Agenda item

To consider an appeal lodged in connection with the provision of assistance for home to school transport. (This item contains personal information regarding the appellant, which is exempt from publication by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).

The Committee considered a request to review the decision of the Council not to provide assistance with home to school transport in respect of KW.

Mrs Sharon Davies, Legal Advisor, was in attendance to advise the Committee on procedure and policy only and had taken no part in the original decision. Also in attendance was Mrs Sarah Chadwick, Clerk to the Committee.

The relevant Head of Service presented the case on behalf of the Council and advised the Committee of the reasons why the child had not been awarded home to school transport. KW did not attend one of the closest three schools to their home address with places available and insufficient evidence had been provided of their financial entitlement. The request for transport assistance by way of a bus pass had therefore been refused in accordance with section 1.3 of the Home to School and College Transport Policy.

The parents of KW were in attendance and presented their case, highlighting that their child had suffered from severe bullying which had prompted them to move KW to a school further away. In their opinion that move had been essential, not a choice, and since the change of school there had been a marked improvement in KW’s mental wellbeing. They therefore considered that there were exceptional circumstances to override the policy.

The Committee carefully considered the evidence presented by both parties. It empathised with the circumstances of the case, however believed that there were alternative options for schools closer to the family home with places available which could be explored and that there were no exceptional grounds to depart from the policy which it was satisfied had been correctly applied.

Resolved

To uphold the officer’s decision not to provide assistance with home to school transport costs on the grounds that the decision was made in accordance with the Council’s Home to School and College Transport Policy and did not consider that there were sufficient special circumstances or considerations to override the policy.