Local Bus Consultation 2025 Consultation - Background and Final Outcome
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Background
Essex County Council (ECC) has reviewed its support for 41 local bus services with contracts due to expire in July 2026. These services are funded by ECC to ensure communities have access to essential transport links where commercial services are not available.
To inform future decisions, ECC carried out a public consultation on proposals for these services.
Consultation period
The consultation ran from
Monday 4 August 2025 to Monday 27 October 2025.
Why We Consulted
Travel patterns have changed significantly in recent years. The consultation provided residents, businesses, and community groups with the opportunity to share their views on:
how well the current supported bus services meet local needs
where improvements or changes may be required
which services may need redesigning to remain sustainable
and which may return to commercial operation
This feedback helped ECC assess value for money, including the Council’s £5 cost‑per‑passenger‑journey benchmark, and consider how best to shape a financially sustainable and responsive bus network.
What Was Proposed
The 41 services were grouped as follows:
Group 1: 16 services showing growth or improvement potential (possible redesign or increased support)
Group 2: 16 services with lower usage (may require redesign or further consultation)
Group 3: 9 services temporarily supported post‑COVID‑19 (considered for potential return to commercial operation)
Outcome of the Local Bus Consultation 2025
Following the public consultation on the future of ECC‑supported local bus services with contracts expiring in July 2026, Essex County Council has now published the outcomes:
These decisions reflect:
public feedback and comments
passenger usage and demand data
value-for-money criteria (including the £5 cost-per-passenger metric)
network sustainability and long‑term financial considerations
You can view the full decision here:
👉 Decision Details: Decision on the future of Local Bus Services with contracts expiring in July 2026
Detailed outcomes relate to the services listed in Appendices A–E of the decision report.
A District Summary Report is also available for download.
Note: The totals in this report reflect the number of services selected and include both responses and non‑responses.
Outcomes Summary
1. Services Already Agreed for Continuation (Appendix A)
26 supported local bus services were previously approved for continuation (Decision FP/075/03/25, July 2025) until July 2028.
These services were not part of this consultation.
They are included in Appendix A for transparency.
2. Services Demonstrating Growth – Continuing to July 2028 (Appendix B)
These services have shown strong enough patronage growth to meet the Supported Local Bus Priority Policy within two years.
Outcome:
8 services will continue unchanged
5 services will continue with route or timetable redesign to support long‑term sustainability
👉 See full list of services in Appendix B
3. Lower‑Use Services – Continuing with Redesign Where Possible (Appendix C)
These services have lower current usage but might reach sustainability with redesign supported by Bus Grant funding.
Outcome:
5 services will continue as they are
12 services will undergo route/timetable redesign to reduce cost and improve future viability
4. Services Proceeding to Withdrawal Consultation (Appendix D)
These services:
do not meet the Supported Local Bus Priority Policy
do not meet the £5 cost‑per‑passenger‑journey threshold
and no viable redesign was identified
A three‑week on‑bus consultation will take place for the following services:
31/332 – Chelmsford ↔ Burnham‑on‑Crouch (Sundays & Public Holidays)
B2 – Basildon ↔ Laindon (Sundays & Public Holidays)
C3 – Chelmsford ↔ North Melbourne (Monday to Saturday evening)
C3 – Chelmsford ↔ North Melbourne (Sundays/Public Holidays & evenings)
C8 – Chelmsford ↔ Beaulieu Park (Monday to Saturday evenings)
C11 – Chelmsford ↔ Beaulieu Park (Monday to Saturday evenings)
C11 – Chelmsford ↔ Beaulieu Park (Sundays/Public Holidays & evenings)
59/590/320/321 – Haverhill ↔ Saffron Walden/Newport (Mon–Sat)
315 & 325 – Bishops Stortford ↔ Great & Little Hallingbury (Mon–Sat)
A further decision will be made once this consultation closes.
5. Services Returning to Commercial Operation (Appendix E)
Two supported Saturday services will return to commercial operation from 1 April 2026. These services will continue to operate without ECC financial support.
👉 See full list in Appendix E
