To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies had been received from Councillor Elizabeth Foxton and Councillor Robert Owens.

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

Councillor Liz Harvey substituted for Councillor Elizabeth Foxton.

Councillor Ben Proctor substituted for Councillor Robert Owens.  

To receive declarations of interests from members of the committee in respect of items on the agenda.

Councillor Proctor declared his involvement in assisting running buses in his capacity as a councillor.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2026.

The minutes of the previous meeting were received.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2026 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairperson.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

No questions had been received from members of the public.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

No questions had been received from members of the council.

To provide the committee with an overview of the transformation of the economy and environment directorate.

1. The committee considered the transformation of the Economy and Environment Directorate, with discussion focused on whether the revised structure had strengthened the council's ability to deliver its environmental ambitions and respond to climate-related challenges. Concerns were raised that environmental priorities, including the climate and ecological emergency declaration, did not appear to have been a primary driver of the transformation.

2. Officers explained that environmental responsibility had been embedded across the organisation rather than concentrated within a single service area. They stated that the transformed structure was intended to encourage integrated working across departments and ensure that environmental considerations formed part of all council activities.

3. Members explored whether the new arrangements had improved the council's resilience and responsiveness to issues such as flooding, drought and wildfire risk. Officers highlighted work undertaken with communities, partners and internal services to improve preparedness and strengthen the council's ability to respond to emerging environmental challenges.

4. During discussion of resources and priorities, some members expressed concern that environmental objectives could be overshadowed by economic ambitions. In response, officers and members emphasised that economic growth and environmental sustainability should be viewed as complementary rather than competing objectives, with long-term prosperity dependent upon environmental resilience.

5. Attention then turned to performance management. Members questioned how the success of the transformation could be measured and suggested that clearer key performance indicators were required to demonstrate improvements in responsiveness, collaboration and service delivery. Officers accepted that performance measures could be strengthened and agreed that further work on meaningful KPIs would be beneficial.

6. Further debate focused on the absence of an overarching environmental framework. Members noted that while several individual strategies and plans existed, there was no single document bringing them together to provide a coherent strategic direction. Officers acknowledged that existing plans could be better integrated and presented within an overarching narrative.

7. The committee also considered the role of risk management. Members questioned whether climate change, environmental resilience and wider county-level sustainability risks were sufficiently reflected within current corporate risk arrangements. It was suggested that a broader approach to environmental risk management would assist strategic planning and resource allocation.

8. Discussion subsequently examined working relationships across the directorate. Officers reported that regular cross-service meetings, joint working arrangements and informal collaboration were helping planning, transport and environmental teams to work more closely together, despite responsibilities being contained within separate teams..

9. Members also reviewed specialist environmental capacity. Officers advised that limited core resources were supplemented through grant-funded programmes, enabling the council to access specialist expertise in areas such as ecology, nature recovery, retrofit programmes and river management. Members emphasised the importance of ensuring that specialist environmental expertise remained a key consideration within future budget planning, to meet specific demands such as conducting habitat impacting assessments timely in planning applications.

10. Finally, the committee considered the process for environmental impact assessments. Officers explained that assessments were generally undertaken where required for specific projects and major schemes, often using external specialist consultants. Quality assurance arrangements formed part of the project governance process, with project teams and senior responsible  ...  view the full minutes text for item 178.

To provide the Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee with the final report of its Bus and Passenger Services Task and Finish Group.

1.     The committee received the final report of the Bus Provision Task and Finish Group and thanked the group members and officers for their work. Members heard that the review had taken place over the course of a year and had considered a wide range of issues including bus legislation, school transport, SEND transport, community transport, demand responsive transport, network integration, funding arrangements and cross-border services. The report concluded with eight recommendations aimed at improving connectivity, accessibility and the long-term sustainability of bus services across the county.

2.     The Chair of the Task and Finish Group explained that the review had been undertaken during a period of significant change within the bus sector, including new legislation, changes to funding arrangements and developments in transport policy. Members recognised that improvements to bus services were already being progressed and that scrutiny had helped support and shape this work.

3.     The committee discussed the format of the recommendations and agreed that the full report, including the supporting narrative beneath each recommendation, would be presented to Cabinet. Members considered that the explanatory text provided important context and detail for the recommendations.

4.     Members considered proposed amendments to the report. Discussion focused on strengthening wording relating to the Enhanced Partnership and the need to support bus operators to engage with government-funded fare schemes, including the £2 fare cap initiative. Concerns were raised that not all operators appeared willing to participate, which could create inequalities in fare levels across different parts of the county. Officers advised that the council and Enhanced Partnership could encourage and support participation but could not compel operators to take part.

5.     The committee also considered amendments to the recommendation on rural mobility innovation. Members agreed it was important that future transport solutions were assessed not only on passenger demand and value for money, but also on their ability to address transport inequalities affecting rural communities.

6.     During the debate, members discussed the importance of improved data collection, performance monitoring and evidence gathering to support future decisions on bus provision and subsidy. It was acknowledged that assessing demand in rural areas was challenging and that pilot schemes, community-led initiatives and ongoing monitoring could help inform future service development.

Resolved that:

1.     The committee agreed the eight recommendations contained within the Task and Finish Group report and;

2.     approved the proposed amendments to the supporting text as set out below:

“Strengthen the Enhanced Partnership

The Enhanced Partnership should develop a more proactive, co-ordinated and structured approach to performance monitoring, accountability and data sharing, and should include structured engagement with Community Transport Providers as part of partnership discussions and future accessibility planning. Regular reporting and agreed performance measures will help support evidence-led decision-making, collaborative problem solving and continuous improvement across the network. The Enhanced Partnership should work with operators to overcome barriers to adoption of government intervention schemes such as the Summer Bus fare Offer and the £2 bus fare cap.“

“Adopt an Evidence-Led Approach to Rural Mobility Innovation

The Council should explore emerging  ...  view the full minutes text for item 179.

To consider the work programme for the committee.

1.     The committee reviewed its work programme and agreed that the scheduled December items on carbon management and the rail strategy should remain in place, subject to further planning discussions with officers. Members noted that any amendments arising from those discussions would be circulated ahead of the meeting.

2.     Members also discussed the proposed flooding spotlight review, considering its scope, officer capacity, and areas of focus. Views were expressed on flood prevention, riparian responsibilities, emergency response arrangements, support for affected residents, and community resilience. It was agreed that further discussions with officers would take place to develop a clear scope, terms of reference and programme of work, with proposals to be brought forward for agreement by December.

Wednesday 2 December 2026, 10am

Wednesday 2 December 2026, 10am