Council dismisses bus pass plea

East Sussex County Council has dismissed a plea by a group of families to give their children bus passes to attend a school in the area.

Cllr Bob Standley, Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs, and Disability at the authority, made his decision after considering a petition backing passes for pupils of Chailey School, which is in the village of South Chailey, just outside Lewes.

Six students living in Town Littleworth Road, near the village of Barcombe, had either lost, or were unsuccessful in obtaining, school bus passes, the petition said.

East Sussex County Council denied that the decision was the result of a ‘new policy’ or ‘cost-cutting exercise’, and said children did not receive passes if safe walking routes to school were available.