Lambourn Valley residents criticise West Berkshire Council over school bus cancellations

PARENTS in the Lambourn Valley have hit out at West Berkshire Council over school transport woes.

They claim they were given almost no notice of school bus service cancellations for the new term.

However, a district councillor has explained the council had been hoping to salvage the situation until the last minute.

One affected parent said: “Just two working days before the new school year started, parents and carers were told there would be no school bus provision from the villages of Inkpen and Kintbury to John O'Gaunt School in Hungerford.

“The email from West Berkshire Council explained that the company providing transport was no longer available to fulfil the service and another provider hadn't been found.

“Transport to a catchment school, provided for by the council, is a statutory requirement – not all parents have a car or drive, or can take time off work to take their children to school and bring them home.

“For Inkpen children, the walk to the train station, recommended by West Berkshire Council, averages three miles along pavementless, narrow, unlit and dangerous roads.”

Another parent, Danielle Hartnell, said: “The kids attending King Alfred's Academy in Wantage no longer have a school bus...and [the council is] giving no answers or timeframes of when this maybe sorted.”

Lisa Manning said she was only informed of the service cancellation to John O’Gaunt School in Hungerford the day before term was due to start.

Kelly Jones added: “We live in Lambourn and our daughter attends King Alfred’s school, which is the closest secondary school to us.

“As you can imagine this caused absolute panic in our household and in the village...it’s absolutely unacceptable.

“They’ve given no time frame as to when we can expect a bus and offered 40p per mile for us to take them ourselves – but that only covers the time that the child is in the car, so the return journeys have to be done at our own expense.

“My understanding is that it affects approximately 70 children in the village.”

Kim Hughes said: “For working parents having other children to get to school, this has been a nightmare.”

The portfolio holder for highways, housing and sustainable travel, Denise Gaines (Lib Dem, Hungerford and Kintbury) told a Hungerford Town Council meeting on Monday, September 4: “A couple of transport providers pulled out in the second or third week of August; they left us high and dry, with no providers.”

She added: “We asked a couple of schools to start a little bit later.

“They’re not happy about it but we feel they could be a little bit flexible.”

She said the transport providers gave only 28 days’ notice, “which is the least they’re obliged to do.

“They say it’s so expensive these days, what with fuel charges and driver charges and they have to make money out of these runs.”

Mrs Gaines told the Newbury Weekly News: “We were let down very badly.

“In one case, another provider offered to step in – then next day backed out.”

New providers are being urgently sought, said Mrs Gaines, but a national bus driver shortage was hindering efforts.

In addition, drivers have to have a Public Service Vehicle licence and be DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked.

Mrs Gaines concluded: ““But watch this space – we’re working on it.”