A Priestwood resident has protested at the potential cutting of a ‘lifeline’ bus service, as she needs to get to the doctor.
Bracknell forest borough council is £10 million budget gap in the red and is under pressure to cut bus services.
The borough is considered one of the best places to live in the country so it receives a much lower government subsidy than other places.
So councillors have been told they have no choice but to make cuts, and they are under pressure to save £248,000 by axing the 299, the 598 and the 151/151A, which are under-used and require significant council subsidies.
Some bus services are so uneconomical that they cost the council an extra £16.86 per passenger, and the three services are now earmarked for cutting in order to get closer to balancing the budget.
Councillor Mary Temperton (Labour), the council leader, says she is against cutting bus services.
She said: “We need buses. The best bus ever is the one at the bottom of your street, so you don’t need to look at the timetable because you know it’s regular.”
The council is hoping to receive funding under a so called ‘Section 106 legal agreement’ with a housing developer to set up a whole new bus service for the Warfield area.
She said: “It’s good to use S106 money to build the bus route, set up the service, and make Thames Valley Buses advertise their routes more.
“Older people need to feel they can leave their house and still feel independent and mobile.”
Bus number 299 which connects Priestwood and Warfield to Bracknell is believed to cost the council more than £13 per passenger and is likely to be one of the early victims.
The 299 only runs three times per week, but for some vulnerable and elderly people is the only transport they have.
Priestwood resident Rose Chanel, 84, said: “It’s very important. I’m 84. It’s my only method of transport. It’s a lifeline for me.
“How am I supposed to get to the doctors, the dentists and get my shopping? I don’t drive.
“I’ve recently had a knee operation and I have to go to the doctors’ quite a lot.
“It’s not just impacting the people in Bracknell, it’s impacting the people in Home Pines and Warfield Park.
“When I get on the bus, the numbers aren’t low. There’s at least one person who uses the bus to get to work.
“We were all given a form to fill in by the bus driver. Somebody also sent an email to Bracknell Forest but didn’t get a reply to their email.
MP Peter Swallow said: “Local bus services are vital to our community.
“The government has set out new powers for councils to take control of bus services and deliver the best outcomes for residents through its Better Buses Bill.
“I welcome that the council will be running a Bus Review this year to hear directly from residents about how services can be improved.”
Andrew Hunter, executive director of place for Bracknell Forest, said: “Bracknell Forest Council is facing a £10.1m budget gap in 2026/27.
“As a result, we must look very carefully at how the budget can be balanced, including possibly stopping or reducing some non-statutory services.
“One proposal is to withdraw three very low-use, high-cost bus routes (the 151/151A, 299 and 598) which are no longer financially sustainable.
“If agreed by council, this proposal would save in the region of £248,000 a year.
“No final decision has been made, and we are inviting service users to take part in a consultation on the potential impact of withdrawing these services.
The consultation is open until February 1, 2026.”
