To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committeemeeting held on 4 July 2018.

The Minutes of the 4 July 2018 Extraordinary meeting were approved as a true and correct record.

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no items of urgent business.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair invited the first item of business for the meeting. Andrew Millard, Assistant Director for Planning, Transport and Public Protection began by reminding the Committee of the reasons C2C had been asked to attend. Notably the serious delays that had been experienced locally, the question asked at Full Council and Councillor Pothecary’s request at the previous meeting. He then asked the representatives to speak.

Joel Mitchell, C2C Delivery Director and Simon Ancona, Network Rail Chief Operations Officer introduced a PowerPoint Presentation detailing the services managed by C2C, the challenges they had been facing and the steps which had been taken to address them. Key points from the presentation identified that C2C had recently been purchased by Traintalia and experienced a shortage of train drivers. Once concluded, the representatives invited their colleague, Stephen Webster of the British Transport Police to brief the committee on issues of trespass on railway lines which had caused disruptions.

Stephen Webster explained that he led a team of officers on the Anglian Route and that this Route had been the only one in the country which had a dedicated transport police team, funded by C2C. Mr Webster highlighted key issues for the area including trespass and vandalism, which had contributed to poor performance on the route. Mr Webster then went on to explain the approaches which had been undertaken to address these problems both reactively and proactively.

The Chair invited questions from Members of the Committee. Councillor Pothecary thanked the representatives for their informative presentation and expressed the frustration that she and her constituents had experienced due to a lack of communication from C2C when service disruptions had taken place. The Councillor suggested a system be considered whereby notice of service disruptions on the C2C line could be made available at Tower Hill Underground Station to prevent commuters needing to walk to Fenchurch Street only to be turned away. Similarly; notifications on the Jubilee Line for disruptions affecting West Ham and vice-versa.

Joel Mitchell stated that he agreed that communication was a key priority for improvement and was interested in the suggestions put forward.

Councillor Pothecary then asked if trespass had been a significant issue on this route. Mr Webster explained that it was, but a significant proportion of this had been down to individuals with Mental Health problems and attempted suicides. He further stated that this route had a lot of Level Crossings and covered a vast area which had made it very difficult to secure.

The Chair thanked Joel Mitchell, Simon Ancona and Stephen Webster for their presentation and invited them to leave the Committee Room if they wished to do so.

Councillor Pothecary asked why Purfleet had been chosen as the Integrated Medical Centre (IMC) site to serve Aveley and Ockendon, as she had felt this was less accessible to residents of those areas. The Councillor further asked why the location in Grays had been chosen as it had been the least accessible part of Grays.

Steve Cox, Corporate Director for Place stated that Purfleet IMC formed part of the Purfleet regeneration scheme which was why it had been that location. The Director clarified that the Grays site had been chosen as the site already exists, and was the location of the current medical centre.

Councillor Piccolo stated that Orsett Hospital did not have good transport links and was further for most people to travel to than the proposed sites. He also felt that waiting times may be reduced by the services being less centralised and that pressures on A&E might also be eased.

Councillor Pothecary stated that a key point raised in the consultation was that the majority of residents drove or got driven to Orsett Hospital, especially if they had been undergoing a procedure which would make public transport use difficult. The Councillor pointed out that the proposed sites were not driver friendly. Lastly Councillor Pothecary stated that the IMC’s did not provide “more”, rather they were a new way of rationing out the existing provisions.

Councillor Piccolo stated that the IMC’s would be more than medical and would include other services such has libraries and self-help groups. The Councillor felt that the IMC’s offered a more holistic approach to care and prevention, especially by tackling isolation in the community.

The Director stated that consideration would be given to the concerns around parking and vehicle access. Councillor Pothecary asked if the Committee could see a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding, to which the Director agreed.

The Chair asked if consideration had been given to preserving the frontage of Tilbury Square, as this area had been the locus of the community. The Director stated that the IMC was being designed with the preservation of the integrity of the local frontage in mind.

RESOLVED

The Planning, Transport and Regeneration Committee commented on the current development with the delivery of the 4 Integrated Medical Centres across Thurrock.

Julie Nelder, Assistant Director for Highways, Fleet and Logistics introduced the report stating that the Council had two options before it to address the expiring Bus Shelter Contract. Thurrock could either buy the existing Bus Shelters from the current supplier, or buy new units of the Councils choosing. The Assistant Director explained that purchasing the existing units would cost £440,000 however the shelters were no longer in good condition and would require imminent renewal. The preferred option therefore was to procure new units to a specification of the Councils choosing. The proposed specifications included digital advertising, live timetable and solar panels, with the ultimate goal that each unit would be self-sustaining both in terms of solar power, and cost via advertising revenue.

Councillor Anderson asked if the new shelters would include Wi-Fi. The Assistant Director stated that this had not been specifically considered but was a good idea.

RESOLVED

The Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes the procurement of a new bus shelter contract.

The Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes delegated authority to award a contract will be sought from cabinet.

Julie Nelder, Assistant Director for Highways, Fleet and Logistics introduced the report stating that the Council had a duty to consider any route not served by commercial bus service providers. The Assistant Director explained that the term of the proposed contract had been increased, with an option to extend added in an attempt to generate more interest from providers.

Councillor Piccolo asked what the Councils fall back option was if the provider could not manage the new service. The Assistant Director stated that the contract would include clauses to allow the Council to withdraw from the contract if this became the case.

Councillor Pothecary subsidised bus routes had been an issue previously and asked what the usage statistics for the proposed routes were. Councillor further asked if residents felt there was a need for the service and how the Council will monitor to ensure value for money. The Assistant Director stated that the statistics will be provided at a later meeting and that the service would connect villages which would otherwise have no public transport links. Adding that flexibility would be a key part of the contract.

Councillor Pothecary asked if this would include the flexibility to add or remove routes as needs arose. The Assistant Director indicated that this would be the case.

RESOLVED

The Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the details of the report.

The Committee agreed to an extraordinary meeting on 17 October 2018.

The Committee agreed to move the item “Update on Schemes” to the January meeting and that the item “Local Plan Update” be withdrawn from the January meeting.

Steve Cox, Corporate Director of Place stated that the item “Freight and Logistics” may be withdrawn from the Work Programme and the Committee noted this.