Bishops Castle and Clun Areas to be hit Hard

Parents and councillors in rural Shropshire have responded with anger and dismay to the council’s announcement that they are consulting on charging parents nearly £900 a year for each child attending 6th form for transport .

Heather Kidd, Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, said “This is effectively another tax hike which falls disproportionately on families in rural areas and those of limited means. Only a small number of parents in Shrewsbury will have to pay this whereas in my ward a huge proportion will. What is even more unfair is that many Shrewsbury pupils will be able to use their passes at anytime. Not so those in my Division who will only be ably to use certain buses.”

Charlotte Barnes, Shropshire Councillor for Bishops Castle, added “This is grossly unfair. I know of one family with two children in 6th form who are faced with a £1800 bill. This is indicative of the Council Administration’s obsession at cutting budgets at any price. It’s putting its policy of indiscriminate cuts above the welfare of local young people and families.”

Shropshire is proposing almost doubling the cost of transport to £876 pa from September. This has now going out to ‘consultation’. However this has not been widely publicised or easy to find on the Council’s website*

Charlotte, Heather and several of their colleagues are pushing for the Council to hold a proper, meaningful consultation. Heather concluded “This move is outrageous as it is, without trying to bring it in by stealth. I urge every parent that is going to be affected (or likely to be affected in future years) by these measures to write in to the Council Leader and make their views known.”

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