A PROPOSAL to cut free school buses for children at faith schools has led to objections from parents.

More than 87 per cent of all consulted parents, schoolteachers and church representatives said they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the Stockton Borough Council plan.

Cutting the free transport for what would be mainly Roman Catholic and Church of England schoolchildren from September 2017 would only save about £20,000 in the first year.

However the report to the cabinet makes it clear that the annual saving would rise to between £80,000 and £100,000 a year by 2021/22.

The council has conducted a formal, 28-day consultation on the proposal which involved meeting with church representatives, headteachers, neighbouring councils which have already introduced the change and parents. Stockton’s council leaders have many times blamed severe cuts to the central Government grant to the authority for forcing them to make unpopular cuts and slashing jobs. However a questionnaire revealed that 87.5 per cent of respondents including parents disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposal to cut free transport.

Joe Hughes, director of education service at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, formally objected. He said the expected savings may not be made because a smaller number of children, for example children in care, may still require buses even under the new plan. He added that it disadvantaged poorer children. “Your proposal could seriously destabilise Catholic education in the authority,” he said.

Headteacher of St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Norton, Mary Tate, also objected. She said: “The families of St Joseph’s, Norton, are the largest single group affected by these proposed cuts as typically, 200 pupils from Norton are currently transported to their secondary school, St Michael’s Academy in Billingham.”

Cllr Matthew Vickers, Conservative, said that the Government is investing £31m into Stockton’s schools and questioned the Labour-run authority’s decision to borrow £17m to build a hotel while making cuts.

Stockton council’s cabinet committee will meet on ThursdayJULY14 in Stockton Baptist Tabernacle at 4.30pm to decide on the proposal.