Latest news with #PeterGaston
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parent 'over the moon' as council U-turn on decision to scrap school bus from village
A GROUP of West Cumbrian parents are 'over the moon' following news that the council have u-turned on their decision to scrap the school bus from their village. Parents from Great Clifton, whose children attend Workington Academy, were told in June that from the next academic year, children attending the school will no longer have access to a free bus service. Following an outcry from parents, Cumberland council have now u-turned on the decision, saying they have acknowledged concerns of parents and decided to keep the provision for school pupils. One of the parents who led a campaign to have the service reinstated, said she was 'over the moon' with the councils decision. Sarah Barber said: " I'm over the moon we can now enjoy the children's summer holidays knowing that our children are safe coming and going to school when term starts." Grave concerns It's understood the bus carried 45 pupils through the 2024-2025 academic year, with parents expressing concerns that the loss of provision would be unsafe for their children. During a meeting parents held back in June, parish councillor Peter Gaston said he was 'gravely concerned' for the safety of any village children travelling beside a unlit 60-mile-an-hour road, especially in winter with dark nights and poor weather conditions. He said: "One incident is one too many. My priority is the health and safety of the school children because it is not safe, full stop." Holly Fox, whose daughter will start at the academy in September 2026, also attended the meeting with concerns for the future should the service be scrapped. Council response A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: 'We recently undertook an assessment of walking routes to schools to ensure our free school transport provision remains fair, consistent, and based on current criteria for need and entitlement, in line with national guidance. "We acknowledge the concerns raised by families regarding the outcomes of the reassessment of walking routes. As a result, current provision will remain in place on all affected routes at this time. 'Our priority continues to be the safety of children and young people, and we are committed to working openly with families and community representatives.'
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cumbria free school buses reinstated amid safety concerns
A council accused of putting money before children's safety by scrapping free school buses is to reinstate all Council was due to end services on four routes in Cumbria from September having said it was following national guidance by identifying a "safe walking route" that pupils could use, while paid-for public transport was also hit out at the move and warned many youngsters would face long and potentially unsafe authority said it was now acknowledging "the concerns raised by families" and all services would remain in place. Among those set to have been affected were children from Great Clifton who attended Workington Academy two miles (3.2km) route put forward by the council for walking was next to a busy road and had little or no lighting, opponents Fox said her daughter Connie faced a 45-minute walk."I don't see how the council can deem it safe," she told the councillor Peter Gaston said: "Are they putting money before the safety of school children? The answer is yes." 'Rash' decision Youngsters in the Kells area of Whitehaven were also going to lose free bus Madrick said her son Flynn would either have had to catch two paid-for buses to get to St Benedict's Catholic High School or face a walk of more than three miles (4.8km), which was "impossible" due to health branded the council's original decision to scrap the service "rash"."We're relieved they've changed their mind," Ms Madrick said, adding: "It would've had a huge impact."Both secondary schools - St Benedict's and Whitehaven Academy - are on the other side of town to the Kells and Bransty areas, and the public buses aren't reliable."Expecting children from the age of 11 to walk six miles to school and back every day is too much and it wouldn't have been safe crossing the A595." 'Priority is safety' The council provides free travel on just over 600 routes, with the figure including services for coaches for dozens of pupils as well as vehicles for single a statement, it said it had undertaken a review of walking routes to schools to "ensure our free school transport provision remains fair, consistent, and based on current criteria for need and entitlement, in line with national guidance".However, it added: "We acknowledge the concerns raised by families regarding the outcomes of the reassessment of walking routes."As a result, current provision will remain in place on all [four] affected routes at this time."Our priority continues to be the safety of children and young people, and we are committed to working openly with families and community representatives." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cumberland Council criticised for scrapping school bus
A council is putting money before children's safety by scrapping a free school bus, it is September, youngsters from Great Clifton, in Cumbria, will no longer be able to use the service to travel to Workington Council said it was following national guidance by having identified a "safe walking route" that pupils can use, while paid-for public transport was also parents and a local councillor warn much of the two-mile (3.2km) route runs alongside the busy road and has no lighting. Holly Fox's daughter is due to attend the secondary school next said: "It's a 45-minute walk for children. I don't see how the council can deem it safe. To get Connie to school, we will struggle."Me and my partner both work 12-hour shifts. We don't have the option to drive her to school so she will rely on public transport that potentially won't have room for more than 30 children."As a community, we're really frustrated with our council."Council tax went up almost 5% this year and what have we seen? Just cutback after cutback to services that are affecting communities. It's not fair." 'Dark mornings' Parish councillor Peter Gaston says vehicles along much of the road next to the path are traveling at 60mph (95km/h).He worries many children will cross the carriageway to buy snacks from a petrol station on their way to and from school. "There's no street lighting for half the distance the children will have to walk," he said."Their school uniforms are dark. On dark mornings, it's really hard for drivers to see pedestrians in dark clothing."Are they putting money before the safety of school children? The answer is yes."The council said it had "recently undertaken an assessment of safe walking routes to school" to ensure it was following national added: "Where school transport is no longer provided free of charge to families, this will only be where a safe walking route has been identified in line with these requirements." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
