A LIFELINE bus for residents left stranded after services to their villages were stopped is set to be given the go-ahead next week.

Since the start of this year, residents in Neasham, Sadberge, Bishopton and the surrounding areas have been completely isolated after Darlington Borough Council cut its subsidised bus routes to the villages to save money.

A pot of money was available from the authority to help community groups set up services to replace the subsidised routes, and two successful bids were made by the West End Partnership, eVOLution, and Scarlet Band for £43,500, and Darlington Association on Disability for £87,900.

Two unsuccessful bids were made for the Sadberge and Hurworth areas, but following the rejections, borough councillors for the wards, Brian Jones and Joe Kelley, have been working together to find an alternative bus service for their residents who have been cut off for the past four months.

As a result, the remaining £40,203 will be used to fund a bus service between Darlington and Neasham, Sadberge, Bishopton, Great Stainton and the surrounding area for the next two years.

The day time service, managed by eVOLution, will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to fit in with the Sadberge Travel Club’s current taxi service on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Councillor Joe Kelley, ward member for Hurworth and a key player in securing the funding, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to come together as a community and achieve something like this.

“What is great is that residents and ward councillors have worked together to make it happen.

“I just want people to use it now that we have got it.”

The bid is set to be discussed at a meeting of the cabinet next Tuesday (April 9) and councillors are recommended to approve the plans.

At a meeting of Neasham Parish Council, chairman John Weighell, said: “It is such good news for the villagers, especially older people who do not like driving to Darlington and back.

“It is all down to the hard work of lots of individuals, including Joe Kelley, and I would like to say thank you to them all.”

Cabinet will meet on Tuesday at 5pm in the town hall.