RESIDENTS in Horndon on the Hill have challenged their ward councillors over the axing of bus services that they say will leave older and disabled people as 'prisoners in their homes'.

And there has been equal anger in East and West Tilbury and Linford where services are also to be chopped.

Thurrock Nub news reported this week on the axing of three bus routes across the borough by the Conservative-run administration as they seek to claw back cash following the financial collapse of the authority.

Cutting the 11, 265 and 374 routes will save more than £400,000 a year.

The 'Prisoners of Horndon" have written publicly to Cllrs Barry Johnson and Sue Little, though their view is likely to cut little ice with Cllr Johnson, who one Wednesday was one of the cabinet members cutting the service in a unanimous vote.

He did though, acknowledge it would not be a popular decision, saying: ""I am fully aware the anger is going to cause but I just cannot justify the strain on the rest of the borough.

"I will continue to search for a solution – to find something that runs through the villages.

"On this occasion I think we did as much as we could."

The letter says: "Making pensioners and disabled people prisoners in their own villages should not be considered a successful cost savings exercise for the council. 

"The council's own report regarding the removal of the bus service states throughout that it will have a negative impact on the members of the community especially those that are old or disabled.

"The consultation found that residents want the bus service to remain. The report then goes on to disregard its overall findings and recommends axing the service to provide financial savings to the council.

"We are beyond disappointed that in your vote to axe the bus service you have chosen not to support the residents of the ward that you were elected to represent. The councillor for Fobbing appears to have successfully managed to keep a basic bus service in her area, why have you not done the same for Horndon? 

"Thurrock Council has a disproportionate number of highly paid staff compared to other councils in the area. If the council was run efficiently, positions reduced and salaries adjusted to be in line with other councils, how many millions would be freed up to support services and improvements within Thurrock.

"Despite Mark Coxshall's distorted belief that the low council tax is the culprit, the council's leadership is wholly responsible for the current financial catastrophe that it finds itself in and as such, cuts should begin at the top within the council.

"The £750k (Ben Maney even rounded this up to 1M+ in the most recent cabinet meeting) estimate to continue the bus service is unbelievable.

"We would be very much surprised if it is anything other than an early quote in negotiations that has been used to justify the axing of the service.

"The new Stanford to Basildon route via Fobbing is estimated to cost £25k per year, how much more would it be to provide similar short and limited services to cover the remaining, soon to be isolated, areas of Thurrock, including Horndon?

"Is it possible to extend some of the bus routes provided by Brentwood Council that cover areas such a Bulphen to include Horndon - has anyone explored this option?

"These cuts are not in line with the Transport Acts.

"In a case against the Three Rivers District Council, a judge found "....that local transport authorities must secure the provision of appropriate services to meet public transport requirements.

"In practice this means that where it is socially necessary to have a bus service, but the bus operators will not run a bus commercially, local authorities step in and subsidise a bus service or part of a bus service".

"This judgment set a legal precedent that is supposed to now be followed like any other law by local authorities.

"This this decision is against the Equalities Act. The local authority must perform a proper impact assessment - the council did identify significant impact and also, the bus consultation did not reach many affected residents, the council confirmed this in the Cabinet meeting.

"It is also likely unlawful if the local authority discovers (as Thurrock council has) that their plans will cause problems but decide not to act on the findings and to continue with the plans regardless.

"Without a bus service, many pensioners and disabled people are now isolated in Horndon and the other affected within Thurrock and have no choice other than to pay for expensive taxis that difficult to secure due to the shortages in the local area."

Anger and resentments is also brewing in the villages of East and West Tilbury and Linford where local independent councillor Fraser Massey says: "I have been contacted by many residents who are worried about loss of the service.

"Many use it to get to work or college and with what seems just a matter of weeks to seek alternative transport are feeling let down by this cabinet decision. East & West Tilbury are already quite isolated and cut off, this will increase the isolation for many residents."