North Yorkshire Council

24 July 2024

 

Motion calling on the Council to halt the proposed cuts to free bus services in the County (Home to School Transport Policy) – recommendations of the Executive

 

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services

 

 

1.0

 

PURPOSE OF REPORT  

1.1

 

 

To enable Council to consider the recommendations of the Executive regarding the Motion on the proposed Home to School Transport Policy that was referred at the meeting of Council on 15 May 2024.

 

 

2.0       BACKGROUND

2.1       At the meeting of the Council on 15 May 2024, a Notice of Motion calling for a halt to the proposed cuts to free school bus services in the County (Home to School Transport Policy) was considered. Council resolved that the motion be referred to a meeting of the Executive for consideration, with recommendations to be brought back to the meeting of the Council on 24 July 2024.

 

2.2       The Motion is as follows:

 

Home to School Transport

A significant proportion of the NYC Home to School Travel Service is governed by legislation. However, proposals to bring the policy in line with the DfE requirements by removing some areas of discretionary provision has some risks:

 

·         estimated annual savings of £3.2m are based on a number of assumptions which

are difficult to predict

·         the full financial impact of the changes won’t be seen for seven years

·         families with more than one child could have different eligibility, with children from the same family being forced to attend schools in different locations

·         restricting eligibility to nearest school only will have a significant & disproportionate impact on rural communities

·         potential changes to the pattern of admissions at schools where transport provision is a factor

·         a house move within the area could mean children are forced leave their current school

·         North Yorkshire will be paying other authorities to educate its own children while perfectly good schools inside the county lose out.

 

We call on this council to halt the drastic cuts to free school bus services in the county and to use the £6.2m of emergency central government funding for its intended purpose of supporting frontline services.

 

Proposer – Cllr Barbara Brodigan

Seconder – Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.

 

2.3       The proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy were reviewed at the informal meeting of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 20 May 2024.  The outcome of this review was included in the agenda and papers for the meeting of the Executive on 16 July 2024, with the intention that it would assist in the deliberations of the Executive with regard to the policy proposals and the Motion.  A copy of the papers for that meeting can be found on the Council website here - Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 16th July, 2024, 11.00 am | North Yorkshire Council

 

2.4       The minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 16 July 2024 were not available at the point at which the Council papers for the meeting on 24 July 2024 were published.  A summary of the discussions at the Executive is as below:

           

·         The home to school travel routes will be risk assessed

·         There has been an extensive consultation on the proposed changes and the papers for the meeting of the Executive were published 5 clear working days ahead of the meeting on the Council website

·         The Home to School Transport budget has been over-spent for a number of years and this needed to be addressed.  The current policy makes provision for eligibility above and beyond statutory requirements

·         The policy will be phased in over-time to enable children to remain at the schools that they are currently attending

·         There will be measures in place to support families on low incomes

·         There is a need to balance the Council budget and the estimated cumulative savings of £4.2million will contribute to the overall savings of £48million that need to be made by the Council over the next 4 years

·         The cost of providing home to school travel is the third largest item of revenue expenditure for the Council

·         It was recognised that this was not an easy decision to make but one that needed to be made to help ensure the longer-term financial security of the Council.

 

2.5         Members of the public present raised concerns regarding the impact of the proposed changes upon travel times and safety (particularly in poor weather in more rural areas), travel costs, local communities and community cohesion, school numbers and the long-term sustainability of some secondary schools and sixth form provision.  There was a call to stop the implementation of the proposed change in policy.

 

2.6       The draft minutes of the Executive meeting that was held on 16 July 2024 will available before the meeting of Council and will be accessible here - Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 16th July, 2024, 11.00 am | North Yorkshire Council

 

2.7       The Executive concluded that the Proposed Changes to the Council’s Home to School Travel Policy, as recommended in the Executive report be supported and then recommended to Council for adoption at its meeting of 24 July 2024.

 

2.8       The recommendation to Council regarding the Motion, therefore, is that the motion is not supported as the Executive has recommended the Proposed Changes to the Council’s Home to School Travel Policy to Council for adoption, as at agenda item 10.

 

2.9       When the Executive or a committee reports back on a motion, the motion, as originally moved and seconded at the previous meeting of Council, will be the matter before the Council. Any recommendation of the Executive or committee to amend the motion will, therefore, be an amendment to the motion and any recommendation to support or oppose the motion will be only an expression of views.

 

3.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS            

3.1       These are covered in the report on the proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy that went to the Executive on 16 July 2024 and which is included in the agenda for this meeting at item 10.

 

4.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS                   

4.1       These are covered in the report on the proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy that went to the Executive on 16 July 2024 and which is included in the agenda for this meeting at item 10.

 

5.0       CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS                      

5.1       These are covered in the report on the proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy that went to the Executive on 16 July 2024 and which is included in the agenda for this meeting at item 10.

 

6.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

6.1       These are covered in the report on the proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy that went to the Executive on 16 July 2024 and which is included in the agenda for this meeting at item 10.

 

 

7.0

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1

 

 

That Council consider the recommendations of the Executive regarding the Motion on the proposed Home to School Transport Policy that was referred at the meeting of Council on 15 May 2024, specifically that the motion is not supported.

 

 

BARRY KHAN

Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

16 July 2024

 

Background Documents: North Yorkshire Council Constitution - NYC Constitution - Version 7 - May 2024.pdf (northyorks.gov.uk)