Pictured Are Morton Residents, In Derbyshire, Who Are Appealing For Help After Bus Operator Hulleys, Of Baslow, Ceased Trading And Notts And Derbys New Service No Longer Stops In The Village, Courtesy Of Campaigner Becky Spackman
Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
A worried councillor has told how the most important issue facing a desperate Derbyshire village is the loss of a vital bus service more than a year ago which ‘isolated’ residents say has left them struggling to get to hospital and GP appointments.
The commercially-run number 55 bus used to stop in Morton – three miles from Alfreton, in Derbyshire – before it was rerouted away from the village after Hulleys of Baslow ceased trading in late March, 2025, and Notts & Derby Buses took over the service soon afterwards and removed the village stop.
Labour NE Derbyshire District Cllr Kevin Gillott, who represents Pilsley and Morton, said: “This is, without question, the most important issue facing Morton and I will continue to work closely with the community and make the case for the restoration of a bus service to the village.”
Campaigners who referred to the number 55 bus service as a ‘vital lifeline’ have continued appealing for help because they say they have been left ‘isolated’ and the only alternative villagers now have is a ‘dial-a-bus’ with bookings on demand which they argue is ‘inadequate’.
But Notts & Derby Buses argued the 55 service was rerouted away from Morton because only a small number of villagers was using the service despite claims by residents to the contrary with further claims that the bus was a ‘lifeline’ for the elderly, work commuters, the disabled and students.
Derbyshire County Council’s former Conservative administration and the current Reform UK-led administration had sought solutions to reinstate and possibly subsidise the Morton service but the Reform council confirmed in September, last year, that the authority was unable to find an operator to replace the previous scheduled commercial service.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority, which took over responsibility for transport in February, is considering the results of a public consultation into transport across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire called The Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation to help shape future changes, improvements and developments.
But Morton resident Becky Spackman said: “Residents have cancelled GP and hospital appointments, been unable to afford to go shopping or to visit friends and family.
“They are reporting higher levels of depression than they ever felt during the Covid lockdowns. I can’t imagine how anyone can be in more serious need than those without any bus service at all.”
Labour East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, who met with residents after NE Derbyshire District Cllr Kevin Gillott arranged a meeting at Morton Village Hall, said she is still listening and considering concerns, the demand for a bus service and enquiring about possible routes and costs but she stressed she has to consider rural needs across the whole region before making any decisions.
Cllr Gillott said: “When the service was withdrawn, Derbyshire County Council was quick to distance itself from the issue, showing little interest in the impact its loss would have on the community.
“By contrast, Mayor Claire Ward, within weeks of assuming responsibility for public transport, agreed to visit the village and hear directly from residents who had relied on the bus service.
“Although the Mayor was clear that she could not promise the return of a bus service to Morton, she left in no doubt about the importance of this issue to local people and committed to considering it as part of her broader consultation and review of public transport across the East Midlands.”
EMCCA is currently considering the results of the public consultation into transport across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to help future transport priorities for the region including improvements and developments after more than 36,500 residents took part in the process.
Ms Ward said top level themes of The Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation consultation are expected to be outlined soon and EMCCA is looking to invest in areas where it feels confident changes can be introduced.
Goals include bus improvements, better bus stops, improved user-experiences, better connections between transport and bus organisations and bodies as well supporting active travel like cycling and considering requests for a review of bus routes.
Ms Ward, who acknowledged the importance of connectivity for rural areas like Morton, said: “They are saying they need to have something which allows them to get reliability to town because there are no shops and no direct services in the village and we understand.
“We are looking at all rural aspects across the region and we also know there are places, not just in Derbyshire, but in Nottinghamshire too, who have similar challenges and we need to look at what we can do.”
Since Ms Ward was elected as the first EMCCA Mayor in May, 2024, she has secured £2 billion for transport improvements and has allocated £121 million per year for local highways authorities to repair and maintain roads, including tackling potholes for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
EMCCA also announced in January that passengers across the East Midlands are set to benefit from a £65.5m investment in bus services from Government funding over the next three years as part of a national funding package for local transport authorities.
The authority inherited a number of bus schemes and concessionary systems that are different, according to Ms Ward, and it aims to review these to create a more consistent system for the whole region.
Bolsover Labour MP Natalie Fleet has also been supporting the Morton residents’ campaign to get the 55 bus service route reinstated for the village with Cllr Gillott.
