Your Views on Norfolk County Council's Enhanced Partnership with Local Bus Operators

Overview

In October 2021 Norfolk County Council (NCC) published its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) with the overall aim of increasing the number of journeys made by public transport in Norfolk and creating an environment where the bus plays its full role in our community’s journey to a Carbon Net Zero future.

In line with guidance (see the first pdf below) Norfolk County Council aims to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan by forming an Enhanced Partnership (EP) with its local bus operators, so in June 2021 NCC published its intent to form an EP. This is a legal partnership; the full details of how the bus operators and Norfolk County Council plan to work together to deliver the BSIP can be found in the Norfolk Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme document (see the second pdf below). 

This consultation calls for your views on bringing the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme into being to deliver the aims of the Bus Service Improvement Plan. At this initial stage we do not know what funding we will receive from the government so have outlined minimal commitments. Once we know the level of funding, this Scheme can be varied to include more aspirational measures and commitments.

A separate consultation on the detail in the BSIP will be launched in Spring 2022. This is when you will have an opportunity to make comments and suggestions on the wide-ranging content of the full BSIP so that we can further develop the EP and prioritise the improvements to be made.

Why your views matter

Forming an Enhanced Partnership between NCC and bus operators is the first phase of an ambitious project aiming to improve the public transport network in Norfolk so that it is more accessible and available for local people and their way of life. One of the aims is to increase the number of people travelling by bus in Norfolk and help to reduce carbon emissions and improve local air quality and quality of life.

Your feedback to this survey will provide us with valuable information on your thoughts about the formation of an Enhanced Partnership to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan and the initial Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme.

If you need a copy of this consultation document in a different format please email haveyoursay@norfolk.gov.uk, call 0344 800 8020 or Text Relay on 18001 0344 800 8020 (textphone) and we will do our best to help.

What happens next

Forming an Enhanced Partnership between NCC and bus operators is the first phase of an ambitious project aiming to improve the public transport network in Norfolk so that it is more accessible and available for local people and their way of life. One of the aims is to increase the number of people travelling by bus in Norfolk and help to reduce carbon emissions and improve local air quality and quality of life.

We will use your feedback to this survey to develop the formation of an Enhanced Partnership to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan.