Parents warn school bus cuts will put children at risk on 'unsafe' walking route
Council plans to withdraw a free school bus service have sparked concerns from parents, who say children will face “genuine safety risks” if they are forced to walk to school.
A petition signed by 414 people was presented to a West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) meeting on Monday (July 13), calling on councillors to rethink plans to remove the bus service for pupils travelling from Old Stratford to Elizabeth Woodville School in Deanshanger.
Presenting the petition, parent Nicky Laurence said the walking route had been formally assessed six times between 2007 and 2023, with each assessment concluding the bus should remain.
She said: “Nothing has changed since 2023 to make the route safer. It is unlit, poorly maintained and often narrows to single lane width due to overgrown vegetation.
“These are not minor inconveniences – they’re genuine safety risks for children walking to school.”
Although the route is only around 1.7 miles – below the three-mile threshold for free school transport for children aged eight to 16 – councils must provide transport where a walking route is deemed unsafe.
For almost 20 years, the footpath alongside the A422 between Old Stratford and Deanshanger has been assessed as unsuitable for pupils to walk.
Parent Ellie Gray, who has two children at the school, said she would not feel comfortable allowing them to use the route but would struggle to drive them every day.
She said: “We don’t understand why this is happening now. Nothing has changed with the route; if anything, it’s got more overgrown.”
Another parent, Stacey Lambert, said she had “no choice” but to let her children walk because she could not drive them. She also raised concerns about isolated sections of the route and previous incidents on the footbridge.
The bus currently transports around 90 pupils. A group appeal by parents against its withdrawal was dismissed earlier this month.
Independent Deanshanger and Paulerspury councillor Ian McCord has backed parents and lodged a formal complaint over the appeal process, claiming there was apparent bias because one appeal panel member was also the budget holder for the reported £54,000 annual saving.
He said the route remained unlit, suffered from flooding, trip hazards and poor visibility, adding: “There’s no way that I would’ve let an 11-year-old daughter of mine walk that route.”
West Northamptonshire Council had not responded to a request for comment from the LDRS at the time of publication.
Under the council's walking route assessment guidance, factors such as road width, visibility, bends, speed limits and nearby waterways are considered. However, isolation, poor lighting, overgrown hedges and weather conditions are not taken into account, and there is an expectation that children will be accompanied by a parent where appropriate.