there is a potential impact that older or disabled people may become isolated or have reduced accessibility to services. As with other routes, the key mitigating activity for these impacts have included designing the review so that services can be maintained where possible, (though at a reduced frequency), working with community and voluntary transport to explore opportunities, and looking at how demand-responsive transport can support the supported bus network. Further mitigating actions are explored later in the document.

Disability The changes could also have an impact on people with disabilities. There is a lower percentage of people in Stafford claiming Disability Living Allowance than nationally.

2 Department for Transport statistics. Table BUS0113, Elderly and disabled concessionary passenger

journeys on local bus services by local authority, England. Last updated September 2014


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However there are high rates in the Fulford, Manor, Penkside and Highfields and Western Downs wards. Tables in figure D provide more detail on both these groups and on wards where there are higher and lower rates of each. The continuation of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (as well as the Your Staffordshire Card and operator discount products such as day tickets for other groups) helps to ensure that financial impacts on older or disabled people, which could be caused by having to make interchanges, are minimised.

Gender

The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on gender. In all districts and boroughs of Staffordshire except Stafford, females make up a greater proportion of the total population than males do, but it is not possible to split bus passenger numbers by gender.

Ethnicity

As seen in the tables below, all of the wards within Stafford have a lower proportion of ethnic minority groups than the national average, and the district as a whole is far below the national average. While it is not possible to analyse bus usage by minority ethnic groups, this is likely to have a smaller relative impact on the ‘race’ protected characteristic in Stafford than in comparable areas.

Sexual orientation The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on sexual orientation. Although we do not collect data on this protected characteristic, it is recognised that any changes to bus provision could affect access for anyone to leisure and cultural opportunities, support groups, medical appointments, places of faith etc. For more information on how this will be addressed, see section later in this document.

Gender reassignment The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on gender reassignment. Although we do not collect data on this protected characteristic, it is recognised that any changes to bus provision could affect access for anyone to leisure and cultural opportunities, support groups, etc. For more information on how this will be addressed, see section later in this document.

Marriage and civil partnership

The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on marriage and civil partnership. It is recognised that any changes to bus provision could affect access to leisure and cultural opportunities, support groups, etc. For more information on how this will be addressed, see section later in this document.

Pregnancy and maternity


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The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on pregnancy and maternity. It is recognised that any changes to bus provision could affect access to medical appointments, support groups, etc. For more information on how this will be addressed, see section later in this document.

Religion / belief The changes are unlikely to have any specific impact on religion / belief. Although a district breakdown of religion was not available, the 2011 census show that Christianity is still the main religion (60%). However despite population growth the numbers of Christians in Staffordshire fell from 650,000 in 2001 to 580,000 in 2011. At the same time, there has been a rise in the numbers of residents classing themselves as not having a religion. In line with the changing ethnicity in Staffordshire there has been a 5% increase in Islam in Staffordshire.

Rurality / isolation Though not an official protected characteristic of the Equality Act 2010, this is a relevant consideration. Stafford is classified by DEFRA’s 2001 Rural-Urban Definition Local Authority Classification as being significantly rural3. This will mean that access and transport issues for those that live in rural area must be considered. It is recognised that some proposed service changes could have implications for rural isolation. Withdrawal of the 411 service in East Staffordshire and a small area of Stafford Borough is being mitigated for through exploring opportunities for voluntary transport. Proposed changes to the 76 route in South Staffordshire and Stafford Borough could also have an impact through reduced frequency, but this does mean that the service can be maintained until 18.00hrs on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

3. Will the proposal have an impact on staff? There is no direct employment impact on Staffordshire County Council staff as all services are provided by private companies on a contracted basis, following a OJEU compliant procurement process. The proposal will develop and evolve current working methodology and formalise that which has previously been in place. 4. Summary of any consultation or engagement activity so far We have carried out detailed data analysis, supported by additional passenger surveys where required, and have held detailed discussions with operators and

3 DEFRA, 2001. 2001 Rural Urban Definition, LAClassification and other geographies.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/2001-rural-urban-definition-la-classification-and-other-geographies




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district council officers to understand the potential impacts of any changes. This is a continuation of business-as-usual processes which we use to ensure that all supported bus network provision is providing value for money. There has not been a formal public consultation held on this review. The passenger subsidy per head ranking forms the basis of further service review and discussion. Data is examined against the following criteria:

Subsidy per passenger journey, (inclusive of all revenue streams, i.e., cash, concessionary, cross boundary contributions, other e.g., s106);

