THURROCK'S ruling Conservative Cabinet are being recommended to ignore a majority of residents' wishes - and the vote of a recent overview and scrutiny committee and vote through changes to the borough';s school transport policy.

The Cabinet, which meets on Wednesday (22 July) will make a final decision on three significant changes to polict affecting vulnerable and special needs children.

The plan is to implement cuts to grants helping children attend school.

As reported on Thurrock Nub News, the council put three cost-saving initiatives in front of the council's children's services overview and scrutiny committee earlier this month.

One was to save cash by charging parents or carers of some over 16 special needs children for transport to school.

The council also wants to be able to force children whose families have to go into temporary accommodation to leave their existing schools and move to one nearer where they live so the council doesn't have to pay for their transport.

And only offer free transport to families when there is no suitable school with a place available within the maximum walking distance from the child's home (two miles for pupils under the age of eight and three miles for pupils over the age of eight).

Officer Temi Fawehinmi tried to persuade councillors that there was merit in the change and that part of the reasoning behind cutting the grant to older SEND children was to help them gain independence.

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She said: "We are in a rock and hard place between children's needs and the ability to sustain costs."

But that did not wash with most of the committee and majority rejected them.

However, there is no mention of the committee's recommendation in the agenda papers for Wednesday's meeting - though the opposition of a residents survey to the first two is recorded.

You can read the full agenda item and recommendation being put before members of the cabinet here.