Agenda item

A petition is to be presented by Mr. D. A. Sprason CC, as local member for Markfield, Desford and Thornton and lead petitioner Mr. Joel Evans, signed by 1822 local residents.

 

A petition submitted by Joel Evans, a local resident of Markfield, signed by 1822 local residents was presented to the Commission by Mr. Evans and Mr. D. A. Sprason CC – local member for Markfield, Desford and Thornton in the following terms:

 

“We the undersigned oppose the County Council’s £14,000 cut in the school transport budget for the school bus from Markfield/Field head to South Charnwood High School, Leicester. Additionally, we demand a full safety assessment and immediate revision of the County Council’s criteria for free transportation to schools.”

 

With the consent of the Chairman, Mr. D. A. Sprason addressed the Commission and made the following points in support of the petition:

 

• National guidelines stated that paths for walking routes should be a minimum of 1 metre, however other authorities used 1.8 metres as a minimum width. It was felt that the Authority should adopt 1.5 metres as a minimum;
  
  
• There was an expectation from parents that they should be able to walk their children to school side-by-side to ensure their safety;
  
  
• Any path should be wide enough for wheelchair use or for parents to use push chairs.

 

With the consent of the Chairman, Mr. Evans addressed the Commission and made the following points:

 

• The Markfield and Field Head School Bus Action Group had been formed arising from a public meeting on the County Council’s proposed £14,000 school transport cut, at which David Tredinnick MP had been an attendee and had given his full support to the campaign;
  
  
• One person from 75% of all of the properties in Markfield had signed the petition;
  
  
• The County Council’s Cabinet had agreed in 2001 a policy for assessing if a walking route was available and safe. That policy did not include a minimum footpath width;
  
  
• The route in question was inadequate and in a state of disrepair with no lighting for those children returning from school during the winter months or from out of hours school activities;
  
  
• There were no patrolled school crossing points;
  
  
• The route was in a remote rural area and it was therefore difficult to access emergency services;
  
  
• The route involved a crossing at the M1 bridge which was viewed as a significant potential danger;
  
  
• There was no, or insufficient, street lighting on the route.
  
  

Mr. Evans summed up his address by stating that the Action Group had the full support of parish councils and it was their view that the matter needed to be urgently reviewed in order that parents could be informed of the situation prior to the commencement of the next school term in September.

 

Mr. Bailey pointed out that Mr. Sprason was a member of the Cabinet which had recommended to full Council a cut of £14,000 in the budget for home to school transport and that at the full Council meeting opposition parties had agreed that this would have an effect on many children in the Authority’s area. Mr. Sprason responded by stating that he was in agreement with the Council’s £14,000 saving, but it was his and the Action Group’s belief that the policy criteria for assessing walking routes to school should be revised to include a minimum path width, thus ensuring the safety of school children.

 

Concern was expressed in regard to adopting a minimum path width, as it was felt that this would likely lead to a number of routes being re-examined at a high potential cost to the Authority and at a time of significant financial difficulty.

 

The Commission then considered a briefing note of the Director of Environment and Transport a copy of which, marked ‘C’, is filed with these minutes.

 

The Director of Environment and Transport addressed the Commission and made the following key points in response to those made by the local member and lead petitioner:

 

·                    The £14,000 saving in relation to home to school transport was the result of a policy decision put forward by the Cabinet and agreed by the full County Council at its budget meeting on 24 February 2010;

·                    The Education Act required the Authority to provide a home to school transport service for routes that were three miles or longer, unless a walking route was available;

·                    An assessment of the route from Field Head to South Charnwood had been carried out in 2001 and 2005. A pedestrian crossing had then been installed in 2007;

·                    Efforts to provide an alternative bus service along this route had failed, following extensive negotiations. The Authority would continue to do everything it could to secure a contracted service for the route;

·                    It was unrealistic in times of significant financial pressure to have a minimum path width for walking routes and it was felt unnecessary, given that it was clear that the route was well used by people in the locality;

·                    The path in question would receive maintenance work prior to the next school term, though it was not currently known to what standard.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Mrs. L. A. S. Pendleton CC for being in attendance at the meeting to respond directly to the points raised.

 

With the consent of the Chairman, Mrs. Pendleton addressed the Commission and made the following points:

 

·                    The Cabinet had faced a number of difficult decisions in the present financial climate, of which this was one of them and the decision on this matter had not been taken lightly;

·                    Whilst the Council had a role to play in ensuring that the walking route to school was safe, the responsibility for ensuring that children arrived at school and returned homes safely lay with parents;

·                    There were a number of other walking routes in the County which were less than 1 metre in width and were walked by children every day.

Some members of the Commission expressed regret that the Cabinet did not reassess the policy criteria prior to proposing a cut in the school transport budget given that the safety of children should be a priority and the consequences of the changes should have been fully considered. Though the path was available and appeared to be used, this did not necessarily indicate that it was safe.

 

It was moved by Mr. Bailey and seconded by Mr. Boulter:-

 

“That the Cabinet be requested to reconsider the policy criteria for assessing ‘available’ walking routes to school for suitability and safety and reconsider its decision to withdraw the 838 bus service from Field Head to South Charnwood High School and other services.”

 

An amendment was moved by Mr. Pain and seconded by Mrs. Posnett:-

 

That the motion be amended to read as follows:

 

“That a Scrutiny Review Panel be established to consider the current home to school transport policy, in particular, how 'available’ walking routes are assessed for suitability and safety.”

 

The amendment was put and carried, 8 members having voted for the motion and 4 against.

 

The substantive motion was put and carried.