ANGRY Dales residents claim communities have been “cast adrift” after a bus service was axed without warning.

North Yorkshire County Council failed to disclose that one option being considered as part of a public transport cost-cutting exercise was the cancellation of the 157 Dales and District service, villagers say.

Residents claim that a consultation into the cuts was flawed because the council said it was only planning to reduce the frequency of buses – not cancel the service.

The service, which ran between Bedale and Gayle, was the only scheduled route which passed through villages on the north side of Wensleydale, including Preston-under-Scar, Redmire, Castle Bolton, Carperby and Woodhall.

Following the changes, the 156 service which runs along the A684 will remain, with Reeth Community Transport and the Hawes-Little White Bus providing a dial-a-ride service to connect passengers north of the Ure to bus stops on the south side.

Steve Sheldon, Carperby parish councillor, raised concerns about the cancellation at a recent meeting of the Upper Dales Area Partnership.

He said: “I feel the action to cancel the service was reprehensible.

“Five communities on the north of the Dale have been effectively cast adrift."

Mr Sheldon also criticised the authority for failing to inform passengers of the changes, with no prior warning of the cancellation being posted at bus stops on the route.

Redmire resident Paul Adamson has written to North Yorkshire County Council chief executive Richard Flinton asking 15 questions about the cancellation of the service.

As well as asking why the possibility of the withdrawal of the 157 service was not mentioned in the consultation, Mr Adamson has questioned the vality of the tendering process that saw a dial-a-ride service being introduced amid claims the tender was not publicised. 

He said: “When the consultation on reduction in bus services in Upper Wensleydale was undertaken, it was on the basis of a reduction in the number of journeys.

“At that time, no suggestion was made that there was any possibility of total withdrawal of the service on the north or south sides of the dale.”

Redmire Parish Council is also planning a letter of complaint to the county council and Richmond MP William Hague.

Preston-under-Scar resident David Ashforth said there were several people in the village who had been left “marooned” by the removal of the service, including a volunteer at Gayle Mill, in Gayle, who would no longer be able to help at the historic building.

In response to the criticism, the county council said it had decided to maintain a scheduled Hawes to Leyburn service for the busiest stops, passing through West Burton and Askrigg, after listening to local residents in Wensleydale and looking at the practicalities of the original proposed timetable.

A spokeswoman added: “With the less busy side of the route which takes in Carperby and Redmire, we have replaced the scheduled service with a demand responsive service operated by Little White Bus.

“Overall this gives Wensleydale’s communities a better level of service."

The council said the Little White Bus was awarded a contract until next April using its normal procurement processes.