A “vital” bus service that took patients from Alsager to Leighton Hospital has finally been restored after years of campaigning to bring it back.
At a Highways and Transport Committee meeting last Thursday, Cheshire East Council officer Jenny Marston said the weekday 317 D&G service, which runs via Rode Heath and Sandbach, would be extending its timetable to include Saturdays.
She confirmed that section 106 funds – a pot of money given to the council by developers towards the cost of new infrastructure – would be used to fund the service, thanks to the development of the new Sainsbury’s store off Linley Lane.
Former town Coun Sue Helliwell, who is running in Alsager’s east ward by-election in October, has been campaigning for a return of the service since it was cut in 2018 under the Conservative administration of Cheshire East.
Speaking in 2021 as a member of the town council, Mrs Helliwell said she used the service herself and had spoken to residents who “had to pay up to £40 for a return trip from Leighton”.
She said: “I have had residents contact me to say they have not been able to go to their appointments. When I was last at Leighton Hospital, I spoke to a nurse who lives in Alsager who is unable to get to work on a Saturday.”
She felt it was “unfair” that NHS staff and patients had to change at Crewe to reach the hospital.
Coun Michael Unett agreed: “I have used this service myself as somebody who has to rely on public transport like a lot of people to get to places like Leighton Hospital, work, or even just to reach the shops or see family. It is a vital service.”
Alsager and Sandbach town councils entered into negotiations in an attempt to fund the service, but at cost of £600 per Saturday – £30,000 a year, an agreement was never reached.
Talks were held with Sandbach Communicare, a volunteer group which drives people to hospital appointments, but the charity was unable to find enough volunteers to fulfil the need.
Mrs Helliwell spoke during the public participation section of Thursday’s committee meeting, to ask when the bus would be reinstated.
She said: “At the moment, the hospital is inaccessible by a direct bus route for Alsager and Sandbach residents. It is costing residents two separate ticket prices.”
Ms Marston responded: “I can confirm that we have received section 106 funding from the Sainsbury’s development and we will be using that to provide a Saturday service.
“The timetable will very much mirror the Monday to Friday operations that run through to Leighton Hospital as well, so we will be building that into the service specification for the 317 service which will be tendered this autumn.”
Mrs Helliwell told the “Chronicle” after the meeting: “It’s taken all this time to get it back into service, so I’m really pleased to see it reinstated.
“It means people will now be able to get to work on a Saturday using the bus. They’ll be able to attend events in Sandbach and more people in Sandbach will be able to come to our events.
“With the car parking charges coming, public transport is going to be a must for more and more people.”
* Service 317 pictured in 2018 by bus aficionado Peter Smith.
