MORE than 500 families across England's biggest county could facing bills of hundreds of pounds to get their young children to school.

To save money in the face of Government budget cuts, North Yorkshire County Council is looking to stop current bus fare payments for children aged eight to 11 who live between two and three miles from their school.

However, the authority will continue paying for children who live more than three miles from their primary school.

Affected parents will have to make alternative transport arrangements or pay up to £380 for an annual bus pass.

They are now being asked for their views in a consultation over the plan which, if approved, would be introduced in September 2016.

Upper Dales county councillor John Blackie said it would be schools and families in rural areas which would be particularly badly affected.

“Parents are being left high and dry by a council that is England’s largest rural county,” he said. “In my view it is an abdication of our responsibility in the more rural areas.

“I think it is an absolute crying shame that we can’t carry on paying for this extremely important transport.”

The authority has already made cuts of £3.9m in home-to-school and college transport, but has to find a further £325,000 in the next five years.

In a report to the children and young people’s scrutiny committee, officer Andrew Terry said the proposed reductions would save around £190,000.

He said 520 children who live between two to three miles from their catchment school currently qualified for free transport as part of a discretionary payment.

Mr Terry said: “It is proposed that these changes would be applied to pupils starting primary school from September 2016 onwards, to ensure any change in policy can be part of parents’ decision when choosing a school for their child.”

The authority has to provide free transport for all primary school children who live more than three miles from their school.

The council is also consulting on moves to stop payments for transport for youngsters in years 10 and 11 who move home during critical GCSE education. This year the authority is paying for transport for 191 students who fall into that category. These cuts would save around £135,000.

The12-week consultation ends on March 11. For more information go to the council’s website www.northyorks.gov.uk