New rural school bus rules are leaving families 'stranded and struggling' warns Harrogate MP

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, says changes by North Yorkshire Council have left families in rural villages like Killinghall and Hampsthwaite “stranded and struggling to get their children to school.”

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Gordon said the new policy was “forcing children from the same village to attend different schools, and leaving some parents with no choice but to give up work to manage the school run."

"North Yorkshire Council’s changes to home-to-school transport are a bureaucratic hammer blow that has left families blindsided, schools scrambling, and communities betrayed,” said Harrogate’s MP

"I’ve heard from countless families across local villages who have been thrown into distress, with some forced to give up work just to get their children to school.

"North Yorkshire Council’s communication has been chaotic and the appeals process unfair.

"Families deserve better and I will keep fighting for school transport that works for rural communities, not against them.’

The changes, introduced by Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, restrict free school transport to a child’s nearest school, rather than their catchment school.

Mr Gordon argues that sudden shift has removed real choice in education, creating logistical and financial strain for parents.

He also claims the council failed to clearly communicate the changes and is calling for a Parliamentary debate on the issue.

“Crucial information was missing from its website for months,” said the Lib Dem MP, “and many families only found out they were affected when they received a blunt letter, delivered the Friday before half-term, informing them they were no longer eligible for free transport.”

Speaking when the changes were announced, Amanda Fielding, assistant director for inclusion at North Yorkshire Council, said the decision was unavoidable in the financial climate.

"We are one of the highest spending local authorities in the country on home to school transport,” she said.

"If we had done nothing, the rising cost of home to school travel could have a crippling effect on the other services we must deliver by law."