Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Robert Alden (Birmingham), Councillor Linda Bigham (Coventry), Councillor Bill Gavan (Sandwell), Councillor Saddak Miah (Birmingham) and Councillor Anne Millward (Dudley).

The Chair paid tribute to former councillor Graham Wilkes, a former member of the West Midlands Passenger/Integrated Transport Authority, who had recently passed away.

Councillor Mary Locke paid tribute to former councillors Mohammed Azim and Mohammed Fazal, former members of the Transport Delivery Committee, who had recently passed away.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 11 July 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

The forward plan of items to be reported to futures meetings of the committee was noted.

(1)      The year to date position as at the end of August 2022 against the Transport for West Midlands revenue budget, showing an overall favourable variance of £1.4m, was noted.

(2)      The Transport for West Midlands capital programme expenditure as at the end of August 2022, totalling £102.1m, which was £38.3m below budget, was noted.

(1)      The achievements since the July meeting of the Transport Delivery Committee were noted.

(2)      The progress of deliverables and outturn of the 2022/23 capital programme was noted.

(3)      Where indicated, the variations from the baseline programme were noted.

(4)      The approach on future reporting arrangements to the Transport Delivery Committee were endorsed.

The report was noted.

(1)      The proposed approach and activities to enable effective implementation of the Bus Service Improvement Plan were endorsed, recognising the detailed delivery arrangements would be subject to agreement with bus operators.

(2)      The proposal to adopt bus service registration powers from 1 January 2033 to align with the proposed amendment of the Enhanced Partnership, to include the introduction of route requirements within the West Midlands on or after this date, was endorsed.

(3)      The Enhanced Partnership variation 002 was approved.

(4)      The intent to revoke existing Advanced Quality Partnership Schemes, given they would be superseded by a further updated Enhanced Partnership (variation 003) later this year was noted, and the public consultation to this was approved.

It was agreed that this update would be deferred and become a key item for consideration at the next Rail & Metro Member Engagement Group meeting.

The progress to date of the Transport for West Midlands-led initiatives of the cycling and walking programme was noted.

It was agreed that this it would be deferred and would be considered at the next Rail & Metro Member Engagement Group meeting.

It was agreed that this item be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor Richard Worrall:

“ The Transport Delivery Committee wish to express its urgent concerns to the WMCA Board about the prospect, nationally and regionally, of large-scale:

·       closures of railway booking officers and de-staffing of stations; and

·       losses of man bus services and network coverage, should pandemic-related support cease in the coming weeks and months.

We urgently recommend to West Midlands Combined Authority to make urgent representations to the Department for Transport, for example through the Mayor and the Portfolio Lead for Transport to take early steps to avoid the foregoing’.

It was agreed that this item would be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.

The recent activities of the committee’s Member Engagement Groups was noted.

[In accordance with s100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business as it is likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as specified in the paragraphs of the Act.]

The public and press were excluded from the meeting.

(Confidential appendix 2 relating to agenda item number 11)

Monday 14 November 2022 at 1.00pm.