A COUNCIL that is removing free bus passes from some 300 children in September isn’t planning any changes to its next home to school transport policy.

Monmouthshire County Council agreed last year to bring its policy into line with Welsh Government guidance meaning free bus travel would only be offered to secondary school pupils who live three miles or more from their school and two miles for primary pupils.

The council’s current offer is more generous with free travel for pupils who live 1.5 miles or more from their primary and two miles from their secondary school.

The changes for the school year starting in September 2025 have been confirmed by the county council which said providing free transport to pupils who live below the Welsh Government’s statutory distances was becoming unaffordable due to rising demand and operator costs.

The council’s Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby said as a result the council has protected funding for schools.

The Llanelly Hill councillor said: “The council is one of the last in Wales to go beyond the home to school transport distances required by law.

“By reverting to the statutory distances, we’ve been able to redirect this money into our schools to support education for all our learners. In truth, if we had the funding, we wouldn’t have done this; however, it is a result of a sustained period of underfunding for our public services. For the last three years in a row, we have faced increased annual cost pressures of over £20m. That’s 10 per cent of our budget, year after year.”

The council also said it assess walking routes for those living under the qualifying distances to nationally agreed criteria for safety.

At the most recent meeting of the full council Shirenewton Conservative Louise Brown asked if the policy, that has to be reviewed every year, has been delayed as no proposals for the 2026/27 policy are included in a list of forthcoming decisions. Councils have to consult on home to school transport policies in the autumn term of the school year before they come into force.

Laura Wright, the cabinet member for education, said the Welsh Government is due to consult on guidance on “learner travel” and said as a result Monmouthshire won’t make any changes to its policy for 2026/27 while the guidance is under review.

Cllr Brown asked if parents would be notified that no changes will be made to the policy for the 2026/27 school year and council transport chief Deborah Hill-Howells said the council website would be updated “to demonstrate there is no change to policy and we will also arrange an email to all parents confirming no change.”

Cllr Brown was also assured appeals against decisions on school transport for this September will be “expedited” and she also asked if the people scrutiny commmittee will consider a response to the Welsh Government consultation on home to school transport.

Labour’s Cllr Wright, who was only appointed to the cabinet in May and previously chaired the committee, said it is for councillors who aren’t part of the executive to set the agenda of scrutiny committees.