Cuts to 'lifeline' bus service spark concerns

Olivia Izzard has lived in the village for 57 years

People in a West Sussex village say cuts to a bus service connecting them with nearby towns risk isolating them from their GP surgery and other essential services.

From 1 September some number 17 Stagecoach services from Brighton will terminate in Partridge Green and not travel further north.

Stagecoach said its busiest buses from Partridge Green towards Horsham would continue as normal, including morning and later afternoon services.

Partridge Green resident Olivia Izzard said: "There comes a point where we have to consider our more vulnerable residents and a lot of us are over 80. The bus is our lifeline.”

'Make life very difficult'

Senior citizens will also not benefit from free travel on the off-peak services Stagecoach will continue to offer north from the village, according to campaigners.

Some residents are worried walking about a mile to Shermanbury to make their connection will prove too much for those with mobility problems.

Resident Bonnie Slitney said: “I am very aware that there are people in the village who don’t drive at all and the bus is their only means of getting to their appointments.”

She added: “It is going to make life very difficult, if not impossible, for some.”

Stagecoach said the decision to take Partridge Green off the main Horsham to Brighton service was made "simply on the basis of punctuality".

As part of the change, Stagecoach has agreed funding with Brighton & Hove City Council and West Sussex County Council (WSCC) for new evening and Sunday trips.

WSCC said it provided the subsidy with the intention of creating the Sunday service "due to the belief that this would provide the most benefit to the users".

Stagecoach said it was increasing mileage on the remaining stretch of the 17 service by 60%, an extra 2,700 miles each week.

"To make the new timetable reliable, we're unable to offer direct buses between Partridge Green and Horsham during the daytime," the spokesperson added.

"We're running a direct hourly service from the village to Henfield and Brighton and residents will benefit from our new earlier morning and evening trips in each direction."