Latest news with #SustainablePowys
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Powys Public Transport Network Upgrade Agreed by Cabinet
Plans to upgrade the Powys' public transport network have been agreed by the Powys County Council's Cabinet. Following a comprehensive engagement and consultation exercise, the council has revised its local bus timetables and service routes, incorporating public feedback to ensure a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable transport network. The upgraded network aims to deliver the Sustainable Powys ambition of connecting communities and localities to their core towns within an hour's journey time. It also provides for longer distance services throughout the county and for onward travel to bigger towns and cities across the borders that Powys residents may need to get to for health, education and other services that are not available locally. With an increase in routes, bus numbers and more evening and weekend travel options, the agreed upgrade will require additional funding of a one-off investment of £1.349 million and an annual increase in budget of £2.354 million. These costs will be taken to an Extraordinary Full Council meeting on 4 July for approval. Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys, said: 'Following the agreement at today's Cabinet meeting to upgrade the county's public transport network, and subject to full council approval, Powys communities will soon be able to benefit from a more connected county. The upgraded public transport network in Powys aims to provide more reliable and frequent services in rural areas with better connections between towns and key services. 'If the additional funding requirements are approved by full council early next month, the new seven-year contracts will be awarded to a range of local and regional transport operators who will begin delivering enhanced services with greater connectivity from September 2025. 'Along with improved public transport provision, we are delighted that the young people of Powys will also benefit from the extension of the Welsh Government young person's travel concession (MyTravelPass) from September 2025, allowing them to travel on buses within Wales for just £1.' Details of the new services will be publicised later in the summer.
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Plan to overhaul Powys public transport reaches a key stage
Plans to transform Powys' bus network so no resident is more than an hour's travel from one of the county's five core towns has taken a leap forward. A full council meeting next month will see the plans face their final test, with members needing to agree to spent £1.349 million in the first instance, and to increase the travel budget by £2.35 million a year to allow the changes to happen. Powys County Council's Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet met on Tuesday, June 24, and discussed a report on bus service contracts in that county as well as details of a consultation held earlier this year on the proposed timetable changes. Under the Sustainable Powys programme Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod, Brecon and Ystradgynlais are being designated the county's core towns. And the new network is aimed at ensuring communities can get to their local core town within an hour's travel. It also provides for longer distance services and onward travel to bigger towns and cities across the borders where Powys residents access services such as health. Details of the new services will be published later in the summer. Cllr Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a greener Powys who is responsible for transport, said 'Subject to full council approval, Powys communities will soon be able to benefit from a more connected county. "The upgraded public transport network in Powys aims to provide more reliable and frequent services in rural areas with better connections between towns and key services. 'If the additional funding requirements are approved by full council early next month, the new seven-year contracts will be awarded to a range of local and regional transport operators who will begin delivering enhanced services with greater connectivity from September 2025. 'Along with improved public transport provision, we are delighted that the young people of Powys will also benefit from the extension of the Welsh Government young person's travel concession (MyTravelPass) from September 2025, allowing them to travel on buses within Wales for just £1.' Speaking at Tuesday's meeting Cllr Charlton added: 'We engaged, consulted and listened to lots of feedback from public transport users, this is the starting point for along the improvement journey for local transport users." She added that 'lots of ideas' for further improvement had been received from consultation feedback which could be used in the future if more money is found. Cllr Gary Mitchell (Plaid Cymru) vice-chairman of the Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee criticised the lateness of the report coming in front of the councillors and that it had to be 'squeezed in' to a special 'last minute' meeting last Friday (June 20). Cllr Mitchell said: 'There were only two options, and that limits us in making recommendations and we must understand there are significant budget pressures to both of them.' Finance portfolio holder, Cllr David Thomas (Labour) said that he was 'confident' that the extra money could be found within council budgets to fund the proposal. Former council leader and now portfolio holder for a prosperous Powys, Cllr James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat) said: 'The perception out there is we hardly ever see a bus in Powys, when you look at the list there is a really comprehensive network operating and this will enhance that immensely.'
Powys County Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
How 'enhanced' bus services coming to Powys will look
'Enhanced' bus services could be coming to Powys after recommendations to the council. Powys County Council said it has revised its local bus timetables and service routes, incorporating public feedback to 'ensure a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable transport network'. This comes after a full public engagement and consultation on local bus services which took place through 2024 and earlier this year. According to Powys County Council, members of the public said there needed to be 'more reliable and frequent services in rural areas' and 'better connections between towns and key services'. There were also calls for 'improved accessibility for older residents and those with mobility challenges' and 'affordable and simplified fare structures'. The council said that, following approval from cabinet, contracts will be awarded to a range of local and regional operators, who will begin 'delivering enhanced services with greater connectivity' from September 2025 Cllr Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a greener Powys, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in the public engagement and consultation. 'Your feedback has directly helped shaped the future of public transport in Powys. The proposed new services will help us build a more connected county. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app 'With the council's commitment for a Sustainable Powys, this improved public transport network is aimed at supporting public transport services from our communities and localities into the county's core towns within an hour's journey time. 'We look forward to working with our new transport partners to deliver on this vision for Powys.' Under the Sustainable Powys scheme, services look set to be centred on five core towns - Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod Wells, Brecon and Ystradgynlais.
Powys County Times
31-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Powys County Council discusses Sustainable Powys plan
Communications must improve if Powys County Council is to succeed in its bid to get a sustainability bid off the ground. The authority wants to create 'Sustainable Powys' and has already had meetings with town and community councils. Apart from the framework of five core towns from where council services will be centred upon, little detail on the future shape of Powys has been made public so far. At a meeting of the Governance and Audit Committee last week, members received an internal audit report from SWAP (South West Audit Partnership) who had evaluated the 'delivery arrangements' for Sustainable Powys. SWAP assistant director Ian Halstead said one of the areas of improvement was around communication. He said that all parties need to have a 'realistic understanding and expectation' of Sustainable Powys and how it 'turns from concept through to delivery.' Cllr Pete Lewington said that the report did not tell him 'how effectively' the council had engaged with partners and explained what Sustainable Powys actually means. Cllr Lewington said: 'Effective engagement is really crucial, especially when you think about what your asking communities to do. 'This should be beyond just measuring the numbers of participants especially as conclusions and decisions are reached by extrapolating from a very small number of participants.' Cllr Graham Breeze said: 'I've attended two public engagement meetings with community councils over the last couple of months. 'The feedback there was that community councils have not grasped this yet and didn't understand it.' Director of Corporate Services Jane Thomas said the 'initial engagement' done with Powys councillors, the wider public and town and community councils had 'set some foundations.' She explained that Powys Council had just finished its 'second tranche' of town and community council meetings. Ms Thomas told the committee that she had met with Cllr Sian Cox, the portfolio holder for adult social care, and council leader Cllr Jake Berriman to 'consider the effectiveness of what we are currently doing.' Ms Thomas said: 'We don't believe they (engagement sessions) are being effective either, and we are reflecting on that and changing the way we are doing that." 'This is so we get that buy-in from communities to work with us, which we clearly don't have at this point in time. We know there is some work to do.'
