Motion 1 - Improving Rural Transport Access for Young People in West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a predominantly rural district where many young people rely on public transport to access education, employment, training, healthcare, leisure activities, and social opportunities.
Limited bus services, high travel costs, and poor connectivity between villages and market towns create barriers to opportunity and contribute to social isolation among young people.
Apprentices particularly under 18, often face even greater difficulties. Their income is minimal and they do not have the same financial support as someone in full time education. Some may not have independent transport, and bus services in our area do not align with early or late working hours typical of apprenticeships. This adds further pressure on working families. Improving transport links supports economic growth, educational attainment, workforce development, and community wellbeing.
The Wheels to Work scheme has already proven successful in other rural areas, providing affordable scooter or bicycle hire schemes, enabling young people, including apprentices, to overcome transport barriers.
Young people, particularly apprentices, should not be disadvantaged because they live in a rural area. Resources should be directed towards addressing structural barriers faced by young people. Affordable and reliable transport is essential for helping young people, particularly apprentices under 18, to remain connected to education, employment, apprenticeships, volunteering, and community life.
Strategic Transport is now the responsibility of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. The Mayor has recently established a Rural Transport Group and a Transport Taskforce. Our Leader Cllr Jackie Brockway is a member of the Greater Lincolnshire Transport Board.
In order to highlight the barriers faced by our young people in rural communities and to instigate proactive planning to address this: -
Council Resolves To:
Request that the Leader of the Council writes to the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire to:
1) Highlight the barriers faced by young people in rural communities such as West Lindsey and feed these issues into the emerging Local Transport Plan.
2) Seek a review of rural transport provision for young people, including bus services and accessibility for apprentices.
3) Request that action planning arising from the Rural Transport Group, Transport Taskforce and emerging Local Transport Plan include consideration of the following potential interventions:
- Wheels to Work
- Improved rural bus services
- Affordable travel options for under 25s
- Targeted Support scheme for driving lesson and tests for 16-18 year olds
- Means tested bursaries for travel for apprentices and young people in villages with no evening or weekend bus services.
I so move
Councillor Emma Bailey
Minutes:
The Chairman advised the meeting that one Motion had been submitted pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No.10 and this was as set out in the agenda.
As the mover of the motion Councillor Emma Bailey was invited to read aloud her motion to the meeting, as follows: -
Improving Rural Transport Access for Young People in West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a predominantly rural district where many young people rely on public transport to access education, employment, training, healthcare, leisure activities, and social opportunities.
Limited bus services, high travel costs, and poor connectivity between villages and market towns create barriers to opportunity and contribute to social isolation among young people.
Apprentices particularly under 18, often face even greater difficulties. Their income is minimal and they do not have the same financial support as someone in full time education. Some may not have independent transport, and bus services in our area do not align with early or late working hours typical of apprenticeships. This adds further pressure on working families. Improving transport links supports economic growth, educational attainment, workforce development, and community wellbeing.
The Wheels to Work scheme has already proven successful in other rural areas, providing affordable scooter or bicycle hire schemes, enabling young people, including apprentices, to overcome transport barriers.
Young people, particularly apprentices, should not be disadvantaged because they live in a rural area. Resources should be directed towards addressing structural barriers faced by young people. Affordable and reliable transport is essential for helping young people, particularly apprentices under 18, to remain connected to education, employment, apprenticeships, volunteering, and community life.
Strategic Transport is now the responsibility of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. The Mayor has recently established a Rural Transport Group and a Transport Taskforce. Our Leader Cllr Jackie Brockway is a member of the Greater Lincolnshire Transport Board.
In order to highlight the barriers faced by our young people in rural communities and to instigate proactive planning to address this: -
Council Resolves To:
Request that the Leader of the Council writes to the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire to:
1. Highlight the barriers faced by young people in rural communities such as West Lindsey and feed these issues into the emerging Local Transport Plan.
2. Seek a review of rural transport provision for young people, including bus services and accessibility for apprentices.
