REVEALED: Northampton to lose 10 bus routes in July alone after council funding cut

The W8 Centrebus service serving Cogenhoe is among those set to be scrapped in July. Service users are wondering how they will cope without it.

Back in March, the authority rubber stamped plans to remove all of the funding it provides to help prop up lesser-travelled bus services in the county.

The move immediately prompted transport companies to consider cancelling services altogether.

Northamptonshire County Council has now revealed that 10 routes serving Northampton will cease altogether from July 22 this year.

Many bus services have already been reduced or altered as a result of the subsidy cut.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Faced with an unprecedented increase in demand for council services and reductions in funding, tough decisions are needed in order to deliver a balanced budget.

“We have had no choice but to make the difficult decision to review funding of all non-statutory services.

“This includes removing all money paid to support a number of bus routes across Northamptonshire.”

A number of Stagecoach routes will be affected.

Labour's shadow finance cabinet member Councillor Mick Scrimshaw (Lab, Northall) said the move would hit 'vulnerable' people the hardest.

He said: "The truth is the council has been cutting back on subsidies for a number of years now. They've got to the stage where they have said we are not going to pay anything at all.

"But they will hit some of the most vulnerable people.

"People who don't have access to cars and elderly people will be disproportionately hit .

"It's such a broad brush approach.

"What about talking to the bus companies and re-negotiating? If there is a route running four or six times a day, who don't we run it once a day? At least that way, some sort of service would be retained.

"Instead this is just a simple stroke of the pen on a balance sheet."

The full list of services affected by the county council subsidy withdrawal from July 22, 2018.

Northampton

Northampton: '‹Centrebus 37: between '‹Mears Ashby, Overstone Solarium, Weston Favell Centre, Northampton (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday only) Service withdrawn.

'‹Centrebus 60: '‹between Northampton, Guilsborough and Welford (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn'‹. (replacement with a reduced level of service under review)

'‹Centrebus 61: between '‹Coton, East Haddon, Church Brampton and Northampton (Thursday only) '‹Service withdrawn.

'‹Centrebus 62: between Scaldwell, Brixworth and Northampton (Tuesday and Friday only) Service withdrawn.'‹

'‹Centrebus 63: between '‹Norton, The Bringtons, Northampton (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday only) Service withdrawn.

'‹Country Lion 87: between Northampton, Pattishall and Towcester (Monday to Saturday) '‹Service withdrawn (replacement with a reduced level of service under review).

'‹Stagecoach: 1: between Grange Park, Wootton Fields, Brackmills, Northampton town centre, Weston Favell Centre and Rectory Farm (Monday to Sunday) Route and timetable revised - Overstone Solarium, Sywell and Mears Ashby are no longer served.

'‹Stagecoach 3: Between Piddington, Hackleton, Northampton town centre, Rye Hill and Harlestone Manor (Monday to Saturday) '‹Route and timetable revised - Horton is no longer served (reinstatement under review).

'‹Uno 86: Between '‹Towcester, Roade and Northampton (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn.

Kier MG CountryConnect - All Areas (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn.

Around the county:

Centrebus 35: between '‹Great Cransley, Loddington, Thorpe Malsor and Kettering (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday only) Service withdrawn. end of Northamptonshire Country Council subsidy.

'‹'‹Centrebus W8: between '‹Wellingborough, Wollaston and Bozeat (Monday to Friday) Route and timetable revised. The Saturday service is completely withdrawn and all journeys between Bozeat and Northampton on Monday to Friday are also'‹ withdrawn(replacement with a reduced level of service for journeys between Bozeat and Northampton under review)

'‹Heyfordian Travel 499: between Brackley, Evenley, Aynho, King's Sutton and Banbury (Monday to Saturday)'‹Service withdrawn. (replacement with a reduced level of service under review)

'‹Stagecoach 3A: between '‹Long Lawford, Rugby, DIRFT and Yelvertoft (Monday to Friday) Route and timetable revised - DIRFT, Crick, West Haddon and Yelvertoft are no longer served (replacement on Service 96 under review)

'‹Stagecoach 34: between '‹Brambleside, Kettering, Pytchley, Little Harrowden, Wellingborough and Berrymoor (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn (replacement of off-peak journeys for Pytchley, Orlingbury and Little Harrowden under review)

'‹Stagecoach 34A: '‹Between Brambleside, Kettering Town Centre Leisure Centre (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn.

'‹Uno 90/90A: Between '‹Towcester, Potterspury, Yardley Gobion, Deanshanger and Milton Keynes (Monday to Saturday) Service withdrawn (replacement with a reduced level of service between Towcester and Stony Stratford under review)

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