Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
16
Mar
Councillors urged to be 'big enough to admit when they’re wrong' over home-to-school transport policy
Parents will urge councillors to be “big enough to admit when they’re wrong” at a meeting next week to discuss controversial changes to home-to-school transport.
Campaigners will return to the council chamber on Monday to present a petition calling for a rethink on the North Yorkshire Council policy.
Members of the authority’s Richmond area committee will debate the petition which urges a reversal of restrictions meaning transport is only provided to a child’s nearest school, rather than their catchment school.
The petition containing more than 2,000 signatures was due to be discussed in January but the meeting was halted amid claims of a “cover-up” after it emerged requested information on the policy change had not been made public.
The petition was organised by the School Transport Action Group, which was formed by parents and community leaders in the Upper Dales but now has members across the county.
Parent Charlotte Fowler, from the group, is expected to tell councillors that the policy is “broken”.
She will add:
Your own approved budget is evidence that there are no savings from any of this. Other councils have made better choices.
Only three out of our 13 neighbouring local authorities have imposed ‘nearest school only’ on their residents in the same way as you have.
We remind you once again that all of this mess, and all the angst being inflicted on families and schools, can go away with one small change to the home-to-school transport policy – bring back catchment.
Sometimes you just have to be big enough to admit you’ve got it wrong.
The petition states:
North Yorkshire Council’s recent decision to limit free school transport to the nearest school only is detrimental to rural families.
It will divide communities, harm local schools and risk children’s safety by requiring travel on remote, often impassable routes. In return, there is no guarantee of any substantial financial savings.
We the undersigned, led by a team of anxious Upper Dales parents and local residents, demand that councillors rethink and reverse this damaging policy in the light of the negative impact it will have on the safety and education of children across rural North Yorkshire.
Council rules mean any petition with more than 500 signatures has to be debated by the authority.
The policy was introduced by the council in a bid to reduce the £50m spent every year on home-to-school transport.
In a report to councillors, Barry Khan, assistant chief executive, said the council had committed to reviewing the policy change in summer 2026 after a year of implementation.
Any changes could then be implemented from September 2027.
Opposition councillors are waiting to hear if their formal request for an extraordinary meeting on the issue has been approved by the council’s chair.
0