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(Parish Council Update - 30th August 2010)
BUS PETITION
The petition, to ask Newcastle City Council to formally request that Arriva restore daytime bus links with Brunswick has been submitted to The Lord Mayor's Office. The petition which was circulated during August was well supported by residents, both by people appending their signatures and a splendid response from residents who collected them. The petition has been bound, although we did take the precaution of copying it. This will be presented to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle on Wednesday 1st September at 6-00pm in the City Council chambers by Cllr Tom Laidler.
Members of the public, who wish to give moral support, are welcome to attend and should arrive prior to 6-00pm. Cllr Laidler will give a short presentation which will outline the inconvenience caused by removal of the service and a solution to rectify those problems. The petition must be formally accepted by Newcastle City Council. The proceedings are recorded and archived on the NCC website for posterity and Council will formally resolve to refer the petition to the full Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) with Nexus being required to then report receipt and their suggested response to the next ITA meeting. Progress on all Council petitions is also tracked and reported back every quarter, which gives the ward members a chance to highlight at full Council any concerns about delays, inadequate responses etc. We are informed, and North Tyneside is a case in point, that going direct to Nexus or Arriva means it’s not subject to such public scrutiny. Well done everyone involved; even if we fail, we will at least have tried
For those who would like details the statistics are below (complied by Cllr Laidler;
Petition information
Total of 785 signatures (with 4 duplicates).
Of the 785;
662 were from residents of Dinnington
66 were from residents of Brunswick
32 were from residents of Wideopen
11 were from residents of Seaton Burn
8 were from residents of Hazlerigg
6 were from residents of other areas (mainly Kingston Park)
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Bus Services
''No Taxation Without Transportation''
Despite representations by the Parish Council to Arriva, Nexus, Newcastle City Councillors (download correspondence - Ward Councillors/Nexus - 837kb) and our local MP, nothing we say has been taken seriously and services may not be reinstated. Ms Catherine McKinnell MP has had some degree of success in that Arriva have promised to re-open consultation (download correspondence 1.6MB). We say, ''Well done'', and await developments. This is an appalling situation which is being repeated in other communities in the North-East. We consider that the economic argument forwarded by Arriva (and supported by Nexus) is a cynical attempt to maximise profits in the lead up to yet another foreign takeover bid, this time by the German company Deutsche Bahn.
The introduction of new bus timetables by Arriva on 31st May 2010, and the loss of daytime services between Dinnington and Brunswick has affected a small, but important sector of the community. This is the group of people who do not have their own transport and need to reach services in Brunswick.
The Parish Council asked for financial information about the funding of Nexus under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000. Nexus is supposed to fund ‘non-economic’ services and is supported by a ‘levy’ from five north-east councils to the tune of £71,705,702. Newcastle City Council alone provided £17,942,821 (yes £18 million). We have to ask the following questions of our three Liberal-Democrat Ward Councillors;
1. Where is all the money (our money) going to, and why cannot some be used to support services that people need?
2. What financial pressure are you going to exert upon both Arriva and Nexus to ensure proper services are resumed?
3. If Nexus refuse to re-instate services, are you prepared to remove funding from them. This seems to be a case of the ‘tail wagging the dog’.
4. If Arriva, who appear to have a monopoly, refuse to comply with this request, are you also prepared to remove their monopoly and get another bus company to do what the people want and not accept the service the bus company tells us we must have.
5. If Arriva still refuses our request, will the City Council and Nexus allow us as a Village to ask that a new service, under a new company be allowed exclusive access to the lucrative Gosforth route. This could perhaps be a circular service from Gosforth via Brunswick and Hazlerigg (alternately), through Dinnington to the Airport and Ponteland.
6. Why a grant of £5 million was considered necessary to get the buses running with clockwork precision at 3-minute intervals (which they don’t) through Gosforth.
There is a Ward Committee meeting on Thursday 15th July at 7-00pm in Dinnington First School.
Our Ward Councillors will attend. This will be an opportunity for us to ask them searching questions about the bus services.
