Decision details

Ms E Roddy addressed the committee in relation to agenda item 5, Bus Service Review and highlighted the negative impact that changes to the 14/14a bus routes had on the local community, particularly those disabled residents who relied heavily on bus services to attend medical appointments. Ms Roddy requested that consideration was given to allowing one number 14 bus to extend its route by half a mile to Lyme Green and providing an extra bus in the hour between the 14a buses resulting in an hourly service as previously provided.

A written statement was read out by the Chair, on behalf of Mr B Chaplin (South Knutsford Residents Group), who was unable to attend the meeting. The statement related to agenda item 12 and was in support of the modification proposed within the officer report. Mr Chaplin’s statement highlighted that residents felt that the path had been unequivocally established and hoped that the local authority and landowners could work together to seek charitable/grant funding to meet costs that largely fell to the landowner.

Mr S Sheikh addressed the committee in relation to agenda item 12, on behalf of the landowner of Windmill Wood. It was stated that detailed representations had been made after the publication of the officer report which therefore did not take into consideration the legal and evidential implications. It was stated that there was no documentary evidence supporting the route being a public footpath however there was evidence from independent sources of clear signage in the wood during the 20-year period and that trespassers had been challenged during that period.

Ms C Jones addressed the committee in relation to agenda item 5 and highlighted that she welcomed the review of bus services and asked that connections to local hospitals was taken into consideration as a key priority. Ms Jones highlighted the impact for Nantwich residents who often had to travel via 2 buses to attend appointments at Leighton Hospital. Ms Jones also extended an invitation to committee members and officers to attend the Crewe and District Bus Users Group AGM on Thursday 18 April. Officers agreed to share details of the meeting with the committee/officers.