Following a recent petition from residents regarding the changes to the Home to School Transport Policy, Monmouthshire County Council has commissioned an independent assessment of three walking routes. 

As a result of the independent assessment, the walking route from St Arvans to The Dell Primary School has been classified as unavailable. Consequently, home to school transport has been reinstated for learners living within the statutory distance of 2 miles. 

The independent assessors also evaluated the routes from Mathern to Chepstow Comprehensive and from Caldicot to Archbishop Rowan Williams Primary School. They have concurred with the council that these routes are available, meaning that learners do not qualify for home to school transport on these routes. 

Cllr Laura Wright, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “These alterations to home to school transport demonstrate that we are listening to the concerns of parents and we will make changes when they have been shown to be necessary. The independent assessments of these routes to schools ensure that the council’s procedures are thoroughly tested and robust – and we have acted quickly in response to the findings. We will continue working to improve the home to school walking infrastructure, allowing people to take more sustainable journeys whenever possible.”