Surrey parents celebrate after axed bus services replaced
Campaigning parents whose children were told to use torches to walk across unlit heathland by Surrey County Council (SCC) are celebrating after it was announced that an axed school bus service would be replaced.Earlier this year, SCC said it was saving money and cancelling the free bus service between Molesey and Esher High School, advising children to walk through dark alleyways and across countryside instead.Initially, parents started a petition to put on an extra 814 bus service to accommodate the children with part of the £12bn transport funding granted to SCC by the government.Parent Kate Maxwell said: "I'm thrilled they've seen sense but it could have been handled so much differently.
"This whole process has been so stressful on everyone involved, the parents, children, and schools, and for what?"In a letter to parents, Esher High School headteacher Andy King said the school was pleased to share that an additional 814 bus would be running as a trial from September, following "strong and sustained advocacy from our school and parent community".The council said the extra bus would run for the first half-term of the 2025/26 academic year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.After that, demand will be analysed to see if the service continues, said SCC.Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth at SCC, said: "We're very aware of the challenges raised by parents and carers and have worked with Falcon to address these."As with all bus services, we need to ensure they are used to make them viable, so I encourage parents and carers to take up this new provision. "This additional bus is being provided by Falcon at no cost to Surrey County Council."
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BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Surrey parents celebrate after axed bus services replaced
Campaigning parents whose children were told to use torches to walk across unlit heathland by Surrey County Council (SCC) are celebrating after it was announced that an axed school bus service would be this year, SCC said it was saving money and cancelling the free bus service between Molesey and Esher High School, advising children to walk through dark alleyways and across countryside parents started a petition to put on an extra 814 bus service to accommodate the children with part of the £12bn transport funding granted to SCC by the Kate Maxwell said: "I'm thrilled they've seen sense but it could have been handled so much differently. "This whole process has been so stressful on everyone involved, the parents, children, and schools, and for what?"In a letter to parents, Esher High School headteacher Andy King said the school was pleased to share that an additional 814 bus would be running as a trial from September, following "strong and sustained advocacy from our school and parent community".The council said the extra bus would run for the first half-term of the 2025/26 academic year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting that, demand will be analysed to see if the service continues, said Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth at SCC, said: "We're very aware of the challenges raised by parents and carers and have worked with Falcon to address these."As with all bus services, we need to ensure they are used to make them viable, so I encourage parents and carers to take up this new provision. "This additional bus is being provided by Falcon at no cost to Surrey County Council."
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
The South Merstham church bombed for Adolf Hitler's birthday
On 19 April, 1941, South Merstham in Surrey received a very unwelcome birthday German bombers returned from London having taken part in raids to mark the birthday of Adolf Hitler the following day, planes from the raid dropped a surplus parachute mine into Battlebridge Lane which created an 180 sq ft (16.7 sq m) crater and destroyed All Saints church was damaged beyond repair, but from its salvaged remains rose Canada Hall, which stands in the village to this church warden, Mary Kennedy, says she does not think people walking past recognise the significance of the new building – or its name. Speaking to Radio Surrey, she said: "The hall was built by Canadian soldiers billeted in the area. Everything in the building was built from salvaged material from the bombed church, except for some cement and paint. "Local people believed it was because of the railway. Every time the village got bombed it was shortly after a train had gone through."I don't think people understand the history of it. They walk past it but not everyone realises why it is called that."The bomb did cause fatalities – 10 people died and the vicar of the church was severely from the ravaged church rose a new building. Initially intended as a temporary church, Canada Hall was consecrated in 1943 and dedicated in 1952. In fact, the church was one of only two in the country to be consecrated during World War Two – the other was built by Italian prisoners of war on the Isle of information panels in the church share the history of the old building and what has since replaced its new form, Canada Hall now stands as a key monument to South Merstham's wartime history.
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Special school in Dormansland rated outstanding by Ofsted
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