Villagers join forces to save buses (From The Northern Echo)

Villagers join forces to save buses

6:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Darlington

A VILLAGE’S community leaders is hoping to meet with their counterparts in other rural areas in a bid to regain their evening and Sunday bus services.

Hurworth Parish Council has nominated three members gather evidence of the need for the number 12 bus, which was subsidised by Darlington Borough Council and axed at the start of the year due to budget cuts.

Councillors Ian Holme, John Howard and Jeff Kemp want to meet with members of councils in Middleton St George, Neasham and Sadberge, who were also served by the route.

Concern has been growing in the villages about the removal of the service since the start of the year, with Middleton St George Parish Council organising a 1,300-name petition objecting to the move.

The service was cut after Darlington Borough Council was forced to find £100,000 in its bus subsidy budget after its Government grant was cut. The move was made following consultation.

Hurworth chairman Ken Pattison told the council on Thursday: “Ideally, we need to try and find some figures to show the need.”