5 days ago
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.'
