East Brighton Families To Receive Free Bus Travel To Get To School

Children from Whitehawk who go to Longhill High School will qualify for free bus passes after a review of routes for people on foot.

The move follows three years of campaigning by Class Divide, a Brighton group, on behalf of children in east Brighton and their families.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s home to school transport team carried out a review of walking routes to Longhill, in Falmer Road, Rottingdean.

Officials used Department for Education guidance which allows for free bus passes if a child attends their nearest suitable school, it is within walking distance of their home but the route is “not safe”.

They considered traffic speed, crossings, “safe refuges” such as paths and verges, whether roads were urban or rural and traffic volumes.

They said that the northern route to Longhill, up Wilson Avenue and along Warren Road, had no pavement or safe refuge when crossing the race track.

The road is closed on race days when the traffic builds up, causing delays and “putting pedestrians at risk”.

The southern route had already been determined as “not safe” as a walking route although it has a cycle lane on the south side.

But there is a lack of crossing points on the A259 between Roedean Road and the Undercliff roundabout at the southern end of Greenways, Ovingdean. And this puts those walking to or from Wilson Avenue at risk.

As a result of the review, families in the BN2 5 postcode area with children at Longhill will qualify for a free bus pass.

Labour councillor Emma Daniel, the council’s cabinet member for children, families and youth services, said that it was not fair that children were considered to have a walkable route from Whitehawk to Longhill.

Councillor Daniel said:

“I wouldn’t accept that walk to school as safe for my own child and that’s why we tasked officers to reassess that route.

“I can assure parents across the city that we will be undertaking a full review in the autumn and if others are affected by a similar issue, that review will be an opportunity to tackle it.”

“Every expense and extra hurdle that leaves more disadvantaged children less likely to get to school or more exhausted and stressed when they get there has lifetime impacts.

“Our mission is to tackle the attainment gap for poorer pupils. This has widened nationally due to the actions of the last Conservative government and we as a Labour council, working with a Labour government, will look at every opportunity we have to close that gap.”

Class Divide started a petition in July 2021 which was signed by more than 550 people calling for free school transport to Longhill and a direct service to the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA).

Most secondary school students in Whitehawk, Manor Farm and the Bristol Estate attend one of the two secondary schools.

The campaign group said:

“Class Divide welcomes the decision to recognise that there are no safe ways for children living in Whitehawk to walk or cycle to Longhill School.

“Extending the free bus travel entitlement to all children who attend Longhill will make a massive difference to many local families.

“The cost of bus travel remains one of the top two issues parents want our campaign support with – and we will continue to fight for free bus travel for all children on our estate no matter what secondary school they attend.”

Whitehawk had its own secondary school, in Wilson Avenue, until it closed in 2005. Stanley Deason High School opened in 1972 – named after a former mayor of Brighton and long-serving councillor.

After poor inspection reports it was rebranded Marina High, from 1997 to 1999, then Comart – the East Brighton College of Media Arts – before it was closed 19 years ago.

The council’s cabinet had been due to decide whether to offer the free bus passes at the cabinet meeting last Thursday (July 18).

But the item was withdrawn before the meeting because it was decreed not to fit the criteria for a key decision to be taken by the cabinet.

These are that a decision is expected to cost or save more than £1 million or affect communities in two or more wards – although Whitehawk is in a different ward to Longhill.

The extra bus passes are expected to add about £22,000 to the council’s annual home to school transport budget.

Councillor Daniel urged families who want to check whether they qualify to email [email protected] or phone 01273 293501.