Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
East Midlands’ transport authority insists it moved quickly to find alternatives and maintain connections after a bus operator cut and withdrew services across north Derbyshire despite criticism that new changes still leave some Chesterfield and Staveley villages struggling.
Stagecoach Yorkshire changed 18 services in Chesterfield and north east Derbyshire to ‘improve punctuality’ with some withdrawn or revised from October 25 amidst running cost concerns and claims of reduced passenger numbers.
But Derbyshire’s regional transport authority, the East Midlands Combined County Authority, made arrangements with operator SMT Bus and Coach for three new services and although it concedes these routes do not ‘exactly replicate’ Stagecoach’s previous 90 and 74 service routes they will ‘maintain important local connections’.
An EMCCA spokesperson said: “Following Stagecoach’s decision to change some services for commercial reasons, our Public Transport team moved quickly to find alternatives and limit the impact on passengers.
“Working with SMT, new number 5, 27 and 28 services were introduced, linking Chesterfield to Newbold, Staveley to Markham Vale, and providing a Staveley-Woodthorpe circular service.
“These services don’t exactly replicate Stagecoach’s previous 90 and 74 routes, and we recognise some passengers may face longer journeys.
“However, they maintain important local connections and are being run by SMT as fully commercial services, at no additional cost to EMCCA.
“As the Local Transport Authority, we’ll continue to monitor the impact on passengers and local communities.”
But Staveley Town Cllr Paul Mann and Better Buses East Midlands (BBEM) highlighted continuing problems for Staveley, Hollingwood, Brimington, Barrow Hill and Markham Vale enterprise park commuters.
Stagecoach’s original changes to the 90 and 90A services meant Markham Vale, Clowne and Creswell would no longer be served and its changes to 74 and 74A routes meant Woodthorpe would no longer be served.
Cllr Mann stated Hollingwood residents still struggle to get to work at Markham Vale enterprise park and under the new timetable not one of the buses available passes through Hollingwood or Barrow Hill.
BBEM highlighted how a worker from Brimington, Barrow Hill and Staveley would no longer have a direct service to Markham Vale after Stagecoach’s cuts and they would have to catch a bus back into town and get the number 1 or 2 via Calow.
And after EMCCA Mayor Claire Ward announced new services, BBEM says it still looks like someone in Staveley, Barrow Hill or Brimington will not get a bus to Markham Vale easily.
The original cuts saw the withdrawal of the 90 / 90A service beyond Staveley with Markham Vale, Clowne and Creswell no longer being served.
Stagecoach stated this route section was funded to improve access but use was low so it announced all buses would run as service 90, and the 90B inbound buses would be rerouted in Chesterfield via the Town Hall.
However, EMCCA announced three new services but there is no replacement for the rest of the 90 service from Markham Vale through to Shuttlewood, Clowne and Creswell.
EMCCA announced a new 27 service, run by SMT Bus and Coach, connecting Staveley, Poolsbrook and Markham Vale to help passengers affected by changes to the 90 or 90A which was withdrawn beyond Staveley.
The 27 service connects with four services at Staveley, which will continue to Chesterfield, including the 74, 77, 80 and 90.
A new 5 service has been launched for Chesterfield after Stagecoach axed the former 5 between Chesterfield town centre and Newbold.
EMCCA also instructed Stagecoach to divert Service 15, which runs between Chesterfield, Marsh Lane and Dronfield, to serve affected areas.
SMT is now operating a reduced 5, running approximately every 40 minutes between 9.35am and 2.15pm, Monday to Friday.
SMT will also help cover parts of the rerouted 74 which will no longer serve Woodthorpe.
A new 28 runs from Staveley to Woodthorpe via Mastin Moor connecting with the 74, 77, 80 and 90, at Staveley, continuing to Chesterfield.
BBEM urged EMCCA to consider public control of services to replace its Enhanced Partnership plans with operators so it could put people ahead of profits and prevent service cuts.
An EMCCA spokesperson added: “The new Enhanced Partnership between EMCCA and local bus operators will replace previous agreements with the four local councils and provides the framework for improving bus services across the region.
“It is currently being reviewed by operators and, once agreed, will be published for public comment.”
