North Yorkshire Council’s home-to-school transport policy change branded “draconian” as families face confusion

In a heated discussion at North Yorkshire Council’s Selby and Ainsty area committee, Councillor John McCartney described other fellow councillors with a derogatory term for failing to inform the public about the change.

The North Yorkshire Independent group member also hit out at Conservative councillors, accusing them of removing parental choice by backing the change.

The new policy means children will only get free transport to their nearest school rather than their catchment school.

Parent Charlotte Poran, from Kirk Hammerton, told the committee that the new rules had caused her family seven months of anxiety and confusion.

The mother wanted her daughter to go to the catchment school, Boroughbridge High School, which her son already attends, but found out shortly before families had to pick schools that she may not be eligible for free transport because it was not their nearest school.

She said the policy was causing distress to hundreds of families, adding: “To find out that my daughter would not be able to join her brother on the bus that is already travelling to that school every day with empty seats because of a decision made by this council supposedly to supposedly save money was jaw-dropping.”

Councillor McCartney told the meeting: “It is appalling that parents have not been informed about these radical changes to home-to-school transport.

"All the residents in my ward knew about this draconian change.”

The councillor, who threatened to walk out of the meeting when asked by the chair to put questions forward rather than debate the issue, added: “It’s an appalling change which wiped out parents’ ability to choose what school they sent their kids to.

“I find it amazing that a Conservative council is ripping opportunity from all these people.”

In response, Conservative councillor for the Brayton and Barlow division, Mark Crane, said the fellow councillor’s remarks were “inflammatory”.

He added: “People still have the choice of which school to pick, what they do not have necessarily is free home-to-school transport.

“This is the start of making savings for the new North Yorkshire Council.

“I’m not trying to make a political point because it wasn’t hugely better under the previous administration if I’m honest, but the extra money we’ve lost (means) we will have to make more difficult decisions over the next year or two in order to keep a balanced budget and not finish up like Birmingham, Bradford and a number of other councils.

“I just want to remind people that the costs to this council of home-to-school transport this year will be £51m – four years ago it was £20m.

"We have to make savings.”

Councillor Steve Shaw-Wright, Labour councillor for the Selby West division, said the policy change did not affect any parents in his area.

But Councillor Stephanie Duckett, Labour councillor for the Barlby and Riccall division, said children were being separated from their friends because their parents could not afford to pay for their transport to their catchment school, which was not their nearest school.

“Those fids are suffering because of decisions made to count some pennies,” she added.

An extraordinary meeting of North Yorkshire Council is scheduled for May 21 at County Hall in Northallerton to discuss the policy change.