THURROCK'S senior councillors will meet tonight (Wednesday, 9 March) and a highly contentious cash-saving project that has caused great local concern appears to have dropped off its radar.

Thurrock Nub News has reported extensively on a plan put forward by the council to scrap free school buses for children in East and West Tilbury who attend St Clere's School in Stanford-le-Hope. Nub News broke the story last year and highlighted the objections of and fears from St Clere's School in Stanford-le-Hope where 376 children from the village and surrounding rural area are educated.

Officers - who it was later admitted had not even travelled the route - suggested children could walk or cycle instead, a proposal that sparked great wrath among residents, councillors and even representatives of the school who suggest the scheme was tantamount to putting young people's lives in grave danger.

The proposal was widely criticised and at a recent children's services overview and scrutiny committee all councillors urged the cabinet not to consider the proposal as viable. It was roundly condemned.

Tonight the council meets again and the issue of 'home to school transport' is only briefly mentioned. There is no mention of the St Clere's proposal.

That has prompted East Tilbury councillor Fraser Massy to say: "I am pleased to see no more mention of the removal of free St Clere's buses in the report due to be discussed by cabinet.

"I am well aware of the pressures applied to council budgets at the moment but have always stressed this important service should remain and not be removed at the expense of children's safety."

School transport issues are reduced to just four paragraphs, none of which relate to St Clere's, though the possibility of change remains as a line left in says: "This area remains under review to consider opportunities for further cost reduction."

Also read: