Petitions calling for the return of lost bus services to Shortstown and Cotton End were heard at Bedford Borough Council's Full Council meeting on Wednesday 1 July. Members backed the motions, and the council has agreed to commission a review of the services affected.

The petitions related to changes that came into force on 31 May, when a number of local services and bus stops across the borough were reduced or removed. The changes have affected residents in Shortstown, Cotton End and the surrounding area.

How residents have been affected

Cllr Leigh Coombs, ward councillor for Shortstown, which covers Shortstown, Cardington, Cople and Cotton End, spoke during the debate and set out how the changes have affected residents locally.

He told the meeting that a school bus service for children travelling to Bedford Academy had been secured, but that most of the Shortstown bus stops were removed at around the same time without prior announcement or consultation.

He described the position in Cotton End, where three services previously ran through the village throughout the day before 31 May. That frequency has since reduced.

He also raised the situation on the New Cardington Fields estate in Shortstown, a growing new build development where hundreds of homes are still being built. For many residents there, the nearest active bus stop is now more than a mile away, which is over four times the national planning standard of 400 metres. That standard applied when the council granted planning permission for the development, on the basis that residents would have sustainable transport access.

Cllr Coombs told the meeting that a bus stop on the New Cardington estate has stood in place since spring 2023 without any bus service ever calling at it.

He gave examples of the impact on residents, including a partially sighted resident who had paid twenty pounds for a taxi home from the nearest bus stop after the service was withdrawn. He also raised the position of children on New Cardington Fields who live too close to school to qualify for free transport under the council's policy, but who have no bus within realistic walking distance.

Review agreed

Following the debate, members supported the motions and the council agreed to commission a review of the affected services. Proposals to restore some services have previously been put forward, and residents will now be looking to the review to set out a clear timetable for action.

Questions raised by residents

A number of questions were raised during and around the debate that residents would like the council to address as part of the review:

  • Why ward councillors were not consulted before services and bus stops were removed.

  • Where the government funding allocated for local bus services has gone.

  • How that funding has been spent.

What happens next

The council's review will now consider the services affected. Residents affected by the changes can share their experiences with their ward councillors, which helps to inform the case for restoring services.

Cllr Leigh Coombs' speech can be watched back on the council's webcast here: https://bedford.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1097406/start_time/5758000?force_language_code=en_GB