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 To award the local bus service contracts set
out in Annex 3.

Reasons for the decision

Most bus services are provided commercially,
but the Council can supplement these services with additional local
bus services to increase accessibility and sustainable transport in
the council area.
 
The Council has its own supported bus service
budget of £283,000 and this is currently supplemented by
funding from Section 106 developer contributions and Department for
Transport grants.
 
The North Northamptonshire Bus Service
Improvement Plan (BSIP) outlines ambitions to increase patronage
for local bus services which is most likely to be achieved by
uplifting capacity in urban areas. The Council has been allocated
grant funding for bus service enhancement, from the Department for
Transport through to 2028/29.
 
Wellingborough
– Berrymoor
 
A commercial service registration has been
received for a service?between?Park Farm Industrial Estate,
Berrymoor?Estate and Wellingborough town centre to commence on 12
April 2026. 
 
The Council had intended to introduce a
half-hourly subsidised service between Berrymoor Estate and
Wellingborough town centre.  As the commercial registration did not offer a
consistent half-hourly frequency, a de-minimis agreement has been
reached with the operator to provide an additional?five journeys
per day, in addition to the twenty which will be provided
commercially.? 
 
Stamford and
Peterborough DRT? 
 
The Council has been funding the Call Connect
service on an annual basis through an Inter Authority Agreement
with Lincolnshire County Council.??The service provides a Demand
Responsive Transport service for?several?communities in the
northeast region of North Northamptonshire. The current contract
expires on 27 March 2026. 
The new Inter-Authority Agreement will
continue the service until 29 March 2027, bringing the termination
date in line with the Council’s other Demand Responsive
Transport contracts to allow them to be evaluated
together.?? 
 
The new agreement will extend the services to
the?additional?locations of Harringworth, Laxton and
Wakerley. 
 
X4 service Corby
– Peterborough 
 
The Council has supported an additional
evening journey since 01 September 2024 to cater
for several journey
flows including the 22:00 shift change in distribution centres in
Weldon, rail connections at
Peterborough Rail Station and access to evening activities.
The current contract expires on 27 March 2027.
 
The new contract will continue the service to
31 March 2029. The journey will be retimed to better suit rail
connections and will also now serve Priors Hall Business
Centre.