Bus users in rural villages 'cut off' after services slashed

Residents in parts of Cheshire have said they are feeling "cut off" from local towns and villages after bus services were reduced.

Bus operator Arriva closed its two Cheshire depots in April leading to changes to services and other operators have taken on some routes.

Residents of villages near Macclesfield have had their hourly bus cut to once every two hours.

Cheshire East Council said it was aware of the impact changes had on residents.

The authority told BBC Politics North West it continued to be in discussions with operators.

After Arriva pulled out of Cheshire by closing depots in Macclesfield and Winsford, other operators have started running some of the routes, with some receiving financial support from Cheshire East Council.

But some services run by other operators have been merged with other routes to cover areas following Arriva's closure.

The 14 bus service covering Lyme Green, Sutton and Langley near Macclesfield have had their 14 bus service changed from an hourly service to one running once every two hours.

Alan Chapman organises a weekly coffee morning at Langley's village church for the local community and said those who attended, including "some of them in their 90s with walking frames", became stranded.

"We have people who come up from one of the villages, they can get there but they can't get home."

He said the group was now having to try and provide transport themselves which was "not always convenient" as "some of us are getting older and we can't help people into their cars".

Lorna Jacobs, who volunteers with a group that creates meals using waste food, said the changes had impacted the work she does.

"I either have to get there an hour earlier than I need to and leave an hour earlier, or it cuts down the time I can volunteer," she said.

Pam Skinner said she had concerns about the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of older people in the community.

"The elderly population who don't have cars are the ones being hit the hardest."

"I just feel it's so wrong," she said. "Here we are with climate change, being encouraged to be more careful and then it's all thrown upside down."

A petition has been set up calling for the services to be restored.

Campaigner Trevor Priestman said: "It has impacted on the independence and social wellbeing of our neighbours.

"It just seems like this is a decision made by people who have no awareness of the local area or the needs of the people that live here."

He acknowledged that the service was "under-used" but that it was "vital" for those who do use it.

"To take that away you are isolating rural residents who already do feel isolated."

Cheshire East Council's deputy leader Craig Browne said the concerns were "understandable".

He added: "This has come about because of the decision of a commercial operator and not because of something the council has chosen to do.

"Cheshire East Council subsidies buses across the borough to the tune of £2.5m every year."

"We continue to review our subsidised routes against published criteria and we carefully consider those on a regular basis."

You can see more on this story on BBC Politics North West on BBC One at 10:00am on Sunday.