Your views on Norfolk County Council's Post16 Transport Policy Statement

Overview

This is our Post16 Transport Policy Statement consultation which asks for feedback on proposed changes to the way we help with transport for students in post-16 education – in this case, to the Post16 Travel Scheme. 

Norfolk County Council works with local bus and train operators to offer subsidised travel for eligible students aged between 16 and 18 years old, travelling to their sixth form, college, or other education provider. This is part of the Council’s statutory duty. 

We want to review our policy to make sure we offer the best value for money and meet the needs of our families and young people. Whenever we are looking to make changes to the Post16 Travel Scheme we consider and test the impact on young people and their families. We have considered both the challenging financial climate for Norfolk County Council, the increased cost of living for our families and the impact any changes will have on our children and young people. 

Norfolk County Council continues to face higher costs and demand for services, which was the case even before the recent rise in inflation. Initial proposals to save £13 million as part of a £60 million target for next year were considered by councillors on 3 October 2022. One of those savings proposals was to save £100,000 by changing the way we deliver the Post16 Travel Scheme - following consideration of the potential impact on increased costs for families, this will not be implemented for the 2023/24 academic year.   

We are proposing to increase the cost of parental contributions (how much families/young people pay for) the Post16 Travel Scheme by 3% for the academic year 2023/24. We usually increase the cost of the Scheme each year in-line with inflation. However, current cost of living pressures and after speaking to post-16 education providers, we are proposing not to match the rate of inflation this year and instead apply a 3% increase.   

To make sure we continue to support families with varying circumstances, we will continue to fund transport in exceptional cases and on a case-by-case basis. 

Any future changes that are considered for 2023/24 will involve further consultation which will be completed at the earliest possible time.

Why your views matter

We are proposing to increase the cost of all payment options (daily, annual, termly, and half-termly) by 3%. This is less than the 5.5% expected inflationary increase. We would like to find out current and future users and their families’ views about the proposal.  

We are consulting through: 

• This consultation, which is also available as a paper copy 

• Emails to current users, key partners and stakeholders 

This consultation starts on Friday 19 May and will close on Friday 9 June at midnight. Please note that if we receive any consultation responses after Friday 9 June, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to take them into account. 

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. 

The consultation should take between 5 – 10 minutes to complete. 

A PDF version of this consultation along with the Easy Read and Large Print versions are available to download at the bottom of the page. 

The full Post16 Transport Policy Statement for 2023/24 is also available for download at the bottom of the page.

What happens next

How we will make our decision and report back to you

We will publish a report about the findings of this consultation on our website. 

We will consider the consultation responses we receive very carefully. In particular, we will consider:  

• The impact of any proposal on individuals, groups of communities and on people identified as having ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics are: age; disability; gender reassignment; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation. As well as this equality impact assessment, councillors will consider the impact of proposals on rural areas.  

• The views of people, partners and other stakeholders consulted.  

• The evidence of need and what is proven to work effectively and well.  

• The financial and legal positions and any constraints at the time.    

• Any potential alternative options, models, or ideas for making savings.  

You can send back a paper feedback form to:  
   
Freepost Plus RTCL-XSTT-JZSK, Norfolk County Council, Ground floor – south wing, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH.  

However, if you want to help the council save money, please use a stamp, and send to this address: Stakeholder and Consultation Team, Norfolk County Council, Ground floor – south wing, County Hall, Martineau Lane, NR1 2DH.  

You may wish to keep a copy of your response to our consultation for your own records.  

Your opinions are valuable to us. Thank you for taking the time to read this document and respond. 

If you need this document in large print, audio, Braille, alternative format or in a different language please email us at haveyoursay@norfolk.gov.uk or contact Customer Services on 0344 800 8020 or Text Relay on 18001 0344 800 8020 (textphone) and we will do our best to help.