Labour councillors kept their promises to pupils and parents, blocking moves to cut home to school bus services across the Falkirk area.
While SNP councillors were happy to commit youngsters to hour-long walks to and from school in all the conditions Scottish weather will throw at them, Labour’s amendment won the support of Tories and independents to stop the cuts.
Councillors were told the proposals would have saved £1 million towards the £64 million funding gap needing filled in the next five years.
Transport is currently provided for pupils up to eight who live more than a mile from their school and older pupils who live more than two miles away. It was proposed a mile be added to each of the travel limits bringing them into line with statutory guidance.
Ninety percent of respondents to a council consultation opposed the changes.
Even SNP councillors agreed the move was a step too far, an amendment from them would have left primary pupils unaffected, with savings halved.
As Councillor Jack Redmond pointed out, that would have seen older pupils being passed by school buses as they trudged wearily through rain, sleet and snow.
One result of the consultation has been the designation of additional walk to
Other complaints raised included:
- Pupils having to walk an hour each way to school in all weathers, arriving tired and wet through
- Pupils being discouraged from attending school with a negative impact on attainment
- An adverse impact on working parents obliged to take pupils to school, in some cases two or more children to two or more schools
- An increase in traffic problems outside schools, causing added pollution and congestion and increasing risk to children
Labour Group leader Councillor Anne Hannah, moving the Labour amendment, said she welcomed the fact officials had taken account of some concerns raised by parents, staff and others, particularly the acceptance that some routes were unsafe.
But she added: “There is not enough mitigation of the impact of these proposals to enable Falkirk Labour to support them. We welcome the increased take up of the under 22’s bus pass - but this is not mitigation. It was something needed to promote use of public transport and encourage young people to get out again and to socialise.”
She went on to attack the Scottish Government for cutting funding to local authorities, forcing Falkirk Council to even consider these changes.
“We understand the council is in a serious financial position. Since 2007, year on year, the Scottish Government has received increased funds from the Westminster Government and year on year local authority budgets in Scotland have been reduced and increasingly constrained in the decisions that can be made locally,” she said.
“Even in 2017, when the Scottish Government imposed substantial increases in Council Tax for people in Bands E to H - something they plan to do again in 2024 - our additional council tax income of £2.2 million was more than offset by the £6.4 million reduction in
Councillor Hannah said Council Leader Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn had claimed the Scottish Government did not have tax raising powers.
“People in Scotland who are paying the Scottish Income Tax or Council Tax (which includes that 2017 rise which the SNP plan to increase again) might beg to differ,” she added.
She also questioned claims made in the report that a failure to balance its budget could see external advisers taking over Falkirk Council’s leadership.
“This sounds apocalyptic, as if the council is teetering on the precipice. This is bullying. As has been covered earlier by officials in answer to questions, this is not a fair assessment of what is likely to happen. It has never happened to any Scottish local authority and the laws are different from those in England and Wales where it has happened.
“Falkirk Council has already agreed a balanced budget for this year, whatever decision is taken today. The Council will take next year’s budget decisions when we know how much funding is going to be available.”
Councillor Hannah said the administration had held back from making cuts to both primary and secondary school services through fear of the impact on their support in the community.
She also questioned administration suggestions that other savings might have to be found through cuts to teaching, ancillary and social work staff.
She went on: “These savings are in some cases, arguably undeliverable; in others unquantifiable. They are certainly unquantified. For example, as far as I am aware the Scottish Government still stands by its position it will impose financial penalties on local authorities if they
“These cancellations would mean many pupils walking around an hour to school every morning and an hour back home, regardless of weather. Given the poor bus services we have in the Falkirk Council area and the unwillingness of the Administration to even consider taking a more active role, the alternatives are limited.
“These cancellations would affect pupils all around our council area. This is the wrong action to take in attempts to balance the council’s budget. They will increase car usage and pollution around schools.
“One pupil has said: ‘It upsets me deeply that young people are the first on the council’s chopping block’. The people of our communities have said: ‘Please do not do this’.”
“The Falkirk Labour amendment answers this call. We will not do this.”