3. Request that action planning arising from the Rural Transport Group, Transport Taskforce and emerging Local Transport Plan include consideration of the following potential interventions:
- Wheels to Work
- Improved rural bus services
- Affordable travel options for under 25s
- Targeted Support scheme for driving lesson and tests for 16-18 year olds
- Means tested bursaries for travel for apprentices and young people in villages with no evening or weekend bus services
I so move
Councillor Emma Bailey”
With the motion duly seconded debate ensued, with several Members speaking in support of the motion. Members acknowledged the existence of the issues, referred to in the motion, across the District, and of the need for these matters to be brought to the attention of the Mayor, requesting action.
The Leader of Opposition, whilst supportive of the motion, indicated he felt it could be stronger and moved the following amendment: -
“4. That the Council request that the Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority undertake a specific assessment of transport needs of young people in rural communities, including apprentices, students, young carers and people with disabilities and report back on the feasibility, cost and expected benefits of the proposed interventions, identifying opportunities for the external funding and pilot schemes within West Lindsey.”
Reason for the addition was offered including that it broadened the scope, and the mover of the amendment, suggested seeking evidenced-based planning, rather than simply requesting an action would differentiate the request.
With the amendment seconded, Members debated the merits of the amendment. Some were in agreement that the addition added strength, and again spoke of the barriers young people in general faced in accessing transport, and the knock-on effects, as such the broadening of the scope was also welcomed. Some expressed caution that the amendment requested a considerable amount of work and data collation to enable it be answered. The motion as submitted, however, enabled answers to be expected in a reasonable time frame.
It was suggested that the mover of the amendment, may wish to submit their amendment as a stand-alone motion to a future meeting, to keep traction in this area.
Debate on the amendment continued, with Members sharing their experiences, the high level of NEETS across Lincolnshire, and how travel access and costs may be contributing to this.
The mover of the original motion explained why her motion had sought to focus on apprentices, noting that she understood the Mayoral Authority had already undertaken research into this area. Members spoke of the additional financial burden sometimes created for families when choosing apprenticeships.
The mover of the amendment, reaffirmed that he supported the original motion, but felt having data to back up where and what type of intervention was required would have ensured the most strategic decisions were made, noting major employment developments on the horizon and the changing needs and opportunities.
Following much debate on the amendment, on being put to the vote the amendment was declared LOST.
Note: Councillor Dobbie requested that his vote for the amendment be noted in the minutes.
Members returned to debating the motion as submitted, and a further amendment was moved to recommendation two, so that it read: -
“2. Seek a review of rural transport provision for young people, including bus services and accessibility for apprentices, across West Lindsey, supported by meaningful engagement with schools, colleges and apprenticeship providers, employers, youth organisations and young people themselves, to better understand the transport barriers they face.”
The mover of the amendment suggested it sought to ensure any review was not a simple desk based review but included meaningful engagement.
With the amendment seconded, the mover of the original motion, indicated her agreement to the addition, followed by there being general consensus indicated across the wider Chamber.
Many Members spoke of the barriers young people faced as a result of inadequate public transport, of their concerns for the rising number of young people not in training, employment or education, how the cost of travel impacted a young person’s desire to continue working and of fears for a lost generation, if changes or investment was not made.
On being put to the vote the motion, AS AMENDED, was declared CARRIED on that basis it was RESOLVED that: -
The Leader of the Council writes to the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire to:
1. Highlight the barriers faced by young people in rural communities such as West Lindsey and feed these issues into the emerging Local Transport Plan.
2. Seek a review of rural transport provision for young people, including bus services and accessibility for apprentices, across West Lindsey, supported by meaningful engagement with schools, colleges and apprenticeship providers, employers, youth organisations and young people themselves, to better understand the transport barriers they face.”
3. Request that action planning arising from the Rural Transport Group, Transport Taskforce and emerging Local Transport Plan include consideration of the following potential interventions:
- Wheels to Work
- Improved rural bus services
- Affordable travel options for under 25s
- Targeted Support scheme for driving lesson and tests for 16-18 year olds
- Means tested bursaries for travel for apprentices and young people in villages with no evening or weekend bus services.