AROUND 50 parents packed out a parish council meeting last Wednesday after being informed their usual school bus service would not be available to them next year.
Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for Children’s Services, Cllr Prue Bray, was in the firing line at Shinfield Parish Council as she defended the council’s decision to reduce fare-paying services to Emmbrook School due to a lack of funds.
The council had previously accommodated both students entitled to home to school transport and those whose parents were willing to pay on the E1, E2 and E3 routes, but will only run one coach next year, retaining its free school bus provision with the remaining seats allocated on a first come first served basis.
With many commutes in excess of seven miles, parents were only notified that their applications had been unsuccessful on the final day of the school year.
Shinfield resident Brett Johnson, whose son is 11 and was hoping to take the E1 bus next year, initially spoke on behalf of the attending parents.
He said: “This is about our kids, not all of us [here], but our kids. We want to make sure that we are alleviating any parental concern about our kids travelling to Emmbrook.
“I want to recognise that this is a massive moment for our kids as they transition from junior [school] to Emmbrook.”
Mr Johnson outlined the issues caused by the council’s decision, including a lack of practical alternatives and families being left with some of their children given seats on the bus while others were not.
He added: “I’m actually not aware of any families which have been accepted on either the E1 or the E2, the E1 being the direct bus, which is what everyone wants because it’s short, direct and alleviates a lot of stress from parents and the kids.
“We’re a big community, you can see that here. We’re happy to pay, we want our kids safe.”
The parents proposed the running of an additional, fare-paying coach service, an idea which Cllr Bray confirmed the council could not subsidise.
The Winnersh councillor’s response outlined the council’s statutory obligation to provide home to school transport to those who are entitled to it, and that remaining seats would be allocated to fare-payers on a first come first served basis.
She explained: “The people who applied first need to have those places. The question is, what can we do to help the rest of you? And I do want to help the rest of you, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. That’s the first thing.
“Second thing I want to say is, unfortunately, the council has no money – I don’t say that casually.
Cllr Bray cited high inflation levels and a lack of central funding as the reasons behind a £3 million shortfall in this year’s budget, which is around £180 million across the borough.
She added that next year, the hole is expected to be more than £11 million.
According to Cllr Bray, adding another coach would set the council back £75,000 per year. If all 72 spaces are filled at the current rate of £825 per head, it would leave a bill of £15,600 for the council to pick up.
“It would leave us with at least a £10,000 shortfall, and there aren’t 72 people here,” she explained.
“We haven’t got £10,000, I have to tell you that, I don’t want to, but I don’t think it would be fair to mislead you into thinking that we can subsidise another bus.
“We cannot afford to pay for a bus if you don’t cover the cost between you. We just can’t do it.”
Cllr Bray put forward four possible solutions: To fill remaining spaces on the E3 leaving from Finchampstead or the 244, to pay the full £75,000 for another coach, or to seek alternative modes of public transport.
Fellow parent Darren Houldcroft, who will have three children attending Emmbrook in September, followed up by stating that alternative provision should be decided on as early as possible, with the start of the school year just a few weeks away and many heading away for their summer holidays.
He added that any solution would have to be sustainable and able to accommodate future generations of students and Shinfield’s growing population.
Concerns were also raised more broadly over the Shinfield’s educational provision, with the limited capacity at Oakbank School being an issue.
As such, a follow-up meeting with Cllr Bray has been scheduled for 7pm on Wednesday, August 2, at School Green Centre.
