A FAMILY say cost-cutting changes to the way financial assistance with school transport is allocated will hit people in the pocket and go against the ideals of sustainable transport.

Paul Phillips, of Hoopers Close, Leigh Sinton, near Malvern, was shocked when he was told his son Brandon, aged 11, would not be eligible for free bus transport to The Chase School in Malvern when he starts there in September.

The 53-year-old said the refusal letter from Worcestershire County Council came as a total surprise, because his four other children – including son Zachary, 15, who is still at the school and will continue to receive free transport – have received free travel without any problems at all over the last 15 years.

The situation has arisen because the council is now only considering assistance with transport costs to the nearest school within a pupil’s catchment area – which in Mr Phillips’ case would be Dyson Perrins Academy in Yates Hay Road, Malvern.

However Brandon is already committed to following in his siblings’ footsteps at The Chase, and so Mr Phillips plans to go out of his way each morning to drive him there himself.

“It would cost me the best part of £500 a year to pay for bus transport, so we will take him to school ourselves,” he said.

“They are forever going on about sustainable transport. But there are a lot of parents in Leigh Sinton whose children go to The Chase, and all of a sudden they will be driving their children to school, while there will be some who simply do not have the transport to do so.”

Jane Potter, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills said: “Following changes to the home to school transport policy, the county council will now only consider assistance with transport costs to the nearest school within a pupil’s catchment area. This was the result of a significant consultation exercise and the policy changes have been implemented on a phased approach from September 2012.

“Low income families will be largely unaffected by these changes. However, as a number of pupils are likely to be affected, all parents and carers were sent information in a leaflet explaining the new policy and how the changes could affect them before they made their choice of school placement.”

The home to school transport consultation was part of the council’s BOLD – Better Outcomes, Lean Delivery – a project to investigate how to make savings of £90 million by the 2014-15 financial year.