Independent Chair
The Enhanced Partnership Chair will be responsible for:
- agree meeting dates for the Executive Board meetings with the Enhanced Partnership Manager
- agreeing the agenda for the Executive Board meetings with the Enhanced Partnership Manager
- chairing Enhanced Partnership Executive Board meetings
- acting as an independent arbitrator between the authority and bus operator(s)
Additionally, the Chair has the power to:
- provide ideas, suggestions and best practice on relevant matters
- call an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Board
- attend Operator Forum and Stakeholder Forum meetings as the representative of the Executive Board
- undertake one-to-one and one-to-many meetings with Officers, Bus Operators or other Stakeholders where appropriate
- represent the Enhanced Partnership at media or industry events
From 1 April 2026 the Independent Chair will be Graham Vidler, CPT Chief Executive.
Stakeholder Forum
The Stakeholder Forum will:
- consider the available evidence from Lancashire Combined County Authority’s monitoring against the BSIP targets of patronage, journey time, reliability and passenger satisfaction
- consider how the Operator Forum’s and Executive Board’s identification, development and delivery of facilities, measures and requirements can assist in delivering outcomes against those targets and how these facilities, measures and requirements meet the objectives of the EP
- receive meeting minutes from the Management Board activities of Operator Forum and Executive Board
- request agenda items for Management Board and Executive Board meetings
- liaise with the Management Board and Executive Board on the forward work programme
- bring forward ideas and suggestions about improvements in the public transport network in Lancashire to be considered and fed back on by the Management Board.
Bus Operator Forum (Management Board)
The Bus Operator Forum acting as the Management Board will:
- consider the available evidence from Lancashire Combined County Authority’s monitoring against the BSIP targets of patronage, journey time, reliability and passenger satisfaction
- develop and continuously review a process to prioritise available funding to potential facilities, measures and requirements
- develop investigations, feasibility studies and costed business cases for the development and implementation of facilities, measures and requirements for submission to the Executive Board for consideration and approval
- establish task and finish groups and invite the views and participation of wider stakeholders as required to assist in the development of these investigations, feasibility studies and business cases
- liaise with equivalent governance bodies in neighbouring Enhanced Partnerships or franchised areas, on matters both of policy and direction and on specific cross-boundary issues; Consider ideas and suggestions from the Forum and feedback on outcomes
- bring forward ideas and suggestions about improvements in the public transport network in Lancashire
Task and Finish Groups
A Task and Finish Group constituted by the Management Board will:
- have its membership determined by the Management Board
- be constituted from time to time by the Management Board as required with a specific brief and timescale to report back as appropriate
- be expected to meet at least monthly
- deliver a written response to the Management Board’s brief for the Management Board’s consideration
Executive Board
The Executive Board will provide detailed technical project direction and scrutiny on interventions within the Enhanced Partnership Plan as well as having oversight and direction of financial delivery and the monitoring and evaluation framework.
The Executive Board will:
- review proposals brought to it by the Operator Forum in respect of Facilities, Measures and Requirements, and any accompanying evidence
- satisfy itself that any such proposals are sufficiently and appropriately evidenced
- vote on whether to proceed with such a change, and request Lancashire Combined County Authority to apply its normal statutory powers as required to deliver any such change, and request Lancashire Combined County Authority to amend the EP Scheme as appropriate
- review proposals brought to it by the Operator Forum for changes to the EP Plan and Scheme, and if content initiate the required process to make such changes
- approves the prioritisation process set out by the Operator Forum
- direct Lancashire Combined County Authority to monitor outcomes against the stated targets and use this evidence to develop its policy in considering proposals brought to it by the Operator Forum
- liaise with Lancashire Combined County Authority regarding potential bids to external bodies for funding and ensure as far as possible that such bids reflect the priorities of the EP
- liaise as required with the Operator Forum in considering scheme proposals and in providing direction as required from time to time on the content of the proposals and supporting evidence bases brought to it by the Operator Forum
- liaise with the Stakeholder Forum and Operator Forum on the forward work programme