Transport strategies and funding bids
The Council's Transport Service has produced the following strategies after a series of major consultation exercises:
Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
Government’s National Bus Strategy - “Bus Back Better” - (March 2021) sets out the opportunity to address the challenges facing local bus networks. It requires Cheshire East Council, as the Local Transport Authority to produce and maintain a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) for the whole borough.
The local bus network in Cheshire East is facing a number of challenges due to a long-term structural decline in patronage; compounded by recent loss of ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use of buses could take some time to recover, as passengers need to be confident that using bus services will provide the reliable, safe and cost-effective transport that they expect. These circumstances are not unique to Cheshire East and the Council must work in partnership with local bus companies to make improvements.
Our Bus Service Improvement Plan aims to deliver local bus networks that support our urban and rural economies and contribute to our Environment Strategy. Improving the speed, reliability and quality of public transport will encourage more residents to choose bus, making fewer car journeys and contributing to our carbon reduction challenge.
Cheshire East Bus service improvement plan 2024 (PDF, 2.8MB)
This BSIP outlines our ambitions for the bus network as well as our commitment to delivering improved services for existing bus passengers and growing passenger numbers by encouraging changes in travel behaviour.
We have set out how we plan to improve our buses in our BSIP for 2024 and their alignment to National Bus Strategy for England (NBSfE) objectives. This BSIP builds on the 2021 BSIP and sets out a realistic and attractive plan summarising what has been delivered up to now within Cheshire East, what we have programmed for delivery by 2025, as well as setting out our ambitions and proposals for the future up to 2035 (subject to funding). It also outlines our achievements against 2021 BSIP targets and our refreshed targets and arrangements for monitoring our performance.
Our BSIP will continue to be developed through partnership working between the Council, commercial bus operators and user groups.
Our first BSIP was published on 31 October 2021.
Cheshire East’s Bus Service Improvement Plan 2021 (PDF, 12MB)
Enhanced Partnership
Notice of Intent to Vary EP Plan and Scheme (Transport Act 2000 s138L(1)(a)):
Cheshire East Council is preparing to make changes to the Enhanced Partnership Plan (EP Plan) and Enhanced Partnership Scheme (EP Scheme) documents following updates to the 2024 Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). This variation will be confirmed through a subsequent ‘Notice of EP Plan and EP Scheme variation’ as set out in section 138L of the Transport Act 2000.
On the 21 July 2022 the decision was made to ‘make’ the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme documents following committee endorsement. This decision was made following a bus operator objection period and consultation period running from the 13 June 2022 to the 11 July 2022.
Following the production of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) for Cheshire East and in accordance with Bus Back Better: National Bus Strategy for England, we have worked in unison with bus operators to publish an Enhanced Partnership plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme. These are formal documents which are available for download:
- Enhanced Partnership plan (PDF, 984KB) – contains the high-level vision and objectives for bus services in the local area and reaffirms objectives and targets set out within relevant sections of the BSIP
- Enhanced Partnership scheme (PDF, 834KB) – sets out the precise detail of how the BSIP vision and objectives will be achieved, including any commitments made by the local authority or standards to be met by bus operators.
The Department for Transport (DfT) have announced that Cheshire East will not receive Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding. In light of this, we have scaled back our EP Scheme document to represent what can be achieved without additional funding from central government.
There will be potential to extend the scope and ambition of this scheme document and additional schemes can be introduced in accordance with the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Active travel - walking and cycling
BSOG annual outputs report 2023-2024
Page last reviewed: 26 July 2024
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