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Latest from Bernard Garner - Director General Nexus, (Monday 29th June 2010)
NEXUS SAY 'NO BUSES TO BRUNSWICK'
Newcastle City Council (that ultimately means us) provide £17,942,821 from a 'negotiated levy' to run services. That's right, nigh on £18 million and we cannot get a bus to Brunswick. So much for social inclusion, help for the ill and elderly and a 'Green Transport Policy'. The message seems to be 'take a car' (if you have one).
Letter Bernard Garner (download 447kb) Freedom of Information Request - Nexus (download 659kb)
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Latest from Mr. Mark Ellis - Commercial Manager, Arriva (Monday 21st June 2010)
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Hi Alan Email Mon 21/06/2010 16:51
I hope that the letter has been received now, but, I have no problems in any of our comments being made public as long as the actual usage of the previous service is shown. As the letter indicates, the level of usage on the previous service was really low, so despite the growing unease in Dinnington there won't be any positive information as the bad news is that only a small number used the service when it was operating.
As Iain explained, we usually have a look at the new services after a couple of months once they've had time to settle, but the passenger numbers from the previous service aren't enough for us to add any extra resource into our timetables to restore the link. To re-instate the link would require an additional vehicle into the service 45 cycle and we would need to re-coup revenue of around £110k per year to cover our costs and the usage from the previous 45 service would mean we'd need to charge a fare of £70.50 return to cover the cost (based on 5 return journeys for 6 days per week and 52 weeks per year). Unless we can be convinced that this gap can be bridged by either increased patronage or some sort of financial support then the service won't be returning.
Mark Ellis - Commercial Manager
Arriva North East
DD: (0191) 520 4073 F: (0191) 520 4183
Admiral Way, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland, SR3 3XP
NEW - RECEIVED 22 JUNE 2010
Mr. Mark Ellis Arriva (download 596kb).
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NEW - RECEIVED 19th JUNE 2010
Ms. C. McKinnell MP (download 2MB pdf)
Our MP for North Newcastle, Ms Catherine McKinnell has been active on our behalf. She has written to both Arriva and Nexus making representations on behalf of the residents of Dinnington. Her letter is reproduced below and the entire correspondence is available as a (larger) pdf file of 2MB which can be downloaded. Can residents of the Village who have access to our PC website please pass on information to those who do not. Thank you.
From Mr. Mark Ellis, Transport Manager Arriva (email dated Tue 15/06/2010 17:57)
To Chairman Dinnington Parish Council
I've got a copy of your letter and was planning to pen a reply tonight. I've also forwarded onto Nexus for their information/comments as they support the Service 3 on the section between Kingston Park & Dudley.
As we've already said, our passenger numbers between Dinnington & Brunswick on the 45 were very low indeed (5 per day on average) and this doesn't justify having a bus service as the cost of providing one is nowhere near covered by the revenue generated.
From experience, public meetings tend to not to solve the issue as they follow a line of us telling our usage, people not believing us, lots of arguing, meeting closing and nothing changing. The assumption appears to be that if we turn up for a public meeting we are open to persuasion and in this case the passenger numbers are so low that this isn't going to happen.
Nexus have the ability to support services that aren't run commercially and their view is the same as ours that the numbers are too low to divert Service 3 as we carry a huge number of passengers from Hazlerigg on this service and your suggested diversion would take the 3 out of Hazlerigg altogether.
I will reply fully to your letter in the next few days.
Mark
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TO Mr. Mark Ellis 6th June 2010
Commercial Manager
Arriva North East
FREEPOST NT 2040
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1BR
Dinnington Bus Services
Open Letter from Chairman Dinnington Parish Council
Dear Mr. Ellis,
Now that details have begun to emerge about changes to the bus services in Dinnington, which were implemented on 30th May 2010, we are disturbed firstly that no consultation has taken place and secondly about the evident deleterious effects upon the community as a whole.
On behalf of the Parish Council, I would like to make the following points about these effects upon the community;
1. The population of Dinnington has a large (and growing) proportion of elderly people who, because they no longer drive or have access to a car, rely on the public bus service. It is the inability to travel to Brunswick which most concerns residents.
