Social Value Ideas for West of England Combined Authority

Electric bus investment

The committee discussed a £150 million investment in green buses, with over 250 new electric buses expected by next summer and full electrification of four of First Bus's five depots. This is a major …

“This paper contains the latest portion of a total of 150 million pounds investment in green buses. The first of which are already serving local passen…”

Portishead rail line funded

The meeting confirmed funding for the Bristol and Portishead headline railway scheme, with new stations planned for Pill and Portishead and construction expected in 2028. This indicates a substantial …

“I joined Mike uh Bell and Tony and Sadiq Alhassan the MP for North Somerset at Temple meets last week after we got the green light from government for…”

Bath Keys Links approved

The committee approved the Bath Keys Links project as part of the investment fund programme. This is a capital spend on walking and cycling improvements in Bath city centre, with the report also refer…

“The report outlines the current position with the investment fund program and new approvals. These include changes which would increase the headroom t…”

2027 micro-mobility re-tender

The shared e-scooter and e-bike contract is due to be re-tendered in 2027, creating a procurement opportunity to redesign the scheme around affordability, accessibility, social equity, safety and bett…

“The numbers, the the the the the the the the Furthermore, the the re-procurement of this service will mean that residents can choose to continue to u…”

Disabled access concerns on transport

Multiple public speakers raised strong concerns that current and planned transport schemes are failing disabled residents, including inaccessible bridges, lack of toilets at transport points, and cons…

“there are far too many instances happening where we disabled people are being gated out of access to our city gated out of essential Pathways to cruci…”

Bus funding and service sustainability risk

Multiple public statements and member comments highlighted pressure on the bus network, especially the need to sustain services, fund levy increases, and address weak performance of Westlink and other…

“It's costing a lot of money and this is where I'm worried. It's going to cost us 15 million pound just to stand still. Uh and that allows for a price …”

Severe bus service cuts and funding gaps

Public speakers warned that bus services across the West of England are under severe pressure, with temporary contracts ending on 31 July and multiple routes at risk of reduction or cancellation. The …

“"We are concerned that the funding gap between 2016 and 2019 means that there is a reduction in a lot of services, and temporary contracts obviously h…”

Bus funding cliff edge

Members and public speakers repeatedly warned that reduced bus grant funding is creating a cliff-edge risk for supported services, especially in rural areas and for vulnerable users. Concerns included…

“the committee has significant concerns uh regarding the fall in bus funding in 2627 uh particularly given the mayor's commitment to uh to increased pr…”

Contract standing order changes

Contract standing orders are being updated to align with the Procurement Act 2023 and to improve compliance, transparency, and agility in procurement activity. Officers said the changes were primarily…

“The purpose of this paper is really to explain the rationale for the changes uh to the contract standing orders. There's primarily two reasons. One is…”

Social value policy embedded

The authority has updated its social value policy and is embedding it into procurement and contract management, with a 10% evaluation weighting proposed as the minimum. Officers also said they are rev…

“"We've recently updated our social value policy um centrally within the business. Uh it's aligned to the growth plan and um consulted with the mayor a…”