Shropshire MP welcomes change of heart over student travel costs

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said the change of heart meant the rise in post-16 transport contributions would be significantly less for students and their families.

It comes after Shropshire Council decided to phase an increase over three years to lessen the immediate blow on hard-pressed families. The re-think means it will now cost £658 per academic year from this September, as opposed to the originally proposed £876.

Mr Dunne said the change of heart meant post-16 transport contributions would now rise by 28 per cent rather than 68 per cent.

He said: "A number of local residents recently expressed their concerns to me about this planned rise so I urged Shropshire Council to look carefully at these responses and aim to limit any increase to as little as possible.

"Clearly, Shropshire Council must take action to balance its books and make necessary savings. But I am pleased that the council has reduced the rise in transport costs this year to less than half that originally proposed.

"This will help more students in the more rural areas of Shropshire with transport costs for their post-16 education."

The council has been looking at ways to reduce the costs of subsidising post-16 transport, a non-statutory provision, which currently costs it £550,000-a-year.

Under the revised plan, students from families on benefits will still have to pay a contribution for the first time from September, though this will be £67.50-a-year, instead of the originally proposed £142.50.

The travel costs will increase to £765-a-year from September 2015 and again to £876-a-year from September 2016.

For those on benefits, it will go up to £105 in 2015 and £142.50 the following year.

Karen Bradshaw, director of children's services at Shropshire Council, said where students had a more appropriate or more economical means of getting to and from college, they were advised that it was in their interests to make their own arrangements.