Consultation considers changes to free school transport

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

A consultation on changing the distance at which children are provided free school transport is taking place over the holidays due to the general election.

Councils have to consult on their home to school transport policies every year, and must have the agreed policy in place by October so parents are aware of what is available ahead of the new school year the following September.

This year’s consultation in Monmouthshire has proposed increasing the qualifying distance for a free school bus pass from September 2025.

Under the council’s proposals children would only be entitled to free transport if they live two miles or more from their nearest or most suitable primary school, rather than 1.5 miles at present.

Qualifying distance 

For those attending secondary schools the current two mile qualifying distance will be raised to three miles. The council will expect primary and secondary school pupils to walk if they live closer to school than the new qualifying distances.

It opened its consultation on July 12, before schools broke up for the long summer holidays, and it will close on August 23. The council’s Labour-led cabinet is due to make a decision on September 11.

When the changes were discussed at the council’s people scrutiny committee Conservative councillor for Goetre Fawr, Jan Butler, asked why the consultation hadn’t started earlier.

She said: “Residents say to me why can’t you do it earlier, why do it when parents are on holiday?”

Abergavenny Landsdown councillor, Martyn Groucutt, the cabinet member for education, said the top legal officer had said it couldn’t run a consultation during the campaign period ahead of the July 4 general election.

Cllr Groucutt suggested Cllr Butler direct her question at the former Tory Prime Minister and said: “You should probably ask Rishi Sunak, he chose the date for the election.”

Abergavenny Groefiled Labour member Laura Wright, who was chairing the meeting, told her senior party colleague: “That’s not helpful.”