2. The geography of the Village means that many people have at least a five minute walk just to reach the bus stops.
3. Although one of the local medical practices holds a thrice weekly afternoon consulting surgery in Dinnington, the main clinic is located in Canterbury Way, Wideopen which is where most ancillary services operate.
4. In Brunswick and Wideopen there are two dentist practices, two hairdressers, a butchers shop, greengrocer, chemist, hardware store and a Co-op food store. In Hazlerigg the only comparable facility is a hairdresser. The change in the bus route denies people access to these facilities as well as contact with the Wideopen Medical practice.
5. The only alternative to reach Brunswick by bus is either to walk from Hazlerigg to Brunswick or by alighting at the bus stop beside Sacred Heart Church, crossing a busy road and then waiting for the next bus service to Wideopen and Brunswick, making what was a five minute journey into a considerably longer one.
6. The new 20 minute service from Dinnington, the X44 via Hazlerigg, has limited stops after Brunton Park, that is to say, the Regent Centre, which is fine if using the Metro system or shopping in Asda. Also outside the Brandling Pub, Gosforth High Street, which is good for shopping at Sainsbury’s or shopping at the north end of the High Street but not much use for using the banks, building societies and shops located elsewhere.
We have a number of suggestions for modifications to the service that we would like you to consider;
a) The number 3 service, previously the 101 service to Blyth and Kingston Park, still runs via Hazlerigg. Can this service be re-routed via Brunswick and Wideopen thus giving at least an hourly service between the Villages?
b) The timings of this service have been altered by a few minutes meaning that the first time bus passengers with concessionary passes can use it is at 10.25am. If the timings of this service were to be altered by a few minutes (post 9-30) it would mean that those with concessionary passes would be able to use it almost an hour earlier.
c) During the evenings and at weekends the buses revert to the half hourly circular service which works well. One bus travels via Hazlerigg to Dinnington and returns to Newcastle via Brunswick, the reverse happening on the next service. Surely this eminently sensible timetable could be tried during the daytime with varying frequencies say every 20 minutes, with 2 per hour via Hazlerigg and 1 per hour via Brunswick to Dinnington. This would mean fewer buses would be needed than at present in which 3 per hour leave from Dinnington and 6 per hour from Brunswick.
d) It is not as if the service is now well-organised, and an example of inefficiency is given here. The new service from Brunswick appears to be under-used; for example at 2-00pm on 1st June 2010, one passenger was waiting for a bus which turned out to be a double-decker. A further example on 5th June 2010 was at the three stops between Brunswick and the traffic lights where a total of six people embarked. This coincided with the arrival of the next bus, which was already waiting at the lights at Wideopen to turn left into Stalks road for Brunswick. Surely this cannot be cost-effective.
e) In general the consensus of opinion from people who actually use the service is that they object to the abrupt and total severance during the day of the direct link between Dinnington and Brunswick/Wideopen.
f) As far as we understand it, the morning and evening services are adequate, but we await feedback.
In summary, people are not unhappy about the reduction in service but are very discontented about the cutting of the link between the villages and therefore the loss of direct access to health care, social activities and local shops. As one resident pointed out,’ what facilities are there in Hazlerigg for us?’
As a Parish Council one of our duties is to ensure that adequate transport services are maintained within a rural environment. We would welcome the opportunity for meaningful dialogue to be opened between the Village and Arriva about reinstatement or modifications to some of the services. This may be an economic decision for Arriva, but it has severe implications for the Village. As an exercise in social justice this is a poor example, and is thus a policy we must and will endeavour to change.
Yours sincerely,
Cllr J. Alan Biggins
(Chairman)
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Our City Councillors have also written to Mr. Bernards Garner, Director General, Nexus about the changes in the bus services.
Download (101kb)
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Statutory Notice
DINNINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF DATE FOR THE EXERCISE OF ELECTOR'S RIGHTS
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2010
Notice displayed 5th July to 18th July 2010
Download (9171kb)
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