Children in Willaston are among 75 who could lose their free school transport because Cheshire East Council says there are available walking routes, writes Belinda Ryan.
The move could save the cash-strapped authority an estimated £79,500 a year, as it looks to plug a massive £20 million funding gap.
The routes from Willaston to Brine Leas School in Nantwich and from Prestbury to Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield have both been assessed by highways officers as being available walking routes.
On Monday, the children and families committee will decide whether those walking routes should be re-designated from the current ‘unavailable’ status to ‘available’.
If the committee gives the go-ahead, affected parents will be informed and will receive 12 weeks’ written notice.
According to a report, it is anticipated 70 children on the Prestbury to Fallibroome route could be affected, and five going from Willaston to Brine Leas – but it adds each case will need to be assessed.
The report states the route from Willaston to Brine Leas was originally deemed “unavailable” to walk because of an inadequate crossing point at Cheerbrook roundabout (pictured).
But it says a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing on the Nantwich Bypass at Cheerbrook roundabout has been in place since October 2008 “and as such this route should have been re-designated several years ago”.
With regard to the route to Fallibroome, it says: “A scheme to put a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing on the B5087 Prestbury Road was completed on 6 January 2020 and as such the re-designation of this route is also overdue.”
The council says the current arrangements for providing travel support for children and young people are unsustainable.
The transport budget accounts for almost 20% of the budget for children’s services and such are the pressures Cheshire East has had to fund an increase of £5.4m for home to school transport costs over the next four years.
The council estimates it will save £79,500 if these two walking routes are made available and “as such these routes should be re-designated at the earliest opportunity”.
It says any savings made against this budget will be reinvested into children’s services “and used to target those children and young people most in need”.
The report states providing free transport on these two routes is an anomaly against current school travel policy.
It adds: “Furthermore, they represent an inequity against other pupils in the borough who either have previously had eligibility for free school transport removed in the past for this very reason or who have never received free school transport because they live on or near a route that is deemed available.”
At present around 750 pupils across the borough receive free school transport because of unavailable walking routes.
The council will be assessing other routes to see if they are available.
Other measures to cut back on transport costs include recent changes to the personal travel budget and looking at the establishment of a dynamic purchasing system for contracts.
The children and families committee meeting takes place at 10am on Monday, September 18 at the council’s Westfields HQ at Sandbach.
(Image courtesy of Google Maps)
Just had a quick look at the report and attachments on this subject.
The documents are so verbose as to be confusing. It appears that CEC is making it difficult for members to follow and not being able to question the Officers in depth. Is this a deliberate ploy?