Withdrawing bus service 'wholly unsafe' say parents

A petition against plans to withdraw a free home-to-school bus service between a village and a secondary school was presented to a council.

Parents were told that the service between Old Stratford and Elizabeth Woodville School in Deanshanger, Northamptonshire, would no longer run from September.

Nicky Laurence, whose child is starting the secondary school this year, said: "We believe it's completely the wrong decision to withdraw the bus."

West Northamptonshire Council said it understood "some parents are disappointed by the decision" but that the walking route was "judged to be suitable for pupils".

Laurence added: "We believe it is wholly unsafe; there are hazards such as overgrown foliage, deep ditches by the side of it, flooding, and basically the maintenance of the whole route is very, very poor."

She presented the petition of 414 signatures on behalf of parents and pupils in Old Stratford to West Northamptonshire Council on Monday 13 July.

West Northamptonshire Council is currently providing transport on the route for 91 students at a cost of £280 per day, equating to £53,200 per academic year.

National statutory guidance states children are entitled to free school travel support if the walking distance to their nearest suitable school is more than three miles for those aged eight to 16.

The furthest distance between the school and homes in the nearby village is around 1.7 miles, so this would not qualify under this.

Louise Rogers lives in Old Stratford and has a 12-year-old daughter at the school.

"They're being expected to walk through a dark school route, unlit, unsafe, and it is not overlooked by any houses or buildings, and it is next to a busy road with no barrier between," she said, outlining why she thought the bus service should continue.

She added that parents understood why the service was being looked at, but "children's safety has to be a factor".

"Unfortunately, in law or written policy for a route to school, personal safety is not a factor, and it just baffles me because it is our children that you are making vulnerable due to policy and due to cost-cutting," she said.

Ian McCord, Independent councillor for Deanshanger and Paulesbury Ward, has been supporting the parents and said he has complained about the plans.

"Between now and September it is vitally important that West Northamptonshire Council go down there and clear that path, redo all the repairs on the bridge," he said.

"They really must make that path as safe as it possibly can be so we can get as much light and natural surveillance on it as we can."

West Northamptonshire Council's guidelines for assessing walking routes begin by highlighting a general expectation that a child will be accompanied by a parent and that "a route does not fail to qualify as safe because of dangers which would arise if the child is unaccompanied".

It states it will not take into account the isolation of a route, weather conditions, lack of street lighting, or the presence of uncut hedges.

The guidelines said, "conditions such as muddy footpaths or lack of lighting do not mean that a route is unsafe and it is expected that these issues can be overcome through the use of suitable clothing and equipment."

A spokesman for West Northamptonshire Council said the walking route between Old Stratford and Elizabeth Woodville School was independently assessed in 2024 and in June 2025, and "on both occasions it was judged to be suitable for pupils".

He said: "As pupils are not considered eligible for free home-to-school transport on this route, continuing to provide a free service would be unfair to other families across West Northamptonshire who pay for transport where no entitlement exists."

The council was "carrying out improvements before the new school year" on the route, he added.

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