I wouldn't let my own children walk this route, says head teacher
BBCA head teacher has condemned a council's decision to remove free school transport from a village to his school after the authority installed a pedestrian crossing on a bypass.
The change means that unless families in Willaston, near Nantwich, choose to pay £950 for an annual bus pass or find an alternative way in, pupils will have to walk for around an hour to reach Malbank School from September.
"Whilst there is a crossing in place, that doesn't make the route safe," said head teacher John Harrison, adding that he would not allow his own children to walk it.
Cheshire East Council said safety remains its priority but following highway improvement work on the A51, the route had been deemed viable for walking and was within the statutory distance of under three miles.
There has been a free school bus service from Willaston to the school for decades.
"I'm not under any illusions that there needs to be financial changes made, the local authority is under a lot of pressure to make cuts, I get that," said Harrison.
"But I think when you make a cut that undermines safety, you've got to ask fundamental questions, which is what I'm doing."
Harrison highlighted that a former Malbank School pupil died after being struck by a van on a pedestrian crossing in Crewe in 2021.
The council said around 64 existing compulsory school age pupils were expected to be entitled to free school transport in September 2026 before the route was assessed as available.
Work to install a toucan crossing on the A51 by Peacock Roundabout and reduce the speed limit on the approach from 60mph to 30mph began in January 2026.
Sarah Jones has an 11-year-old due to start at the school in September and said it was very worrying for her and other parents.
"We've chosen Malbank on the presumption that there would be a free bus and that our children would get to school safely," she said.
She said having to pay for alternative transport was also a concern, and did not feel that the council had properly consulted with families.
"It's 100% a cost saving, because anybody with common sense can see that this route is not safe, an hour walk to school is not practical or reasonable."
The council said it understood the concerns some families had about the withdrawal of free transport.
"Parents have been advised that they have the right to appeal decisions relating to school transport eligibility through the council's appeals process if they feel they are eligible on other grounds," said Emma Gilman, cabinet member for education, special educational needs and disabilities.
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