Parents protest bus cuts outside Hampshire County Council

Parents have staged a protest outside Hampshire County Council in a bid to save a school bus service facing the axe.

Families say the move by the council to withdraw the bus route that takes Kings Worthy pupils to The Henry Beaufort School in Priors Dean will leave 182 children facing a three-mile walk to school from April 2026.

Under the proposals, youngsters travelling from Priors Dean and surrounding areas would have to follow an alternative walking route between the village and the school, crossing the junction of Springvale Road and Down Farm Lane.

Parents say parts of the route have recently been flooded and that there are no streetlights or pedestrian crossings along key sections.

The protest took place as the council’s full meeting on February 26 was due to take place, with parents and pupils gathering ahead of a planned deputation to members inside the chamber.

Kate Hawkins, whose son is in Year 11, said the timing of the cuts could not be worse.

She said: “These cuts are coming just as they start their GCSEs. It’s going to be very difficult for these children.

“They’ll be expected to walk for up to an hour to school and then sit important exams. But it’s not just Year 11 – it affects all of the children.”

She said families had been told they could accompany their children if they had safety concerns, something she described as unrealistic for working parents.

Ms Hawkins added: “We’ve been told that if we think it’s not safe, we should walk our children to school.

“That could mean up to four hours out of a working day. Most of us are contractually obliged to be at work. We simply can’t do that,”
Ms Hawkins also criticised the council’s reliance on decades-old legislation to justify the move.

She said: “They are using legislation from the 1940s that is no longer fit for purpose to justify a decision that will put our children at risk. They’ve had a long time to sort this out, and instead it feels rushed and dropped on parents and children.”

Robert McCarthy, whose 12-year-old granddaughter attends the school, said he was deeply concerned about pupils walking along what he described as a “dangerous road, in the winter time”.

Mr McCarthy said: “It’s not safe for the children. I cannot believe the council has stopped a coach service that gets them to school safely.

“They say it’s up to parents to get the children to school, but parents work. They don’t have the time in the morning or afternoon to make sure they get there and back safely.

“We are very concerned about our granddaughter and that she might get injured going to or from school. The council should really consider what they are doing.”

During the meeting, parents and students from The Henry Beaufort School were due to formally address councillors, urging them to reconsider the decision before the service is withdrawn next year.

Get the latest BREAKING NEWS for the SOUTH on your phone by downloading the V2 RADIO APP today!

V2VOUCHERS.CO.UK is offering half-price deals on a wide range of experiences across the South, from meals out at local restaurants to tickets for some of the region’s biggest events.