Onslow Park & Ride Services

Onslow P&R site has been closed since March 2020 when the car park was taken over as a Covid testing site. P&R operations in Guildford have been greatly impacted by Covid, as they have elsewhere in the country, mainly because of the changing work and retail patterns; usage is circa 40% of pre-Covid. Onslow P&R car park was built by SCC using a government grant in 2013, with the lease for the car park sitting with GBC. University of Surrey (‘UoS’) own the land. The lease has a clause stipulating that if the site is not used as for P&R operation for a period of 12 months the car park will revert into the ownership of UoS. This was not an option SCC would consider.NHS England returned the car park to GBC during 2022. There was a need to introduce the bus service at Onslow at short notice due to some legal matters, and this was not foreseen when the Annual Procurement Forward Plan was being compiled. Onslow Park & Ride (‘P&R’) Bus Service; the contract will be with Stagecoach to provide the bus service between Onslow P&R site and Guildford town centre. Stagecoach operates the other two P&R services in Guildford using a fleet of electric buses bought with a grant from DfT/SCC and their own funding. Onslow is also operated with these electric buses. This 12-month contract (September 2023 – August 2024) will enable Surrey County Council (‘SCC’) to review the P&R network in Guildford and agree a forward strategy with Guildford Borough Council (‘GBC’). Given the timescales and the need to agree the future strategy with the best option is a direct award to Stagecoach. There is no viable option to go out to the market more widely given that Stagecoach part own and operate the electric Guildford P&R buses, and their commercial operation of the rest of the network.

Estimated Value

£312k

Starts

4 September 2023

Ends

31 August 2024

Buyer

Surrey County Council