Lack of bus service is “killing” rural Powys community

Helen Skipworth says the lack of a bus service in Whitton, linking the village to nearby Knighton and Presteigne, is “killing” the rural community.

The combined termination of the T58/T41/T59 services around Knighton, Llangunllo and Felindre in October 2015 coincided with the closure of Whitton Primary School two months later in December. Since then, Whitton has resembled a ghost town from an old western film – with younger families either leaving the village or deterred from moving to it, which has in turn left an increasingly elderly population more vulnerable.

“My husband sadly passed away last year and I live with Parkinson's disease,” said Helen, 74.

“I am not always well enough to manage driving and rely on the kindness of my neighbours.

“The recent problems with the shortage of fuel supplies has seriously worried many of us. We have felt very cut off from society. There are some residents living alone with no form of transport.

“Over the last few years some residents have had to move house in order to access a bus service. School children in the sixth form have been unable to access transport to establishments offering their chosen subjects.

“There are more elderly people here now because of the school’s closure six years ago, which is when they also stopped the bus route too. I’ve been reading about the closure of the school in Dolau, despite having thriving numbers. These types of decisions really are killing rural communities.”

READ MORE

• Rural buses face axe across county affecting thousands of passengers

Helen says she has started joining a few more local groups simply so she can enjoy some company – something that also dealt the older generation and already vulnerable people during the height of the pandemic a crippling blow. She helps organise a monthly coffee morning in the village too which a lot of other older people attend, simply “because there’s a lot of awfully lonely people here”.

Spirited Helen has started a petition, which has so far acquired close to 60 signatures from Whitton residents. And she is hoping that a Welsh Government initiative to actively promote public transport – in March it made a pledge to increase the number of people using public transport, introducing a bold new transport strategy – could lead to the bus route serving Whitton being re-introduced.

“The residents of Whitton are determined to reinstate the bus service connecting the village to Knighton and Presteigne,” she said.

“This would enable residents to utilise other bus and train services to the surrounding district. This will reduce outgoings and enable access to facilities and social mobility. In the present situation of global warming and diminishing access to fuel, it would make sense in every way to reduce the traffic on our roads and support the community.

“We’d initially just like to get one route back open. There is a train to Shrewsbury on the Heart of Wales line from Knighton, with the possibility of onward journeys to Ludlow and Hereford, but it needs that link up with the buses.

“It sounds like such a simple thing but in addition to our needs here there is also the knock-on effects, like supporting local businesses in these towns.”

Helen has written to Brecon and Radnor MP Fay Jones, as well as the region’s MS James Evans, and has been delighted to receive replies from both saying they support her petition and aims to get the bus service back on the road.

Despite the loss of the Knighton services six years ago, the Welsh Government has more recently committed to investing in public transport across the country as it looks to fight the effects of climate change.

In March this year it introduced its ‘Llwybr Newydd – New Path’ project, a strategy that commits to reducing transport emissions. It included more than £115 million being allocated to local authorities in Wales to spend on transport projects.

Helen added: “We have been neglected too long, and are issued with bus passes we cannot use.

Helen Skipworth is fighting to get a bus service reinstated that will link Whitton to nearby towns like Presteigne and Knighton

“We ask for anyone able to support us to get in touch. A petition is being collected to be presented to Matt Perry, the head of transport in Powys.”

A spokesperson for Powys County Council said that, as a result of budget pressures, the local authority undertook a full public consultation in 2015 regarding reconfiguring publicly supported bus routes within the county. The aim was to make a £500,000 saving on the £5 million annual running costs of the service.

“The consultation returned some excellent insights into what Powys bus routes were needed and used, as well as which routes could be reduced,” said the spokesperson.

“By taking account of all the responses, the council were able to come up with a proposal to make the necessary savings, while still protecting many of the original bus routes. However, inevitably some reductions had to be made in order to comply with the constraints of the reducing budget. As a result, in October 2015, six routes were discontinued. This included a route around the Knighton/Llangunllo/Felindre area, which also served the village of Whitton.”

At the time it was reported that the Knighton route was used by 3,156 passengers and was run at a cost of £53,472 per year.

Other services that were axed included the T57 in and around the Elan Valley into Llandrindod Wells; the 45/45B/46/46B services supplying Rhayader, Llandrindod and Builth; the T75/T81/T83/T84 service around Llanidloes and Bwlch y Ffridd and Aberbechan, Cedewain and Llandyssil;

The 80 service between Trecastle and Llandovery; and the 84 service (Monday to Friday) between Llanfair Caereinion and Newtown.