Bus campaigners hopeful for future of service

Campaigners fighting to save a bus service that covers many villages in the west of Hinckley and Bosworth are hopeful that it may be kept.

Conservative run Leicestershire County Council had been consulting on scrapping the number 7 bus service. The service runs between Nuneaton and Ashby is the only bus service for many villages in Hinckley and Bosworth including Witherley, Fenny Drayton, Sheepy Magna and Parva and Congerstone.

Campaigners, including Lib Dem Councillors Michael Mullaney (Lib Dem: Trinity) and Cllr Bill Crooks (Lib Dem: Barlestone) collected petitions and wrote in to the County Council urging them to keep the bus service.

In their recent draft budget the County Council announced they would be cutting less from the bus budget, raising hopes that the Number 7 bus service may be kept.

Cllr Michael Mullaney has written into the consultation urging the County Council to keep the Number 7 bus, Michael Mullaney said "This regular bus service is absolutely crucial for many people who don't drive in villages like Witherley, Fenny Drayton and Sheepy Magna. Many of the villages on this bus route don't have shops or other local services.

"This regular bus service is therefore a lifeline for elderly and other people who don't drive in these villages. Given the huge support from local people for keeping this service I hope that the County Council will listen to residents and keep this service.

"The Conservative leadership at the County Council is currently sitting on £100 million pounds of public money which it is keeping in the bank. Surely some of that money could be spent on keeping this and other crucial local services that the County want to cut."

Cllr Bill Crooks Lib Dem rural affairs spokesman said "I was contacted by a number of people who live in these villages, including elderly and disabled people, who rely on this regular bus service.

"I hope Conservative bosses at the County Council will listen to the people who signed petitions to save the number 7 bus service and keep it. An option has been put forward from villagers to have the service travel through Market Bosworth, I hope the County will look very seriously at this".

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council supports keeping the Number 7 bus service after late last year Cllrs Michael Mullaney and Bill Crooks successfully got the Council to support a motion urging the County Council to keep supporting the number 7 service.

Leicestershire County Council will make a final decision on its budget plans at a meeting on February the 20th