Cornwall's Enhanced Partnership
In March 2021, the Government published Bus Back Better. This is the first National Bus Strategy. It is aimed at transforming public transport and driving the green recovery. Bus Back Better requires local transport authorities and bus operators to work together to:
- establish Enhanced Partnerships and
- develop Bus Service Improvement Plans
Bus Service Improvement Plans set out what the Enhanced Partnership will deliver to make buses:
- easier
- cheaper and
- more convenient to use
Bus Back Better is seen as welcome guidance by Cornwall Council. The content and direction of strategy reflects the work undertaken by the Transportation Service in recent years to deliver the One Public Transport System for Cornwall (OPTSfC) programme.
Cornwall Council, in collaboration with bus operators, 'made' an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme in April 2022. The Council followed the statutory guidance and processes. This required consultation with operators of qualifying local bus services and stakeholders.
One objection was received from Royal Buses during the operator objection period. This objection alone was insufficient to prevent the Enhanced Partnership process from continuing. It has in fact led to further positive engagement.
Cornwall’s Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme was updated -
- November 2022 to reflect the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding award.
- August 2023 to reflect the Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) funding award and additional funding for 2023/24 and 2024/25. This also included scheme updates.
- May 2024 - a separate Enhanced Partnership Scheme for Transport for Cornwall Marketing and Information was developed in line with the statutory process and adopted in May 2024.
Cornwall Council has further updated the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme and split them into separate documents to make updating them easier. The Council chose to go through the statutory process of full consultation on these documents due to the separation of the documents.
One objection was received from Royal Buses during the operator objection period. This objection alone was insufficient to prevent the Enhanced Partnership process from continuing.
The current Enhanced Partnership Plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme from July 2025 are below:
For further information, please contact: transport@cornwall.gov.uk
Bus Service Improvement Plan
The Government's Bus Back Better strategy contained an announcement of £3bn of funding. This funding aims to help improve bus services across England making buses:
- easier to use
- more reliable and
- more affordable
This Strategy requires local authorities to work with local bus operators to develop Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). Cornwall's BSIP presents a shared vision for the future of buses in the county.
The first round of BSIPs in 2021 was a way of bidding for funding to improve local bus services. Cornwall Council was awarded funding of £13.3m to deliver a package of schemes within its BSIP between 2022-2025. BSIP funding can only fund improvement schemes agreed with the Government. These schemes aim to:
- maintain the network
- improve bus priority
- reliability
- simplify fares and
- grow patronage
Cornwall received additional revenue funding known as BSIP+ in July 2023. This funding was awarded to some local transport authorities to enable them to maintain existing bus networks. This was following the end of government funding to support the bus industry recovery post-pandemic. Cornwall Council received £3.9m split across 2023/24 and 2024/25.
In June 2024, Cornwall Council submitted its latest BSIP to the Government. This details the work undertaken so far to deliver the BSIP schemes that funding was granted for in 2022. It also sets out the future priorities for the bus network going forward.
A new allocation of £10.59m Bus Grant funding for 2025/26 has been awarded to Cornwall Council. This includes:
- £9.72m BSIP funding - £5.48m revenue funding will be focused on maintaining the existing bus network. £4.24m capital funding will improve access and deliver upgrades to:
- bus stations
- bus stops and
- real-time passenger information screens
- £0.87m funding to include: Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) to support tendered bus services. As well as an allocation to support BSIP delivery.
Improvement and delivery plans
Cornwall's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) Projects
In early 2024, Cornwall Council was awarded £1.3m funding from a £129m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) fund.
The Government's ZEBRA 2 fund invited local authorities to develop bids that would introduce new zero emission buses (ZEBs) into the local bus fleet. Authorities could bid for funding that would cover up to:
- 75% of the difference between a ZEB and a conventional diesel bus; and
- 75% of the required charging infrastructure.
Cornwall Council developed two ZEBRA 2 bids to employ ZEBs and charging infrastructure to Cornwall. These bids will be match-funded from the Council's Climate Change and Renewable Energy Capital Fund:
Scheme 1 – A joint project with Plymouth City Council and Go-Ahead (Plymouth Citybus / Go Cornwall Bus). Cornwall Council has contributed funding towards 6 electric buses and charging infrastructure to operate the Service 70. The Service 70 on the Rame Peninsula will be operated by these new buses from July 2025. This is part of a larger project between Plymouth City Council and Go Ahead. It introduces 50 new electric buses and charging infrastructure to the Milehouse Depot in Plymouth. See Zero-emission bus regional area (ZEBRA) project | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK for further information on this scheme.
Scheme 2 – A Cornwall Council project to introduce 7 electric buses to the Truro Park & Ride (P&R) Service in October 2025. The infrastructure to charge the buses will also be delivered at both P&R sites. The same project has introduced an electric bus and charging infrastructure to the Falmouth Town Service (Service 60) operated by OTS. This new electric vehicle began service in June 2025.
Read about Cornwall's first electric bus taking to the road
The delivery of both schemes has commenced. Fourteen electric buses will be introduced to Cornwall's fleet in 2025. This will help the Council to progress towards decarbonising transport in Cornwall. It will also help to pave the way for the future delivery of electric vehicles into Cornwall’s fleet.