School bus service to launch after safety concerns
LDRSA bus service is being provided for pupils at a Kent secondary school after parents protested over fears their children could be hurt or killed.
A group of campaigners put pressure on Kent County Council (KCC) to introduce a public transport link to Chilmington Green School's purpose-built site in Ashford, claiming it is too far, dangerous and poorly-lit for pupils to reach on foot.
Now Stagecoach have said it will run a twice daily service from Singleton to the school from 30 August, according to the Local Democratic Reporting Service.
One campaigner declared he is "utterly overjoyed" by the outcome.
The new route to the school site, which opened in in September 2025, has been registered on the gov.uk website and will run as the 501, 501E or 501C bus.
An earlier petition to get the service launched had amassed 5,000 signatures and The United Learning Trust, which runs the school, backed the campaign.
Chilmington Green currently has 274 pupils within three year groups, according to Ofsted, but that is likely to rise to 1,140 when it is full.
Currently, many parents have to drive their children to the school but said that taking a bus would help to shape their independence.
The site is in an area which was earmarked for up to 6,000 new homes, but that hit an obstacle when the company involved in the build went bust.
Consequently, developer contributions which would have covered the cost of infrastructure improvements, such as school transport links, stalled.
A spokesperson for KCC, which had twice reviewed the walking route and declared it safe, said "the situation at Chilmington remains very complex".
"But we have continued to work with Stagecoach in the hope that something could be provided for the pupils," they said.
"Stagecoach will be operating this service without any financial support and we are grateful for them for introducing it."
Joel Mitchell, managing director of Stagecoach South East, said: "Access to education is so important, and I am delighted we can invest in a service that will have a positive impact on local students for years to come."
