PARENTS say they have been left dismayed by Bury Council’s proposed new policy on providing home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

A report had been due to go to the council’s cabinet meeting last night outlining the new plans, which are aimed at promoting independent travel following a change in the law on what services councils are required to provide.

However, after the SOS Transport Bury campaign group expressed serious concerns over the proposals, the council has agreed to defer consideration of the report until next month and consult further with families.

The new policy states that a range of transport options will be available, rather than only a door-to-door minibus service, and the majority of families would be expected to be able to make their own travel arrangements.

A spokesman for the group said: “We are extremely concerned by the policy document that the council made available last week.

“We have not seen any outcomes from last year’s consultation nor seen a draft policy for comment.

“We have major concerns about the impact of this policy document for families with disabled children/young people. No doubt the council will say that transport will be provided for those children who need it.

“However, the policy is very unclear and it reads like the council intend to substantially reduce transport assistance.

“We were assured by council officials last year that the policy revamp was about doing away with a one-size-fits-all approach and replacing it with a choice of options for children, yet the policy states that the council expects that the majority of children with special educational needs and disabilities will not require transport assistance. We are dismayed and feel let down by the council.”

A consultation on the plans, run by Bury Parents Forum, was carried out last year.

Cllr Rishi Shori, leader of the council, said: “These changes are not about saving money. We spent £1.29 million last year on SEN transport, and we will keep spending at current levels.

“The current policy offers door-to-door transport irrespective of the child’s abilities or desires to travel independently as their mainstream peers do.

“We wanted to look at whether some of our children could undertake journeys in a different way to how they currently do including walking, using public transport, or providing families with a mileage-rate allowance.

“We currently transport around 370 children and young people. This has reduced slightly in the last two years, as around 40 children have already learned to travel independently using public transport, at no additional cost to the family, which has opened up opportunities for social travel as well as to school.

“Under the new policy, there would be no immediate change in numbers, as all who currently get transport will continue to do so until their next review.

“Throughout, we have been motivated purely by what is in the best interests of our children and their wellbeing, both during their school years and in later life, and we trust that this deferral will help ensure that we get this right.”