Friday
26
April
Consultation agreed on school transport policy
10/06/2020 @ 09:14
A consultation on changes to the Home to Schools Transport policy, which could save Powys County Council £75,000 a year, will start next week.
Cabinet members approved the policy at their meeting yesterday.
One or more online public meetings could be part of the process.
Finance and Transport portfolio holder, Councillor Aled Davies, explained the changes and said he “expected” the consultation to start on June 15.
At the meeting Chairman of the Learning and Skills scrutiny committee Councillor Pete Roberts, told cabinet that the committee were “comfortable” with the consultation.
But he did highlight several areas of concern, such as the lack of information on home to school transport entitlement.
Cllr Roberts, added: “We seek greater clarity over the definition of Welsh language school.
“There was no problem with the actual policy but wanting to see it tighter so that we avoid the risk of appeals.”
Adult social services portfolio holder Councillor Myfanwy Alexander said that the Welsh Government were discussing the definitions of different Welsh language provision.
She believed that if Powys came up with it’s own definitions that might need to be changed later on.
Cllr Roberts said: “We recognise that face to face public meetings are not going to be possible.
“We think this is a good opportunity to introduce either a webinar or teams meeting format so that we have as close an environment as we can to a public meeting.”
“We recommend you include that in the consultation plan.”
Council leader Councillor Rosemarie Harris said: “We can give that some thought.”
PCC spend £10million on school transport annually.
To be eligible for free home to school transport, pupils need to live more than two miles away from their primary school and three miles away from a secondary school.
The consultation will be on:
Those wishing to be taught through the medium of Welsh will be provided with transport to the nearest Welsh medium provision.
Removing of the practice of reimbursing 16 – 19 years old who travel out of county to study.
Removal of the practice of providing transport following a change of address for pupils in years 10 to 13.
Changes to the appeals procedure.
A report taking into account of the consultation response would be put in front of the cabinet for a decision to go ahead with the changes in September.
The changes would then come into force a year later in September 2021.
Cabinet members approved the policy at their meeting yesterday.
One or more online public meetings could be part of the process.Finance and Transport portfolio holder, Councillor Aled Davies, explained the changes and said he “expected” the consultation to start on June 15.
At the meeting Chairman of the Learning and Skills scrutiny committee Councillor Pete Roberts, told cabinet that the committee were “comfortable” with the consultation.
But he did highlight several areas of concern, such as the lack of information on home to school transport entitlement.
Cllr Roberts, added: “We seek greater clarity over the definition of Welsh language school.
“There was no problem with the actual policy but wanting to see it tighter so that we avoid the risk of appeals.”
Adult social services portfolio holder Councillor Myfanwy Alexander said that the Welsh Government were discussing the definitions of different Welsh language provision.
She believed that if Powys came up with it’s own definitions that might need to be changed later on.
Cllr Roberts said: “We recognise that face to face public meetings are not going to be possible.
“We think this is a good opportunity to introduce either a webinar or teams meeting format so that we have as close an environment as we can to a public meeting.”
“We recommend you include that in the consultation plan.”
Council leader Councillor Rosemarie Harris said: “We can give that some thought.”
PCC spend £10million on school transport annually.
To be eligible for free home to school transport, pupils need to live more than two miles away from their primary school and three miles away from a secondary school.
The consultation will be on:
Those wishing to be taught through the medium of Welsh will be provided with transport to the nearest Welsh medium provision.
Removing of the practice of reimbursing 16 – 19 years old who travel out of county to study.
Removal of the practice of providing transport following a change of address for pupils in years 10 to 13.
Changes to the appeals procedure.
A report taking into account of the consultation response would be put in front of the cabinet for a decision to go ahead with the changes in September.
The changes would then come into force a year later in September 2021.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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