A COUNCIL facing having to cut its spending by nearly £170m in a decade has been accused of targeting the most vulnerable members of society.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leaders dismissed claims that they were acting without compassion by removing free school transport for pupils aged 16 to 18 with special educational needs or disability (SEND).

Members approved a 4.99 per cent council tax increase – equivalent to about £60 more for the average Band D property – as the council’s budget-setting meeting also agreed to ask parents of SEND pupils pay £490 annually for home to school transport.

Members voted overwhelmingly to include the cost-cutting move in the coming financial year’s budget, despite a public consultation on the proposal still having weeks still to run.

Labour councillor Eric Broadbent had urged members to postpone the move, while Independent councillor John Blackie called on the authority not to make a decision until after the conclusion of the consultation to enable parents of SEND pupils to voice their views.

Councillor Broadbent described the change as “below the belt”, saying it would hit the family budgets of SEND pupils.

He said: “Whilst we understand the council needs to making savings, we believe that this area provides a valuable service to those who are amongst the most vulnerable in society and it is the council’s duty to exhaust all other areas before removing free transport for young people with SEND.”

Councillor Blackie added while many members of the authority had condemned the NHS for their public consultations which appeared to be a “fait accompli”, the council was acting in the same way.

He said it beggared belief that the cost-cutting move was being approved, despite public consultation events on the proposal for residents in places such as Richmond and Ryedale being yet to be held.

The call to postpone the proposal received some cross-party support.

Councillor Robert Heseltine told the meeting: “I was always brought up to look after those with the greatest need in society.”

Children’s services executive member, Councillor Janet Sanderson, stressed that the council was not axing the SEND service, but asking for a contribution from parents of special needs children to bring charges into line with those for mainstream school pupils.

She said the spiralling costs of providing a free service were “in grave danger of sinking the ship”.

Councillor Sanderson said based on current trends, the SEND transport service, which has a budget of £5m, would cost £30m by 2025.

She said: “We cannot simply put a sticking plaster over this problem. We need to address the situation properly and in a long-term manner.”

Since March 2015, there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of SEND children and young people being transported in the county and it is understood the service can cost up to £12,000 for each pupil.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd said implementing the charges for SEND pupils was about protecting the service, for which Cumbria council was already charging £390 and for which there was no provision in County Durham.

He added: “This is most definitely subject to the consultation. To take no action over this is not responsible or compassionate.”