PARENTS have contacted an MP over fears their children's school transport will be axed.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry said he has received a number of calls and emails from parents in Edgworth and North Turton concerning rumours of changes to school transport from the village to Turton High School and Canon Slade School.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has said that a consultation has been launched regarding a number of proposed changes to the authority’s home to school transport policy — but that no decisions have been made.

Mr Berry said: “I am really concerned that Blackburn Council are trying to cut costs by considering either cancelling the service or increasing the current fares.

“I think that everyone in Edgworth pays more than their fair share in Council Tax to Blackburn with Darwen Council, so to even consider cutting this service as an option to save money is simply not fair on the families that live here.”

He urged parents in Edgworth and North Turton with children of a secondary school age to have a say on any consultation, adding:

“Hopefully if we all work together we can make sure that we retain our school bus service.”

Cllr Dave Harling, executive member for schools and education at Blackburn Council, said: “We are consulting parents on a number of proposed changes to ‘discretionary’ transport — transport the council pays for but is not legally required to provide – for children attending schools across the borough.

"We are also in discussion with schools to see if there are any alternative ways of funding these services. This does not affect free school transport, which is statutory.

“I want to stress that while we can’t avoid reductions in our spending on home to school transport, no final decisions will be made about how this will happen until after the consultation.”

The consultation period will operate seven weeks and will end on December 31 when Cllr Harling will make a final decision.