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A council cabinet member is not happy with proposed cuts that could see some children lose their right to free school bus travel.

Some children could end up walking a total of nearly six miles a day, to and from school, under Caerphilly County Borough Council’s new proposals.

For pupils in primary school, the minimum distance to qualify for council transport would rise from 1.5 miles to two miles.

For pupils in secondary school and post-16 education, the minimum distance would rise from two miles to three miles.

One of several areas which would be affected by the change would be Machen, with most of the village falling under the proposed three mile bracket to Bedwas High School.

Rather awkwardly however, the proposed boundary doesn’t cover the whole of Machen, with half of the Royal Oak technically beyond the three mile boundary – meaning children there would be eligible for free transport.

Machen and Rudry ward councillor Chris Morgan, who is the cabinet member for waste, leisure, and green spaces, has urged residents to have their say on the proposals.

Cllr Morgan met with Caerphilly Observer to discuss the issue, alongside fellow ward councillor Amanda McConnell.

They said: “We’re not happy. This stretch of road out of Machen towards Bedwas is extremely busy and has no crossing. If children were forced to walk this way to school we’d have lots of concerns.

“Safety is paramount, but with a crossing costing you around £50,000, I don’t think we’re going to see one placed here.”

The cycling track which runs above Machen to Trethomas was mentioned, but quickly dismissed as a “non starter” from Cllr Morgan.

He added: “The overgrowth isn’t maintained regularly and there are too many dark shadowy spots where people could be lurking.”

Asked if this is at odds with the council’s push to increase school attendance, Cllr Morgan said: “It’s in complete conflict with that policy. If a kid starts walking to school and gets soaking wet, they’ll think ‘sod this’, and walk home.”

Cllr Morgan and Cllr McConnell will be holding a public consultation regarding the proposal at Machen Rugby Club on Thursday October 24, between 3.30pm and 5pm.

The council argues it already offers a generous school transport scheme, and its plans would bring the borough in line with Welsh Government minimum distances.

The cuts would also help council leaders address a “huge funding gap” in its budget projections for the next two years.

The local authority spent £10.7 million on school transport last year.

However, the council anticipates it will have to save £45 million over the next two years – including £33m this year – to balance its budgets.

Welsh-medium education

The issue has been raised in the Senedd, with South East Wales MS Delyth Jewell speaking about how the proposal could deter parents from sending their children to school.

She also voiced concerns over the potential impact on Welsh-medium schools.

The Plaid Cymru MS said: “Too many parents across the south-east experience difficulty in sending their children to Welsh schools, and changes to school transport schemes can exacerbate these challenges.

“There is a very real risk here that cutting back on these schemes could undermine years of work in those communities to give children opportunities to access Welsh-medium education.

“So many parents in these areas are people who don’t speak the language themselves, but they have fought to give their children this opportunity – an opportunity they didn’t have themselves. But without access to safe, free transport, more and more parents may decide not to take that step.

“It’s not realistic, safe, or fair to expect children to walk miles to school in all weathers, and we remember, in many of these areas, the rates of families who own a private car are lower.”

Visit the council’s website to take part in the public consultation on the proposals.