Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S Cornwell and P Windley.

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time. 

There were no interests declared at this meeting.  

To approve as a correct record and the Chair to sign the Minutes of the Business Scrutiny Committee held on 24 September 2024.  

The Chair clarified that during the ‘How’s Business? Survey’ agenda item in the 24 September draft minutes, it did not include that Members were interested in comparing apprentices and business types.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Business Scrutiny Committee held on 24 September 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair subject to one addition.

To hear about the current public transport provision across Derbyshire and DCC’s plans for the future, and to voice any concerns back to DCC and EMCCA Reps.

Chris Hegarty, DCC / Cllr David Hughes, Derbyshire Dales District Council/East Midlands County Combined Authority Rep on Scrutiny Board

The Bus Service Improvement Plan Technical Lead from Derbyshire County Council, Chris Hegarty, delivered a presentation to the Committee updating them on current bus service provision and changes in the County. The presentation included details on:

• The market for buses
• The Derbyshire bus network
• National Bus Strategy
• County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan
• What funding is spent on
• Work undertaken since 2023
• Bus service enhancements in North East Derbyshire District
• Passenger satisfaction survey
• Plans for future years
• Electric buses

Members asked about the passenger numbers before and after the COVID pandemic. Mr. Hegarty explained that there were around 24 million passenger journeys a year pre-pandemic, but the pandemic saw the County Council lose a quarter of its bus passengers, although these numbers were slowly improving.  Members were also informed that the majority of the bus service is provided by private companies, which are funded solely by the County.

Mr. Hegarty advised that in November 2022 the County were rewarded £47 million, by the Department for Transport (DfT), to be spent over 3 years.  DfT made clear how that funding was to be spent, and since 2023 a number of improvements have been made including increased frequencies of buses, adding new destinations and longer bus running times, new ticket purchase options (i.e. flat rates, wayfarer tickets), new Real Time Information (RTI) signs, additional transport hubs, station improvements. 

The Committee were informed that going forward from April 2025 the responsibility for public transport provision will be through the East Midlands County Combined Authority, so it was unclear as to what to expect in future.

Members asked if bus shelters in particular areas could be installed or replaced by the County Council. Mr. Hegarty stated that the County Council will pay half of the cost to replace bus shelters, with the other half being funded through someone i.e. parishes and the District Council. He also added that the County Council were currently replacing old shelters with their newly designed ones.

Members discussed digital bus stop displays and ticket machines, and asked what causes some areas to not have them on their bus stops. Mr. Hegarty explained that it depended on internet coverage as some areas were “black spots” which causes some issues.

Members shared anecdotes of some bus services becoming more unreliable in recent years. Mr. Hegarty explained that the COVID pandemic had caused driver shortages which was being addressed by County Council.  However, Members were informed about the new Travel on Demand service, which was a pre-bookable service with flat rate arrangements in place.  This service gave passengers direct travel to their destinations.

Members were concerned with Mr. Hegarty informing them that the bus budget for County Council was going to decrease, because it would coincide with passenger numbers increasing as we got further away from the COVID pandemic. Mr. Hegarty stated that this was a concern officers at County Council were aware of and would give consideration to.

The Chair thanked Mr. Hegarty for his attendance.

RESOLVED – That the  ...  view the full minutes text for item BSC29/24-25

Council Plan Targets Performance.

Kath Drury, Information, Engagement and Performance Manager and Amar Bashir, Improvement Officer. 

The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager presented a report setting out progress on the strategies underpinning the Council Plan objective ‘A great place to work’ for the period ending 30 September 2024.

Members were updated on progress under the following objective sub-categories in Appendix 1 of the report:

1)    Community with a diverse range of commutable employment that match the skills of residents.

2)    Community with growing commutable employment opportunities.

The Chair stated that he recently went to a Business Network Meeting in Dronfield, and he felt it would be beneficial if someone went to the next meeting representing the Council as a whole. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager responded that she would discuss the possibility with the Economic Development and Regeneration Manager.

Members discussed big businesses in the manufacturing sector, and asked if there had been any interest from big businesses in attending the aforementioned Business Network Meeting. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager responded that she would ask the Economic Development and Regeneration Manager about this point as well.

Members enquired how many medium-term and long-term void properties the Council had at the current time, and what was being done to make these properties lettable. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager responded that she would also ask the Economic Development and Regeneration Manager about this.

RESOLVED - That progress against the Council Plan “A great place to work” objective was noted.

To inform Committee of recent and forthcoming Cabinet business.

A digest of Cabinet decisions taken since 23 May 2024.  This information is published by Cabinet meeting on the Council’s website.  Cabinet Agendas, Decisions and Minutes can be viewed at: Cabinet

The Forward Plan of Executive decisions.

Plans

These plans are updated to include new business.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented a digest of Cabinet decisions taken since the last Committee meeting on 9 September 2024. The digest set out key information for each decision.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer also presented Members with the Forward Plan of Executive Decisions for the period 15 October 2024 – 15 November 2024.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted. 

Highlights following the budget announcement.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer informed the Committee that there were a number of things to make Members aware of in light of the Government’s recent Autumn Budget, and pointed them to the DCN Briefing that had been circulated at the meeting.

The Committee were informed that the Senior Management Team were working through the information and incorporating it into the Medium Term Financial Plan which would be presented to Members in due course. 

RESOLVED – That the update was noted. 

To contribute to major Policies being considered by the Council.   

The Senior Scrutiny Officer informed the Committee that there were no major policies for Members to consider.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To consider and contribute to potential changes in the operating environment which may include legislation, regulation and key projects being undertaken by the Council, for example.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer updated Members on potential significant changes in the Council’s operating environment, including changes to national legislation and regulation.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer explained that there was nothing to bring to the attention of Members.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted. 

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented the draft Work Programme 2024/25 for the Committee to consider.

The Chair referred to the issue in the Work Programme not assigned to a date about the Portfolio Holder for Growth & Assets attending a Committee meeting to speak about the Growth Strategy, and explained that because of the Autumn Budget, this might have to wait until a later meeting to allow any changes to be considered and accommodated.

Members referred to the Growth Strategy presentation given by the Assistant Director of Regeneration and Programmes on the 24 September 2025 meeting. Members agreed that they would like the Assistant Director to come to the same Committee meeting as the Portfolio Holder for Growth & Assets, to allow him to elaborate on some of the information shared on 24 September 2025.

RESOLVED - That the Work Programme 2024/25 be approved.

To reflect on what the Committee had done to help the Council achieve the goal of making the District a Great Place for our Community.

The Chair asked Members to reflect on if the work of the Committee at the meeting had added value to the Council Plan objectives.

Members felt the meeting had been very informative and had contributed towards the Council Plan objectives.

Members raised two concerns relating to the discussions at the meeting: if the Council can do more to cover the bus ‘black spots’, and how the Autumn Budget is going to affect larger businesses in the District. The Senior Scrutiny Officer stated that she would raise the budget concerns with the Senior Management Team.

To consider any other matter which the Chair of the Committee is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

None.

The next meeting of the Business Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to take place on 24 February 2025 at 3.00 pm.

The next meeting of the Business Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to take place on 24 February 2025 at 3.00 pm.