Availability of alternative services (either to other destinations or to the same destination via interchange);

Journey purpose / day / time – i.e. weekday peak journeys for education, training, employment and health are weighted more than weekend and especially Sunday journeys, which are more likely to be discretionary, (employment vs leisure journeys);

Consideration of urban, semi-rural and rural service provision;

Analysis of disaggregated journey data, peaks, troughs, patterns of demands;

Data collation on journey patterns, i.e. through journeys or part route journeys;

Analysis of patronage and revenue trends;

Developer and development analysis;

Future funding streams, e.g., s106;

Declining route subsidy profiles (e.g. 841), where feasible i.e. improve service to grow passenger numbers and reduce or eliminate subsidy requirement;

Assessment if reshaped services can be provided on a commercial basis. Discussions with operators have included:

Discussions on services or journeys which could be reduced or withdrawn at low risk;

Confirmation of passenger and revenue data;

Discussion on where services may be made commercial viable or progression towards the same

Progression of voluntary bus quality partnerships;

Bus punctuality improvement plans developed to deliver improved service for existing and potential service users.

Other work has included engagement to assess travel patterns in areas across the county such as Stone in Stafford Borough, which assists in final service reshaping, in addition with on-vehicle surveys and local information. 5. Are there any gaps in your evidence or conclusions that makes it difficult

for you to quantify potential adverse impact (If so, please explain how you will explore the proposal in greater depth)?

The complexity of travel patterns mean that even where surveys have been carried out, it is still not possible to have a complete awareness of all travel patterns. The demand on the commercial network is more certain, whereas the complexities of the supported network mean that numbers of passengers and patterns of travel can vary over time.


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Potential gap in understanding between aspiration and actual demand by all partners; further understanding needed about areas where transport has actually been cited as a barrier to activities.

It may not be possible to identify and/or meet all journey or travel needs in rural areas despite passenger data, on-bus surveys and local inputs. 6. Making a decision (next steps) 6.1 Overall summary of mitigation:

Prioritise weekday day-time service for work, education and health purposes;

Work with the individual operators to encourage and assess the range of travel products;

Work with Districts to improve local travel need understanding.

Continue to provide flexibility in planning and delivering services which reflect the diverse nature of the county, e.g., traditional bus service, demand responsive, community transport to maximise connectivity at best value;

Continuation of English National Concessionary Travel schemes funding means that older or disabled passengers, who must interchange where there may have been a direct service previously, are not financially penalised for interchanging. For ENCT passengers this remains free, and for fare payers there are day tickets available from travel providers. The Your Staffordshire Card also provides a discounted rate for young people on the bus network.

Work with the individual operators to encourage and assess the range of travel products and their attractiveness to existing and new service users;

Discussion on the financial implications of service reductions or withdrawals with each operating company to minimise the risk of commercial services being de-registered or contracted services being renegotiated;

Investment in qualitative service aspects including wifi to maximise the attractiveness of local bus services as a viable alternative to private transport;

Understand travel patterns, needs and future demand patterns;

Enable customers to be able to make clear choices about how they travel based on clear and consistent fares information which may enable people to travel more flexibly and conveniently, across a range of operators and services, or on a single route. This would make travel planning easier for passengers who may have to make interchanges on their bus travel to replace a previous direct services.

o Ensure a One Council approach to transport, including ensuring a focus remains on delivering services through developer contributions;

6.2 Recommendations and Decision Making Recommendations: With a reduced budget, the services discussed at the start of this paper and detailed in the Elected Member Delegated Decision paper which this CIA accompanies, are proposed for modification as they no longer (either in part or wholly) offer value for


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money when set against the county council’s priority outcomes, or have replaced by commercial services.

7. Actions Risk Mitigating actions

Impact of review could limit ability of some individuals to travel:

Age

Disability

Gender

Ethnicity

Sexual Orientation

Marriage/civil partnership

Gender Reassignment

Pregnancy and Maternity

Religion/belief

Rural isolation See section above on protected characteristics for a breakdown of potential impacts where known.

Continue to provide flexibility in planning and delivering services which reflect the diverse nature of the county, e.g. traditional bus service, demand responsive, community transport to maximise connectivity at best value

Keep impact of any changes under review, with a view to mitigating any unforeseen impacts through alternative means. Continue with Passenger Focus Surveys to understand travel movements and passenger views.

Continue with capacity building in the third sector e.g. setting up / expanding social enterprise to include local transport provision.

Maintain ENCTS and Your Staffordshire Card alongside operator discount products such as day tickets, to minimise financial impacts of making interchanges etc on older and disabled people as well as other groups.

