LEADING Thurrock Conservative councillors pulled the plug on rural bus services in Thurrock this evening (Wednesday 12 July), dismissing concerns of upset, emotional and angry residents in just ten minutes.

And council leader Cllr Andrew Jefferies added insult to injury to residents by telling them, even before they spoke: "This is a decision 'to note'. The matter has already been decided by cabinet."

Members of the ruling Tory group were designated to debate a call-in by more than 40 residents and organisations objecting to a decision by the council to cull services.

The decision they delivered came as little surprise, following a 3-2 Conservative majority 'win' at a transport overview and scrutiny committee earlier in the month but the speed of the cabinet to push the closure of three bus routes through on the night clearly shocked residents who attended the meeting, believing they had one last chance to influence decision-making.

Their hopes were dismissed.

Nicole Green addresses the meeting.

East Tilbury mum Nicole Green was given leave to address the meeting.

She poured out her heart, telling how her 20-year-old special needs student Jack would have his life overturned by the decision to shut down the 374 bus service.

She told the meeting: "Jack goes to USP Palmer's College.

"He has only one transport option, the 364 bus. The alternative is 'no bus, no college, joining the unemployed'.

"Any break in education will result in him losing his Educational Health Care Plan and losing access to education will result in him being at a bigger disadvantage of gaining future employment and putting him in a position where he will have to claim benefits to live on.

"SEN young adults are encouraged to learn to have some independence, and getting the bus to college is a great example of that.

"The train is not an option, we live a 45 minute walk away from East Tilbury station, then it's another 36 minute walk from Grays station to the college.

"He has hyper-mobile joints, this would be too far for him to walk.

"He is not street-wise, he has had not travel training (the council has had him on a waiting list for that for five years). He is not capable of reading timetables or to know what to do in event of delays, cancellations or an emergency. This would not be a safe option.

Nicole Green's emotive notes - that cut little ice with leading members of the council.

"The return bus fare he currently pays is £4 a day ( £20 a week). If he had to get a return c2c to and from Grays it would cost £7.80 a day, £39 a week. If he added a return bus to college that's £4 a day, another £20 a week. So his outgoings for travel would go up to £59 a week.,

"I cannot afford £236 a month travel expenses for him.

"Where does this leave him? I fear it will be on the dole, sat in the house unable to work. He needs his education to build social skills and to develop as an adult and all of that comes with attending college.

"Your decision will decide young people's futures. Jack is not alone. We need the 374 bus to stay in place for today's kids and the future kids.

"I am aware that many older generation residents require the bus to get shopping or go to hospital appointments and some people don't have access to a car.

"This is how it affects my family and I really hope all vulnerable people are considered when making your decision."

Cllr Jefferies did day he would ask social services to look into how Jack might be helped but ruled the decision would go ahead.

He was then heckled, and did permit a speech, by older residents from Horndon on the Hill, who detailed how the decision would impact on them and they quoted Cllr Jefferies' own speech when elected as leader that he would 'represent the vulnerable people in the borough'.

However, the passion and invective in the speech cut no ice with the leader and he warned they would be ejected from the chamber. Council CEO Dr Dave Smith, a man brought in on a wage believed to be £1,400 a day and who has remained remarkably quiet in public pronouncements about his role at the cash-strapped council, instructed a director colleague to bring a security team into the chamber.

"Eventually, amid much rancour and distress from residents, the whole process was ended as residents exited.

It took just ten minutes for a predetermined ruling group to shut down any hope of a change of heart.

No details have been given of when the services will now end or how contracts with bus companies will be terminated.

After the meeting East Tilbury independent councillor Fraser Massey spoke of his anger and shock.

He told Thurrock Nub News: "The final disappointing decision tonight regarding the buses is testament to how low this authority has sunk into the mire of debt.

"No humanity shown to some of the least able and vulnerable in our communities.

"It's not just the elderly but also the youngsters who will suffer. 

"Well done to all of those who came to Grays to show cabinet the effects of this decision, and the resident who spoke did a great job of highlighting the impacts."

He also spoke of the contradiction within the ruling Conservative group and their motivation, referring to a recent decision by five Tories to overturn an officer rejection to refuse a planning permission for more than 200 homes in the village.

Cllr Massey said: "Ironically two of the councillors who voted 'yes' to 200 new homes on greenbelt in Linford are also the same two voted to not try and change the decision re buses at the transport planning committee.

"The irony in all this, is that those 200 homes come with a bus stop! It will never have a bus to stop at it.

"This whole issue is shameful."

NUB NEWS COMMENT:

'Shameful' was the view from residents who filed out of the council chamber in shock and anger this evening, with many using the same word to denigrate the top Tories who led the council into financial catastrophe but are now facing a penalty of loss of service, despite being asked to pay a more than double average council tax rise – and they see the axe taken to local services and facilities while the council wage bill for bringing in 'firefighting' commissioners and experts tops six million!  

How can this be responsible governance?