Dales meeting: anger over changes to home-to-school transport

The meeting was held at Kettlewell Village Hall on Tuesday evening amid concern in Upper Wharfedale and Littondale about a change made by North Yorkshire Council.

The authority introduced a new policy in September which means free school transport is only available to a child’s nearest school, meaning families are unable to get paid transport to their catchment school if it is not also their closest.

The policy was altered in a bid to help the council reduce its annual school transport bill of more than £50m.

But the new rules have caused concern among families and community leaders in the Dales with journeys to nearest schools being over hazardous moorland routes in some cases.

At the meeting, Councillor Richard Ingram, chair of Buckden Parish Council, urged residents to campaig for changes to the policy, describing the new rules as “discriminatory”.

Parish council deputy chair Peter Vetch highlighted several areas of concern,  including the removal of transport to selective schools such as Ermysted’s Grammar School and Skipton Girls’ High School, despite North Yorkshire operating a selective education system.

Cllr Vetch said the policy had introduced a strict “nearest school” rule based on walking distance rather than road distance or route safety.

He cited examples from Oughtershaw, where the school classed as nearest on foot was significantly further and less practical to reach by road than the school previously attended by children from the area.

Cllr Vetch said that in some cases, children would be expected to travel over Fleet Moss to reach their designated school – a route residents widely regard as unsafe, particularly during winter conditions.

Families from Oughtershaw and Greenfield have already submitted appeals, arguing that these circumstances should be treated as exceptional.

However, the appeals were rejected, with factors such as safety, cost and the impact on attendance ruled outside the scope of the process.

Cllr Vetch added: “Speakers at the meeting warned of serious long-term consequences, including unsafe journeys for children, increased financial strain on families forced to fund private transport, and falling pupil numbers in local schools.”

Concerns were also raised about the wider sustainability of rural communities, including the impact on farming families and the future of village schools.

Anne Vetch, former chair of Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation (UWPF), said after the meeting:” The Upper Wharfedale community, teachers and parents have worked tirelessly over the years to ensure the school as part of UWPF not only has survived but thrived and has a promising future, demonstrated by an increase in numbers, financial sustainability, and a good Ofsted.

“You can imagine my dismay and that of others when we find this work seriously undermined by the school transport policy.”

A spokesperson for STAG, which was represented at the meeting, said: “This is one of several meetings that parishes are organising all around the county – with Sheriff Hutton and Scorton near Richmond also included in that list.

“We are not surprised that residents are getting together to challenge this. North Yorkshire Council were warned about the impact this policy would have on rural communities and now they are going to have to answer to the people who are fighting for the future not only of their children, but also of their villages.”

North Yorkshire Council has repeatedly defended the policy change, which is due to be reviewed later this year, saying it brings services in line with government guidance and will help control rising school transport costs, which have more than doubled since 2018/19.