'I just can't fathom it'- anger as Lancashire County Council withdraws school bus service in 'appalling' move

A school community in Preston has shared their anger at hearing a vital school bus service is being withdrawn.

Last Friday, Lancashire County Council revealed that it was ending the Kirby Londsdale Coach’s school bus service 651 from Cabus to Our Lady’s Catholic High School in July.

In a letter- sent only to those who possess a season pass- the council explained the decision was reached following a consultation held in 2019 which stated that funding for school bus services would be withdrawn if no students were entitled to home to school transport assistance for two years in a row and where the revenue from fares and season tickets does not cover the cost of the service.

Parents of pupils currently at the Fulwood school say they had no knowledge of this consultation and as only those with season passes were notified, many only found out about the withdrawal second hand on social media.

One parent told us on Friday: “It has left the parents and children involved angry and despairing.

“It is absolutely appalling. They mention a consultation and none of us were even aware.

“We have sent in a complaint today and copied in the Director of Transport, the LCC Councillor and the Wyre Councillor. Our MP Cat Smith has been absolutely superb, despite her immense volume of correspondence - she acted on this within hours.

“If they can cut this bus route, what other bus routes might be cut next? Parents it seems are not informed but must scour the internet now to double check. It is absolutely appalling.”

Indeed Cat Smith, the MP for Lancaster and Wyre, has sent a letter urging the council to outline why the decision was made, highlighting the aforementioned issues with communication as well as concerns about pupil safety and the council’s funding priorities.

In Lancashire County Council’s letter, they say that pupils can get the Stagecoach bus 40 instead but families are concerned about the safety of young pupils having to get a busy public bus service, the stop for which is often further away from their house and will involve them having to cross the A6 (Garstang Road) in rush hour.

They also say, once at the other end of the journey, their new bus stop - outside St Pius X Prep School - means they face an additional 20 minute walk to the school which risks making them late.

These issues were mentioned by Cat Smith MP in her letter to the leader of Lancashire County Council and explained well by Louise Whelan, whose granddaughter gets the 651 school bus.

Garstang resident Louise, who is the guardian for her granddaughter, told us: “I was only made aware of this decision indirectly, having not received any formal notification myself—presumably because my granddaughter does not hold a bus pass and instead pays daily. This lack of communication is unacceptable and demonstrates a serious failure to ensure that all affected families are properly informed.

“More importantly, I am appalled by what appears to be a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the children who rely on this service. If these 40 or more students are expected to use the number 40 public bus instead, they will be forced to cross Garstang Road in Fulwood during peak rush hour—an obvious and avoidable risk. Following that, they face a further half-hour walk to school, making it virtually impossible for them to arrive on time each day.

“The number 40 obviously takes a lot of other people to work too so getting 40 plus more children on there, you know that some of the children perhaps will not get picked up because their bus is full.

“At a time when taxpayers are already facing rising costs alongside a noticeable decline in public services, this decision is not only disappointing but wholly unacceptable. It raises serious concerns about priorities and accountability within the council.”

Cat Smith MP too raised Louise’s financial concerns with the council, pointing out that the decision has been reached in the same year that the County Council has increased its share of council tax by 3.8% while also benefiting from a “significantly improved Government funding settlement”.

On that note, Louise, a 62-year old web designer, added: “The number 40 bus actually starts its journey from Morecambe so that’s quite a distance coming from the other direction. I don’t know why they would decide to go for that, apart from obviously it must be a cheaper contract.

“I just can't fathom what they're thinking, canceling a school bus. You would think there'd be other ways to save money… It's very upsetting, and I do hope they reconsider.”

When approached by the Post, Lancashire County Council reiterated that the 2019 consultation was to set the policy that determines if school bus services should be withdrawn, rather than relating to the decision to specifically withdraw this service which was made in 2025, based on the policy.

A spokesman for the council said: "We notified the school in July 2025 of the intention to withdraw bus service 651. We provided 12 months notice for them to notify parents and guardians, and to allow the school to hold discussions with bus operators who may wish to take over the running of this service."

Headteacher of Our Lady’s, Richard Charnock said: “The school is very disappointed that the council has made this decision to withdraw the bus for the children, however, the school is putting in place a private hire company to continue to run the route and is liaising with parents over the next few days to confirm the details.”