Achieving 10% patronage growth target for 2016 Work with commercial operators as supporters and enablers to encourage greater use of services and ensure their longer term commercial viability, including around:

Enabling customers to be able to make clear choices about how they travel based on clear and consistent fares information which may enable people to travel more flexibly and conveniently, across a range of operators and services, or on a single route;

Investment in clear consultation/communications with customers alongside real time passenger information; apps and social media; wi-fi

Investment in qualitative service aspects including Wi-Fi to maximise the attractiveness of local bus services as a viable alternative to private transport

Impact on some operators due to less frequency in some journeys

Work with the individual operators to encourage and assess the range of travel products and their attractiveness to existing and new service users


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Retail and employment economic and accessibility impacts

Prioritise, where sustainable, weekday day-time service for work, education and health purposes;

Potential impacts on emissions, noise, congestion

Encourage use of public transport and sustainable modes through information and events

Health impacts

Determinant of Health Impact, is this +ve, -ve or neutral?

Comments

Poverty & Income Neutral

Affordable Housing Neutral

Mental health & well being Potentially negative without mitigation

There is a risk that some individuals may find it more difficult to access health services, including public health services such as smoking cessation support, if bus services are reduced as a result of modification of the supported bus network. The design of this review has sought to prioritise access to work, education and health opportunities, but this may not be possible in all cases. Discussions have also taken place with operators, assessing opportunities to ensure that routes can serve new health centres.

Health & social service provision

Diet / healthy eating

Alcohol

Smoking

Drugs

Sexual health

Education and attainment Neutral

Leisure/culture Potentially negative without mitigation

There is a risk that some individuals may have more limited access to leisure or cultural activities if bus services are reduced as a

Social exclusion

Accessibility


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result of removal of subsidy. This has been mitigated where possible by designing the changes to accommodate interchanges or alternative routes.

Work environment Neutral

Accidents Neutral

Community development Neutral

Built environment Neutral

Community safety Neutral

Rural implications

Rural considerations: Consider if the proposal will have a +ve or –ve effect on:

Impact +ve, -ve or none Comments

Travel needs or the cost of travel for rural communities

Potentially negative without mitigation

This risk is mitigated by designing the review to make interchanges or alternative routes available wherever possible. This means that the continuation of the English National Concessionary Scheme will still enable older or disabled passengers to travel for free where this has been possible, meaning no financial penalisation for making interchanges. It also means that the Your Staffordshire Card continues to provide subsidised travel for young people, though it is recognised that this review proposes a small fare increase. For full fare-paying passengers, day tickets are available from providers which can help to offset any negative impact on cost.

Cost of delivering proposal in rural areas

Existing services for rural communities

Potentially negative without mitigation

This review has been designed to avoid leaving rural communities in Land based industries


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Rural businesses i.e. SMEs

isolation wherever possible, but it is recognised that the removal of some services could leave individuals without access to some services or employment (though it is important to note the difficulties of being certain on this, even after conducting bus passenger surveys). However, the continuation of demand-based (“dial-a-ride”) services and other voluntary and community transport provision, in more isolated areas of the county, will help to mitigate this. In addition, most of the changes of this review relate to evening or weekend services, though it is recognised that this could still impact on some employment.

Employment in rural areas

Existing infrastructure i.e. broadband, ICT, main roads, utilities

Neutral

Landscape or areas that have been protected because of their heritage or rich biodiversity

Neutral

Climate change implications All significant policies, services and project should be assessed for their significance with respect to climate change. To make this as simple as possible you are asked to assess your proposal by its impact on the key drivers of carbon emission within the council. Will your proposal result in an increase or decrease in:

Question Answer

1 Business mileage by officer None


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2 Mileage of our badged fleet None

3 Mileage under contract (eg taxis) This could result in an increase of the use of county demand-based services, or of community and voluntary transport operators supported by Staffordshire County Council.

4 Fuel use in our building or other infrastructure (eg street lighting)

None

5 Fuel use in the building or on the sites of private sector contractors delivering services on our behalf

None

6 Waste generated in the workplace None

7 Other It is recognised that the removal of some buses may result in an increase in private car or taxi use, though it is worth noting that many of the bus journeys within this review are often with very low passenger numbers or even none, which is very inefficient in terms of climate change implications. Linked to this point, it is important to note that the services within this proposal are experiencing very low passenger numbers, meaning that the environmental impact of any private vehicle increase is likely to be small.

appendix b community impact assessment community...

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