Agenda item

8.1

The Interim Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted reports and commented upon 54 cases where parents had appealed against the administrative decisions made by the Interim Executive Director with regard to the refusal to grant home to school travel bus passes.

8.2

The Committee gave consideration to all the supporting information and evidence provided by the pupils’ parents including, in some cases, evidence and advice provided by voluntary or professional bodies and organisations and, arising therefrom, it was:-

8.3

RESOLVED: That (a) 16 appeals be upheld on the grounds that there are either exceptional educational, financial, medical or family circumstances in the cases, or that the Committee considers that there are unsafe walking routes, with passes in the cases now mentioned being granted up to the end of the 2012/13 academic year (Case Nos. BD4, BD5, Lo1, BF2, Ecc1, FV1, FV2, HH1, HH2, HS1, Kecg2, Kecg3, Kecg4, Tap1, Yew1 and Yew2);

(b)       37 appeals be not upheld on the grounds that there are no exceptional circumstances demonstrated and, having regard to the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy, (i) the distance from the home addresses of 15 pupils to the schools for which they are requesting passes for is less than the distance in the criteria (Case Nos. ML1, St.M1, St.Cath1, Wa1, Wy1, Wy2, AS1, Ci1, Ci2, FV3, HG2, HS2, Ked4, Ked7 and NF1), (ii) the schools that two of the pupils requesting passes for are not their catchment schools/nearest suitable schools (Case Nos. St1 and Wcm1) and (iii) 20 of the pupils do not attend one of their three nearest qualifying schools (Case Nos. Ast1, Ast2, BF1, Ecc2, FP1, HG1, HG3, HS3, Kecg1, Ked1, Ked2, Ked3,  Ked5, Ked6, NF2, NF3, PW1, PW2, Sto1 and WF1); and

(c)        consideration of the remaining appeal be deferred to enable the Interim Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, to seek further information as to why the pupil had chosen to attend the school in question (Case No. Ecc3).

(NOTE:  In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution and the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the Chair decided that two of the above appeals (Case Nos. BD4 and BD5) be considered as matters of urgency in order for the appeals to be considered at the earliest possible opportunity, although it had not been possible to give five clear days’ notice that the appeals were to be considered).