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 Plan 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, has developed an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme.
In order to formally ‘make’ the Plan and Scheme, the Council followed the statutory guidance and processes, consulting operators of qualifying local bus services and undertaking stakeholder consultation.
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 and 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 - additional funding for 2023/24 and 2024/25 - as well as scheme updates.
Enhanced Partnership Variation 02 - August 2023
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 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.
While the BSIP 2024 is not specifically bidding for funding, it will be used by the Government to inform the future Spending Reviews and central transport budget setting.
Cornwall's Bus Service Improvement Plan 2024
Cornwall's Bus service Improvement Plan: Annual Review 2022
Cornwall's Bus Service Improvement Plan 2021
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:
Package 1 – A joint project with Plymouth City Council and Go-Ahead (Plymouth Citybus / Go Cornwall Bus). Cornwall Council will make a financial contribution towards 6 electric buses in South-East Cornwall (Rame Peninsula area) for the service 70 and the required charging infrastructure. This forms part of a larger bid between Plymouth City Council and Go Ahead which will deliver charging infrastructure at the main depot in Plymouth and 50 new electric buses. See Plymouth bus service improvements for further information on this bid.
Package 2 – A Cornwall Council project to bring 7 electric buses to the Truro Park & Ride Service, plus the electric charging infrastructure. The project will also introduce an electric bus and charging infrastructure for the Falmouth Town Service 60 route.
Both bids were successful in being awarded funding and project delivery 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.
