Leading councillors are being recommended to pass cost-cutting proposals to restrict the eligibility to home to school transport, despite parents living across North Yorkshire expressing anger about the proposals.
An officers’ report to a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday states the authority should amend the criteria for free home to school transport to match the statutory requirement, meaning eligibility on school catchment grounds would no longer apply as part of the future travel policy.
The recommendations, which follows a petition against the changes being presented to the council, also seek to remove transport assistance to children with second addresses and for children attending designated religious character primary schools.
The meeting follows the authority issuing a 592-word press release about executive members considering the results of a public consultation over the changes on Tuesday, without making reference to any of the seven recommendations or the overall public response to the consultation.
The executive will also consider another report, regarding a notice of motion put by opposition councillors in May “to halt the cuts to free school bus services in the county and to use £6.2m of emergency central government funding for its intended purpose of supporting frontline services”.
However, documents being presented to the meeting do include numerous letters written by parents expressing anger over the changes which Richmond and Northallerton MP Rishi Sunak, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby MP Keir Mather have forwarded to the council for its attention.
Parents have claimed the changes will effectively bar them from considering sending their children to the nearest school or force them to pay hundreds of pounds for the transport while others have highlighted concerns the proposals could create safety risks for children in rural and remote parts of the county.
One letter states:
“The communities living and working in the Dales already face many challenges both logistically and financially for school and work opportunities.
“Bringing in changes to transport policies like this would completely deter any young families from moving to the area, specifically Upper Swaledale, if their only school options where transport is provided is by travelling over a dangerously high route.”
The council, which is facing having to make tens of millions of pounds of savings to balance its books, has repeatedly highlighted the soaring cost of home to school transport, some £51m this year.
It has estimated the proposed policy would make an annual saving at the end of a transition period of between £770,000 to £3.8 million.
Due to the seven-year transition period, the council has underlined no-one will lose what they currently have in terms of home to school travel provision unless their personal circumstances change.
Ahead of the meeting, the council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, said: “We will take on board the feedback from the consultation and we thank everyone for taking part.
“We understand the reservations around transporting children and young people to schools, and concerns about costs from parents and carers who may have children attending different schools.”
Lifesaving bleed kit to be installed in Skipton
Man suffers serious facial injuries following attack in Skipton
Skipton Hotel to host first ever Drag bottomless brunch
Police appeal for information following £600 theft in Skipton
Your Media Group launches brand new local voucher platform
Utility firms set to be charged for peak-time roadworks
Brand new local voucher platform set to launch next week
Taxpayers facing multi-million-pound bill to keep waste plant legal
Applications open for Skipton Sheep Day
Town Council seek support in restoring Skipton's War Memorial
North Yorkshire Police faced with losing 21 officers to balance budget
Woman suffer serious injuries following collision in Sutton-in-Craven
Sutton-in-Craven pub raises over £600 for Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust encourage membership as plans for new hospital continue
New partnership for The Principle Trust to offer crucial support to local families in crisis
Winnie-the-Pooh book trail to launch in Skipton
Skipton boxing club hosts first boxing show
New flexible leisure memberships to be considered by councillors
Usage fee of up to 50p proposed for council-run public toilets
Vintage outdoor clothing shop to open in Skipton
