COUNTY councillors are set to debate on whether to scrap the school bus service for children on the Newland estate.
At a meeting on Thursday, councillors were asked to debate whether to approve the savings identified by Strategic Directors in Worcestershire County Council’s draft budget for 2026/27.
The proposal in the draft budget was to reduce spending by a continued review of unavailable walking routes to school, including the Newland service, which in total is estimated to save £80,000.
In total, there are 57 pupils who will be affected should the Newland Estate bus service cease.
Back in November, Worcestershire County Council wrote letters to a number of pupils who currently use the transport, and residents were encouraged to respond to a public consultation.
The mooted move has been opposed by several council members, including Coun Dan Birch.
Droitwich MP Nigel Huddleston has also thrown his weight behind opposing the move.
Coun Birch told the Standard: “The savings don’t outweigh the cost that this will have on the education of young people in Droitwich and elsewhere in the county.
“The numbers quite simply don’t add up. How can the overall savings be less than the cut?
“An overall saving of £80,000 that is going to make it harder for hundreds of children to get to school is not the right decision to be making.”
An email to Coun Dan Birch by a Worcestershire County Council staff member, seen by the Standard, said the council cost for providing this transport is £87,000 per year.
The letter added that some pupils may retain eligibility for free home-to-school transport, and if so, some form of transport may still be required, which would affect the total saving.
The national statutory walking distance for pupils over eight years of age is three miles.
According to the county council, the distance for students to get from the estate to school has been measured at under that limit, which removes the entitlement for free home-to-school transport.
Council documents claim its budget for 2025/26 continues to face relentless demand and cost pressures in both Children’s Social Care and Adult Social Care placements, a trend being seen by the majority of County Councils and upper tier authorities across the Country.
Despite efforts to manage this in the year, the forecast remains a ‘significant overspend.’
The documents added: “The Council’s budget is essentially fixed in cash terms and its ability to raise income is limited.
“The draft budget proposals seek to address the continuing net recurrent financial pressure we are facing from this financial year that will continue into 2026/27, as well as making projections for next year based on the best available information.”
Worcestershire County Council’s meeting will take place ast 10am today (January 15).
