Local Bus Services Under Threat

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South Northamptonshire villagers without access to private transport fear that they will be left high and dry if the County Council withdraws support for local bus services. The Council’s budget proposals for 2018/19 include “a council tax increase of 5.98%, including a 3% adult social care precept, and cuts totalling £2,748,000 for bus subsidies, trading standards, winter maintenance and library services.” The Council’s Chief Finance Officer warns that “members of the county council should be in no doubt that the council faces a financial situation that is grave and which thus places strict limits on the choices available to the county council”.  The budget will be discussed by the council cabinet on 13 February. In the meantime, the County Council has brought in a so-called section 114 notice preventing all new expenditure. Concerned villagers should write to their County Councillors before 13th February. More details in “read the rest of this entry”, including a protest letter from a Culworth parishioner to the Culworth Parish Council which sums up the situation.

 

 

Letter to Culworth Parish Council:

Local Bus Services – Culworth

As you will be aware, the County Connect bus service for local villages is soon to be discontinued, according to Northants Transport Manager. As a regular user of the local bus service, I wish to protest against this planned withdrawal of our buses.

When I first moved to Culworth in 1956, we had an 8.00 am workers’ bus that returned at 6.00 pm and a bus on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Banbury plus a Friday shoppers’ bus to Brackley. For grocery shopping, Brackley is most convenient, as Banbury grocery shops are on the outskirts of the town rather than in the town centre (except Marks and Spencer)/

The system worked well and when County Connect took over we were also provided with a service that offered us more flexible opportunities, thereby enhancing our social lives.

I am optimistic that a similar service will be provided following withdrawal of County Connect but, as yet, I have heard of no alternative proposals.

Hopefully, this is not an indication that there are no bus services planned for the forseeable future? Should this be the case, the elderly and infirm of Culworth and other villages affected by such a decision, will be left isolated and unable to obtain basic provisions and commodities, collect pensions, attend medical medical and dental/opticians appointments or have access to other necessities of modern life, etc.

I understand that other Parish Councils affected by this forthcoming change in service are protesting on behalf of their communities and request that Culworth Parish Council does the same, if it has not already done so.

I look forward to the Parish Council’s response to my concerns and remain confident that the needs of the community will be fairly represented by yourselves.

Yours sincerely,

Sulgrave villagers who share these sentiments and wish to make their views known should contact the Northamptonshire County Councillor for this ward (Silverstone):

Councillor Ian Morris

Northamptonshire County Council
Leadership Support
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED
01604 367813

Click here for more details about County Councillor Ian Morris

 

Concerns on this matter should also be passed on to:

South Northants District Council, the Councillor for the Washington Ward ( Abthorpe ; Moreton Pinkney ; Sulgrave ; Wappenham ; Weston and Lois Weedon) is:

Councillor Peter Davies.

Home address: 
South Wing
1 The Manor
Banbury Road
Moreton Pinkney
NN11 3SJ

Phone:  01295 768717

Bus. email:  [email protected]

and

Sulgrave Parish Council. Membership and contact details here.

 

 

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