Nottingham City Council has secured a £1.84 million grant from the Department for Transport.
In a decision published by the council today – a £1,840,000 Bus service improvement plan grant from the department of transport has been accepted with the following intended uses and dates.
The council can use this funding to support the operating cost of non-statutory public transport infrastructure and services, that would otherwise cease to operate in 2024-25 due to the council’s budgetary restrictions removing all non-statutory provision, including Victoria Bus Station, Queens Drive and Colwick Park and Ride, Smart Ticketing and the Linkbus / Medilink bus networks. This decision also seeks to extend the contracts of the 50,53 & 54 bus services until March 2026.
The grant is for:
• £595,283 to extend the existing contracts of bus services listed above from 1 December 2025 until March 2026.
• £1,244,717 to support the revenue costs of bus networks, bus stations, park and rides, ticketing machines and information systems listed above from April 2024 – March 2025.
The Bus service improvement plan was previously approved on 18/10/2022 at Executive Board with further funding labelled BSIP+ approved on 18/09/2023 through a leaders key decision.
The council says funding is vital to the bus service and therefore Nottingham City, and its residents, and is therefore approved. The Department will ensure the requirements of the funding are adhered to, with the grant being recorded in the grant register and is correctly reflected in the budget and forecast for the service.
This funding, part of the Network North Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), will maintain essential public transport infrastructure and extend service contracts through to March 2026.
The grant comes at a critical time when the council is grappling with significant financial challenges that threatened to end non-statutory public transport services, including vital bus networks and park-and-ride facilities.
Services like the Victoria Bus Station and the Queens Drive and Colwick Park and Rides would have faced imminent shutdown.
This financial boost will be used to cover operating costs for the 2024-25 period, ensuring the continuation of the Linkbus and Medilink bus networks, which are essential for providing connectivity to key areas across the city, including hospitals and neighbourhoods.
Additionally, the funding will support the extension of contracts for the 50, 53, and 54 bus routes, which not only serve the city’s periphery but are also the only services offering orbital connectivity around Nottingham.
This funding agreement was ratified following a comprehensive Project Adjustment Request process with the Department for Transport, which was essential to align the grant use with existing contractual provisions and broader transport strategies.
The grant is also subject to stringent conditions, including the completion of a refreshed BSIP and a bus connectivity assessment by June 2024, ensuring that the council’s initiatives are both sustainable and accountable. Compliance with these conditions will mitigate financial risks and avoid any potential clawback of the funds.
The Government Commissioners have agreed the decision.
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