RESIDENTS have been warned to expect further “difficult decisions” over key council services as a controversial move designed to cut spending on school transport was approved.
A full meeting of North Yorkshire Council saw members emphasise its duty to balance the authority’s books in the face of a £48m annual deficit as they faced strong criticism over the move to reduce pupils’ entitlement to free school transport to the statutory minimum.
Ahead of most members voting for the cutbacks, Simon Peach, chair of governors at Settle College, was among a number of people to highlight concerns that the changes would not guarantee savings for the council.
He said the changes would guarantee hundreds of pounds of extra costs every term for parents if they chose not to send their child to the nearest school.
He added: “We understand the need to balance to budget, at Settle College we have avoided going into deficit, however, there is no guarantee that dropping the catchment will help to balance the budget, it will impose costs on schools and some families. Settle College will lose up to £300,000 every year, even with concessions for low-income families.
Mr Peach said affected families would include those in Bentham and Ingleborough, part of the school’s catchment area, but live fractionally closer to Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale.
He added: “Families who choose to stick with Settle College will face hundreds of pounds in travel costs.”
In response, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, executive member for education, learning and skills, said Settle College was “successful and popular” but that changes were necessary to bring the council’s policy in line with government guidance on school transport.
Across North Yorkshire, there are 10,500 pupils currently eligible for free transport, making up around 14 per cent of the total school roll.
North Yorkshire Council has insisted that no pupils will lose their current travel entitlement unless their personal circumstances change.
Cllr Wilkinson added: “Parents in some areas of Settle College’s catchment can choose their nearest school which is outside of the catchment and the council is transporting 150 children to that school, whereas other families in that location are being transported to Settle College.
“The council is providing travel to two locations from the same starting point. This is above and beyond the requirements of the council. Modelling has considered savings from policy and this will be dependent on factors including parents exercising choice over where their children are educated.
“The council will continue to work with Settle College to ensure any impact of policy change can be managed over the implementation period”.
Councillors were also told the nearest school policy would mean some parents who practise a religion being prevented from sending their children to a school that matched their values.
Nevertheless, the meeting heard the council was not expecting any extra funding from the Government “any time soon” and numerous members agreed that savings in discretionary services were desperately needed to help fund services the council had a statutory duty to provide.
Cllr Wilkinson, told the meeting home to school transport was projected to cost the authority £51m this year, a sum which had more than doubled since 2018.
She said: “The council finances are such that difficult decisions are having to be made and we can expect more of this to come as the council finds ways to address the projected deficit.
“This isn’t an easy decision, but it is the right one.”
She added no one would lose the transport provision they had as the policy would be adopted over seven years.
In response to the concerns about safety, generating more traffic and pollution, she said the council would work with transport providers, encourage more children to walk and cycle to school and promote sustainable travel.
After the meeting, the authority’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, said: “We currently provide some transport services which go beyond our statutory duty. Increases in the cost of fuel, transport and insurance mean that we have to bring the policy into line with the Department for Education guidance and target resource at those who most need it.
“If we do nothing, then the rising cost of home to school travel could have a crippling effect on the other services we must deliver by law.
“We understand the concerns from parents and carers around transporting children and young people to the school of their choice, as well as concerns if siblings will attend different schools due to travel costs. However, parents and carers still have a choice as to where to send their children. It is important for them to now factor in travel costs if they choose a school that is not their nearest school.
“The policy will now be applied in a more consistent and fair way. It will ensure we are legally compliant, and importantly it will mean we can manage the escalating costs of this service while protecting those who are most in need of our help. The new policy ensures equality and transparency of provision for parents and children.”
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