U-turn on Bradford school bus cuts “a huge win for parents, students and teachers”
It's after Bradford Council scrapped plans to axe services used by pupils at St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic School and Bingley Grammar School.
A DECISION to delay bus service cuts to two Bradford district schools by at least a year has been described as a “a huge win for parents, students and teachers.”
But Bradford Council has been criticised for putting families through months of worry before deciding on the U turn.
On Monday Bradford Council announced it would be scrapping plans to axe two Council funded bus services used by pupils at St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic School and Bingley Grammar School.
The money saving proposals had proven hugely controversial, with hundreds of people objecting and a protest against the plans taking place before a Council meeting in December.
But the Council has now announced that the services will be safe until at least Summer 2026 after West Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed to fund the service for the coming academic year.
WYCA is also carrying out a review of school bus services it funds.
Announcing the change, Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “We know what a lifeline these services are for many families, and they have made clear their views on the proposals that were put forward.”
In reaction to the news, Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, Group Leader of Conservative and Queensbury Independent Group said, “I’d like to thank all the students, parents and staff who made such a strong case against the Council’s proposals to cut bus services to Bingley Grammar School and St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College.
“Conservative and Queensbury Independent Councillors have supported the schools and students, including joining Bingley Grammar School students and families walking to school where there are no suitable pavements to show how dangerous this walk would be.
“This proposal to cut school buses was poorly thought out and has led to unnecessary distress and uncertainty to families.
“It is great news that WYCA have stepped in with Bus Services Improvement Funding to retain these services until a wider consultation over school buses across the region is held.
“However, discussions with WYCA should have been held much earlier so families didn’t need to go through the worry of how their children would get to school.
“It looks like families will have to take part in more consultation as WYCA start consulting on school bus services across the region later in the year.”
Councillor Matt Edwards (Green, Tong), said: “This is a huge win for parents, students and teachers who have successfully pressured the Council to reverse these short-sighted proposals. They should take great pride in what they’ve achieved.
“The Labour administration tried to take a shortcut that would have left hundreds of families across Bradford District struggling. Back in November, I pointed out there were alternative ways to fund these services that should have been looked at before the consultation started, and yesterday’s announcement proves I was right.
“If the Council had made the effort to contact the Combined Authority earlier, we could have avoided the unnecessary stress and confusion faced by parents and students.
“The consultation report revealed strong opposition to the proposals, with not a single participant supporting the cuts, and hundreds voicing their opposition.
“No one is in any doubt about the financial situation Labour has left our council in, but they need to get their priorities sorted.”
Response to today’s announcement concerning the school bus service for St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College, Mgr Paul Grogan, Episcopal Vicar for Education, Diocese of Leeds, said: “Many, many parents throughout the City of Bradford will be profoundly relieved.
“Cllr Hinchliffe took the time to listen to our concerns. We felt heard. I think she was especially impressed by the activism of innumerable students from the College who demonstrated outside City Hall before the latest full Council meeting.
“In the period since the consultation ended, I know that Cllr Hinchcliffe has sought to find a way forward through discussions with her fellow Councillors, officers and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the solution that they have announced today strikes us as being very reasonable.
“We are also very appreciative of the roles which Judith Cummins MP and Imran Hussain MP have played in the discussions about this matter and indeed for the support that we have received from numerous Labour, Conservative, Green and Independent Councillors.
“We look forward now to participating in the forthcoming consultation about school bus services across West Yorkshire which was announced today.
“All our discussions to date have thrown into relief what an important asset St Bede’s and St Joseph’s is for Bradford.”