Green Party Councillor Arnold Warneken is urging fellow councillors to vote with their conscience at a special meeting this Wednesday, where North Yorkshire Council will reconsider its controversial changes to school transport policy.
The meeting follows months of growing public outcry over the impact of the council’s decision to restrict free school bus travel to only the closest school, rather than the catchment school — a move many say has left families facing confusing, costly, and unfair outcomes.
One local mum, who doesn’t want to be named, felt that people living next to council boundaries were particularly disadvantaged by the policy. She also voiced her concern about the impact on congestion and climate change:
I am amazed that the impact it would have on everyone needing to drive their child into school and back is not being taken into account, given the significant focus on climate change.
Councillor Warneken said:
It’s become clear that although the council went through the motions of a consultation, they didn’t actually listen. Many of the problems now playing out in real families’ lives were raised in those responses. We’re seeing chaos and hardship that was entirely predictable — and avoidable.
Councillor Warneken will present examples at the meeting to show how the policy has disrupted children’s education and imposed unaffordable costs on parents:
This is not just about transport.
It’s about fairness, compassion, and the wellbeing of families across North Yorkshire.
Councillor Warneken also raised concerns about party discipline stifling genuine debate:
I worry that Conservative councillors will be under pressure to vote along party lines. But this is a moment for bravery. I’m calling on them to truly represent the people they were elected to serve. They need to change course, and bring catchment back.
A spotlight on how the new policy has played out
Family A – different rules, different schools:
A family has two children. One child who travels to the catchment school while the sibling cannot ride the same — nearly empty — bus because it is no longer classed as the “closest” school. The council will pay for travel to the closer school, but not the catchment school.
Family B – different house, different schools:
A single mother relocated just three miles to a larger council house to accommodate her three children. Her eldest child continues attending the catchment school, but now that the family has moved, they’re no longer eligible for free transport — despite attending the same school. Her second child is forced to attend a different school, in another local authority area, due to the “closest school” rule. The mother cannot afford to pay bus fares for all three children, which would cost her over £2,500 per year, and risks splitting up the children across different schools or disrupting the eldest’s education.
