Willaston parents sending children to Malbank in Nantwich face a hefty £950 annual bus bill after Cheshire East decided to axe free transport.
Highways chiefs say the opening of a new crossing at the Peacock roundabout means children who live within the three-mile statutory limit now have a “safe walking route” to Malbank.
But the walk is almost three miles each way, and many parents have joined Malbank headteacher and local MP Connor Naismith in protest at the decision to axe free bus route.
Now we can reveal that parents will have to pay £5 a day to send their children on the bus.
With children attending around 190 days of school each year, that amounts to almost £950 across the school year.
Cheshire East said they are set to save around £60,000 a year by cutting the free school bus service.
But we revealed earlier this week how Malbank headteacher John Harrison, who said the decision to reclassify it as a “safe to walk” route raises “serious concerns about student safety”.
There are also questions raised at the positioning on the new crossing, which appears to be on the wrong side of the roundabout for children walking out of Park Road and Coppice Road.
But a Cheshire East spokesperson said the “expectation” is that a child, accompanied by a parent, is able to cross A534 Crewe Road at the puffin crossing between Coppice Road and Colleys Lane, allowing them to reach the new toucan crossing at the Peacock roundabout.
The council also admitted they have not carried out a formal consultation on the decision to axe the free bus.
They added: “We informed the headteacher, but we have not undertaken specific consultation on individual routes because this is an application of existing policy.”
Mr Harrison has written to all parents and said earlier this week: “I want to be absolutely clear that I fundamentally disagree with both this conclusion and the process by which it has been reached.
“I do not accept that the installation of a single crossing point is sufficient to justify the reclassification of this route as safe and walkable for our students.
“In my view, this decision raises serious concerns about student safety and the financial impact on families, and appears to prioritise cost saving over both of these considerations.”
MP Connor Naismith told Nantwich News: “While I support investment in safer walking and cycling infrastructure, I do not accept that the installation of a crossing automatically resolves the wider safeguarding, welfare and practical concerns associated with expecting children to undertake this journey on foot.
“This is an issue which has understandably caused significant concern amongst parents and the wider school community, particularly in relation to vulnerable pupils, lengthy walking times and the realities of winter travel conditions.
“I believe families deserve meaningful consultation and reassurance before any final decisions are taken.”
Mr Naismith says he has written to Cheshire East Council stating his opposition to the removal of the free bus service and requesting further information on the consultation process regarding this decision.
Willaston parent Sarah Jones, who is set to send her child to Malbank in September, added: “We were told no changes would be made without a consultation with the schools and local parents.
“Three miles is an insane amount of distance for a child to walk – any child – an hour walk there and hour walk back, often in the dark and in the rain. I would not let my son walk to school from here.
“It doesn’t feel like the parents or the children in the village have been considered in any way. They have just thought about the cost saving.
“Children arriving in the rain, soaking wet, after an hour walk. No child can do that. It’s just unacceptable.”
In a full statement, Cllr Emma Gilman, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member for education, special educational needs and disabilities, said: “We understand the concerns some families have about the withdrawal of free school transport from Willaston to Malbank School and the impact this may have on their daily arrangements.
“Parents have been advised that they have the right to appeal decisions relating to school transport eligibility through the council’s appeals process if they feel they are eligible on other grounds.
“This includes children and young people who may still qualify due to special educational needs or disability, and children of compulsory school age who meet the low-income eligibility criteria.
“The bus service to Malbank is a commercial route that is expected to continue to operate. We understand that the current fare is £2.50 per journey.
“Following the completion of highway improvement works at the Peacock roundabout, the route between Willaston and Malbank School has been reviewed.
“The total cost of the Peacock roundabout scheme was £413,232, which included the installation of a toucan crossing, as well as wider improvements such as cycleway and footway works, street lighting, carriageway surfacing, lining and signage.
“This was part of a broader highways improvement scheme to improve accessibility and also to encourage safe walking, wheeling and cycling routes for all Cheshire East residents.
“Based on a full assessment of road layout, traffic conditions and crossing points, the route has been deemed an available walking route and is within the statutory walking distance of under three miles.
“The safety of children remains the council’s priority. We will continue to work with families, schools and transport providers to ensure that clear information is provided and that families are supported as they plan for September 2026.”
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