Wattsville parents hold protest over school bus cuts plans

Residents of Wattsville and Brynawel led the protest on Monday, October 14 against Caerphilly Council’s plans to cut the free home to school bus service to Cwmfelinfach Primary School.

Caerphilly Council are proposing to change the way it provides home to school transport for learners across the county from September 2026.

The council currently provides a high level of discretionary home to school transport, which they want to reduce to save money, with the current cost at £10m. 

Currently, free school transport is provided to primary school pupils who live 1.5 or more miles away from their school, however the cabinet have proposed to raise this to two miles, meaning more pupils will have to make their own way to and from school.

Meanwhile, the minimum distance would rise from two miles to three miles for pupils in secondary school and post-16 education.

If the proposals go ahead, Cwmfelinfach Primary School pupils living in Wattsville and Brynawel would have to walk along the B4251 road to get to school.

Pupils joined their parents in protesting the plans to cut the school bus service (Image: Cllr Janine Reed) Around 50 protesters gathered outside the school on Monday against these planned cuts.

Cllr Jan Jones represents Ynysddu as an independent and has described the plans as “short-sighted” due to the impact they will have. 

Fellow Ynysddu independent councillor Janine Reed has cited Caerphilly Council traffic surveys from May 2019 and 2024, which revealed that 85% of drivers exceeded the 20mph speed limit.

Cllr Reed also pointed out that since records began in 1999, there have been 65 vehicle crashes on the stretch of road from the beginning of Islwyn Road, Wattsville to Cwmfelinfach Primary School. 

The proposals have been called shortsighted and left parents worried about their children's safety (Image: Cllr Janine Reed) Mum of two, Becky Brain is “very angry” at the proposals and explained: “Twenty years ago I was walking on the pavement through the village with my family – two weeks later I woke up in hospital lucky to be alive, as a car mounted the pavement and dragged me under. Yet, CCBC want me to walk my children to school?"

Another parent, Thomas Nicholls, questioned why the council are willing to put their savings ahead of children’s safety, as this is a “known and dangerous road”.

The cuts could see a 20% reduction in the budget for Cwmfelinfach Primary School if the students affected change schools (Image: Cllr Janine Reed) Cllrs Jones and Reed have also raised concerns that around 20% of Cwmfelinfach Primary School’s children are from Wattsville and Brynawel, which could mean a budget reduction if these children move schools. 

A Caerphilly Council spokesperson said: “The council’s transport budget is under significant financial pressure, and we are one of the last councils in Wales to offer a more generous discretionary mileage policy.” 

“These proposed changes have been carefully considered, but it is important that we consult those affected and fully consider the views of the community before we agree any changes in future.”

The closing date for the consultation is October 28 and further information on how to have your say can be found here.