A REVIEW of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s travel policy could affect how thousands of schoolchildren and students get to school.

The council has approved plans to launch a consultation into its travel arrangements which will run between June and July.

At present, 800 students receive the post-16 travel grant of £150 per academic year to assist with transport needs.

Meanwhile, children receive free transport based on how far they live from their school.

Although this will continue, the council’s preferred option for home to school transport is to revert to the statutory limits set by the Welsh Government, potentially affecting 549 children.

The travel grant however would be phased out over the next three years – in line with the authority’s preference.

It would drop by £50 each academic year, so falling to £100 in September 2019, £50 in 2020 and fully withdrawn in 2021.

Cllr Nigel Daniels, the leader of Blaenau Gwent council, said that part of the authority’s role was interrogating and reviewing existing cost pressures.

“Year on year it is flagged up as a cost pressure,” said the Abertillery ward member.

“This is an exercise we have to go through.”

The council estimates that it would save £280,000 in relation to ‘home to school transport’ over five years, and £146,000 over two years with post-16 transport by amending its policies.

Lynette Jones, the council’s corporate director for education, described the current measures for free school transport as “generous” and going “above and beyond”.

She added that the council offered the travel grant to students even though “there is no statutory basis to do that". 

“We need to publish, by October 1, our transport policy,” said the corporate director.

“A number of local authorities have reverted to statutory limits or exploring other options.

“There is a need to consult on a number of options that will impact on savings accrued.”

Ms Jones added that one of the risks of changing the policy was an “impact on education standards due to possibly weaker attendance”.

Currently, children aged eight or younger and living more than 1.5 miles from their school receive free transport, while the statutory limit is two miles and above.

Similarly, pupils aged 11 to 16 get free transport to children living more than two miles from their school, with a statutory limit of three miles or more.

The statutory limit for children aged between eight and 11 mirrors the provision offered by Blaenau Gwent council.

Cllr Daniels added that the outcome must be in the best interests of the borough’s children and young people in education, along with the authority.

“This is something we’ve already agreed to start,” said the Independent member.

“This position has unanimous agreement from the council.

“The decision we take at the end of the day is the most appropriate for our schoolchildren and the local authority.”

Members also agreed to include a review of the council’s ‘safe walking routes to school’ as part of the consultation.