PARENTS in the Yelverton area say they are furious about plans to cut bus services which take their children to school.

Devon County Council will decide later this month whether to scrap the buses to Meavy, Walkhampton and Buckland Monachorum primary schools to save money.

The end of a primary school transport system in this area will have a major impact on the community, claim parents and teachers.

The county proposes to reduce its budget for bus service support by £1.35 million in 2011/12. This includes the 6.46am service from Lydford to Tavistock which goes via Brentor and Mary Tavy and is used by school pupils and people getting to work.

Nuala McDermott, who has two children at Meavy School and another due to start in September, said: 'The roads into the villages are very narrow and there is no parking so the impact on the environment and the residents of these villages will be substantial.

'I have three children so I will not be able to offer lifts to anyone else's children and for parents who have children at different schools this will be a logistical impossibility,' she said.

She said the bus provided an important service to working parents, as it left Yelverton at 8.20am enabling parents to get to work for 9am, and it created good social interaction between children from the three different schools.

Parents are urging people to write to their MP and join the 'Save Devon School Buses' Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home">www.facebook.com/home

Katy Horler, who also has three children, said she had been unable to drive since August after suffering a seizure and the bus had been a 'lifeline'.

'I live 1.9 miles from Walkhampton Primary School, our catchment school, and the county council told me it was perfectly safe to walk to it — I have two younger children, one of whom is four and the roads are very narrow.

'The amount of cars travelling down these lanes would be an absolute nightmare if there was no school bus. It makes no sense to keep the bus that runs from Yelverton to Walkhampton at 9.15am and has one passenger on it, and scrap the 8.45am and is full with school pupils. It is essential for a lot of residents.'

Sarah Pendle, headteacher of St Andrew's Primary School at Buckland Monachorum, said around 25 children a day came in on the bus: 'We are concerned about the possible congestion on the roads in terms of safety for our children and, this being a small community, the impact on our neighbours.

'The school and the local community would greatly miss a school bus transport system.'

Beacon Buses, which runs the services to the three primary schools and the service from Lydford to Tavistock, said it was employed by the county council and had to do whatever the authority said.

County councillor for the Yelverton and Lydford areas Philip Sanders said he had a lot of sympathy for the people who would have difficulty getting to work and school if the cuts were agreed and he was doing all he could to help the situation.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon county council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: 'These proposals are yet to be agreed but our government grant is being reduced and we have no choice other than to make cuts.

'Pressure on our services have been made even more difficult by the £5million shortfall of funding we're receiving when over 60's concessionary bus passes becomes our responsibility in April.

'Rather than simply reducing the most expensive routes we have had a thorough look at services and wherever possible we have tried to ensure that communities are not cut off. 

'In the Yelverton area pupils who currently use bus routes 55 and 56 to get to school, who are entitled to school transport, will continue to receive transport to their school.'

The county has offered help to schools in setting up contracts if they want to make their own transport arrangements from April.