More than 70 children are to lose their free school transport after councillors voted to re-designate two walking routes as available – with one member asking why it wasn't done sooner.

Cheshire East's children and families committee decided the routes from Willaston to Brine Leas School in Nantwich and from Prestbury to Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield should both become available walking routes after they were assessed by highways officers.

Affected families will be informed and given 12 weeks' notice.

The committee was told the Willaston route was originally deemed as unavailable to walk because of an inadequate crossing point at the Cheerbrook roundabout – but a crossing has now been in place since October 2008.

With regard to the route to Fallibroome, a scheme to put a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing on the B5087 Prestbury Road was completed in January 2020.

The re-designation means around 70 children from Prestbury will lose their eligibility to free school transport and about five from Willaston. The move will save the council nearly £80,000 a year.

Poynton councillor Jos Saunders (Con) told Monday's meeting: "My only observation is that it's taken so long. It was deemed suitable in 2020."

She said the council could have saved that money in the meantime.

"It's pretty unacceptable, to be honest, that we're discussing it three years later," said Cllr Saunders.

She added: "I am aware my colleague, Cllr Clowes, has brought up for many years the walking route in Wybunbury and by now I think it would have been savings of close to £1m. With the challenges facing this council we do need to be a bit swifter on these things."

Concerns were raised by some councillors about the route assessments being done in the summer – and not taking into account darker winters.

Highways officer Richard Hibbert said there was no mandatory requirement for street lighting as part of the walking route audit 'but I'm absolutely certain if an auditor had been on site and identified a need for an additional streetlight… they would log it in their audit report.'

The committee also approved the review of other sites across the borough to see if they could be made available for walking through improvement schemes. Any considered appropriate would be decided upon a future meeting.

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