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There is no summary of this meeting yet. One is written once the council publishes the minutes. The agenda and papers are below.
The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting.
There were no declarations of interests received.
The minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2025 were approved as an accurate record.
The Committee were presented with the final draft of the Regional Transport Delivery Plan and Year One Investment Programme. Officers explained that the Cabinet Secretary had formally approved the Regional Transport Plan (RTP), bringing all associated policies into effect. It was noted that the current focus was the Year 1 programme, which was considered critical in shaping investment priorities from 1 April next year. A discussion took place in regard to the following topical issues: Scheme Categorisation It was noted that Welsh Government had requested the reclassification of certain schemes, particularly those with multimodal and resilience features, to be categorised primarily as highway schemes; this presented a challenge, as highway schemes were not favoured under the RTP guidance. Officers had explored options to resolve this and recommended proceeding with the reclassification, accompanied by a strong narrative highlighting the integrated, multimodal characteristics of the schemes. Scheme Roll Over Officers stated that they had reviewed the year one programme and considered the potential to roll funding into years two and three; they recommended that priority should be given to schemes that would be partially completed by the end of year one. Additionally, Members were informed that regional programmes involving multiple activities across the region were under consideration for continuation. Potential Additional Funding Reference was made to a letter had been received from the Cabinet Secretary inviting consideration of additional funding for year one, potentially between £5.5 million and £11 million. It was highlighted that Officers were assessing how best to respond, with a focus on regional, multi-faceted schemes and those previously scaled back to meet budget targets. Clarification was being sought from Welsh Government officials regarding the draft budget announcement funding; if approved, this could lead to a budget uplift of 20–40%. Officers expressed a desire to see greater emphasis placed on metro-related projects, particularly those locally developed by the region to support wider metro initiatives, including those progressing on the rail network. It was noted that a review of the current list of schemes to identify any pressures would be a beneficial exercise. It was acknowledged that some schemes had previously been scaled back or deferred to later years due to budget constraints; should additional funding become available, Officers indicated a strong interest in revisiting and potentially accelerating the delivery of these slower-developing schemes. Furthermore, it was mentioned that if surplus or additional funding remained at the end of the period, Officers would revisit the development scheme list and review the outcomes of the earlier prioritisation exercise to identify any schemes with merit that could be brought forward or initiated within year one. Officers emphasised that developing the Delivery Plan shortlist had been particularly challenging due to lower-than-anticipated funding allocations; this had required Officers to tailor proposals accordingly, which posed a significant constraint on the region’s aspirations. The Committee hoped that that future funding levels would increase, allowing South West Wales to benefit from more generous allocations. A proposal was made to send a letter from the Chairperson, on behalf of the Sub Committee, to the Cabinet Secretary welcoming any additional funding. It was agreed that a draft would be circulated to all Members following the meeting, for approval prior to submission. Officers confirmed they would prepare and circulate the draft to ensure collective agreement on the message. Members thanked Officers for their continued efforts, particularly in navigating evolving guidance, shifting timescales, and ongoing uncertainty around funding.
Members received a presentation from Transport For Wales (TfW) on the T Network. The presentation outlined the vision, mission, purpose, and values of the T Network, which aims to deliver an integrated transport system across Wales under the principle of ‘one network, one timetable, one ticket, and one team’. TWf explained their remit from Welsh Government, including the requirement to embed the T Network into all operations; one of the ambitions noted was to establish consistent national standards for transport services across Wales, which could then be implemented at regional and local level. Officers highlighted opportunities for improved integration of bus and rail and stated the importance of partnership working with Local Authorities and regional bodies; as well as ensuring consistency, they sought to consider local pressures and needs. Reference was made to the forthcoming Bus Act, due to take form early 2026, which will enable new and coherent services across Wales; bus franchising was expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027. Officers provided detail on the current planning for a multimodal integration to provide an improved experience for service users; this would include aligning, for example, ticketing and timetables. The presentation detailed early examples of rail and bus integration from Cardiff to Aberystwyth. Further discussion took place in regard to how the T Network can help develop a coherent, integrated transport system encompassing bus, rail, and local highways; this included consideration of practical solutions for rural areas, such as facilitating access to transport interchanges for those who need to drive before connecting to public transport. TfW highlighted their commitment to improving collaboration across the public sector and establishing new ways of working. It was noted that internally, TfW were seeking to enhance performance monitoring and analysis. Members were informed that TfW were working to improve access to key data, which will support Local Authorities in gathering valuable information. Current limitations in bus data were noted, however TfW were actively seeking to address these gaps. Members were informed of the concept of the T Network Advisory Panels; quarterly meetings proposed to strengthen engagement and information sharing between Local Authorities and TfW. It was mentioned that TfW intended to draft a Terms of Reference for these panels, which will involve relevant stakeholders, with the intention to provide updates on performance, pressures and address pertinent topics and issues. The Committee was provided with detail of the dashboards that TfW were developing to monitor multimodal travel performance at national, regional and Local Authority levels; these dashboards will include Red, Amber, Green (RAG) rated assessments of interchanges and highlight areas of strong or weak performance. An example was provided showing travel patterns to railway stations in South West Wales. TfW emphasised the importance of using such data to identify issues in specific areas and inform improvements. A discussion took place regarding data, specifically data relating to the bus network, and how it could be shared with Members in the future; TfW made suggestions as to how queries could be dealt with in the short and long term, whilst acknowledging and respecting the transition. Regarding the T Network Advisory Panel, it was confirmed that Officers would work with TfW to identify an appropriate approach for establishing meetings and would update the Sub Committee accordingly. Members raised the importance of engaging with elected representatives, including the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Scrutiny Sub Committee and Local Authority Elected Member; particularly where issues and knowledge base were highly localised. TfW acknowledged this point and confirmed that they were at an early stage in developing proposals; they welcomed advice on mechanisms to ensure local members could feed in concerns throughout the process.
The Forward Work Programme was noted.
There were no urgent items received.
There were no comments or questions received in relation to the private appendix contained within agenda item 9, therefore the meeting did not move into private session.
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