"It’s going to isolate communities, make people housebound and put jobs at risk": Number of Chesterfield and Derbyshire bus services set to be axed and altered
Stagecoach has revealed a number of bus service changes set to be introduced across North Derbyshire next month.
The changes, set to come in place from Sunday, October 25, affect 18 bus services across Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.
Service 5, operating between Chesterfield town centre and Newbold and service 38 connecting Chesterfield and Green Farm and will be axed.
Service 3, connecting Stephenson Place in the town centre and Chesterfield Royal Hospital in Calow will be withdrawn on Saturdays – with the last bus from Chesterfield on Mondays to Fridays scheduled at 5.30pm.
Service 84 will be rerouted to cover part of the 38 route from West Bars via Foijambe Road, Ashgate Road, Clifton Street, Springfield Avenue, Old Hall Road, Churston Road, Ashgate Road, Greenbank Drive, Cuttholme Road, Loundsley Green Road, Slack Lane, Old Road, Storrs Road and Chatsworth Road.
Service 15 will be rerouted to cover most of the 5 route, joining the route southbound from Stand Road, then anti clockwise via St Johns Road, Cranbourne Road, Salisbury Avenue, Lansdowne Avenue, Highfield Lane, Chantry Ave, Malson Way, Highfield View Road, Tapton View Road, Highfield Road, Newbold Road and as current route. Service 16 will also be rerouted, to serve the Chasecliff Estate and Green Farm Close as a replacement for the 38, from Hawksley Ave, then Newbold Back Lane, Cheedale Avenue, Loundsley Green Avenue, Newbold Road and as current route.
74 and 74A buses will run hourly and will only cover the 74 route – with the service no longer serving Woodthorpe.
The 90/90A service will be withdrawn beyond Staveley – meaning Markham Vale, Clowne and Creswell will no longer be served.
Stagecoach said that this section of route was funded but ‘ridership was very low’.
90 and 90A will only cover the updated service 90 route.
90B inbound buses will be rerouted in Chesterfield town centre via the town hall.
Service 170 connecting Chesterfield and Bakewell will operate on an altered timetable with the first bus on Mondays to Fridays scheduled at 6.45 in Chesterfield 7.26am in Bakewell.
The first bus on Saturdays will be 7.38am from Chesterfield and 8.30am from Bakewell.
Service 43/44 50/50A are set for ‘retiming to improve punctuality’ while 10 will see ‘some minor early morning timing changes’.
39 and 54 daytime buses will run every 20 minutes.
Service 1 will be altered on Saturdays, the 4.50pm ex Chesterfield and 6.16pm ex Whaley Thorns are retimed to run 10 minutes later.
Additionally, the 583/584 school bus services, running from Sutton Scarsdale and Stanfree to The Bolsover School, will be provided by another operator.
Cllr Paul Mann, a cabinet member for Hollingwood Ward at Staveley Town Council, has been contacted by concerned residents, affected by changes to Service 74 and 90.
He said: “It’s going to isolate communities, make people housebound and put jobs at risk and that’s in the middle of cost of living crisis.
"Elderly people living at the top of Woodthorpe are going to be housebound now without a bus service.
"Markham Vale is an industrial estate and many people rely on buses to get to work.
"If you work at Markham Vale but live at Hollingwood and can't drive, how are you going to get to work now?
“You are forced to have a very long walk, or get taxis, which means your job may no longer be financially viable.
"It's going to lose people's jobs, cost the government, the taxpayer and the communities.
"It’s all about profit and we need to have somebody who can provide a public transport for the public.”
Stagecoach issued the following online statement regarding the changes: "We are making some service changes from the above date.
"Several services will have amended timetables to improve punctuality.
"Unfortunately less people are travelling with us as our customers' lifestyles change.
"This is a nationwide trend caused by continued growth in online shopping and the impact of the cost of living crisis.
"As our costs also continue to rise we have had to make some changes affecting poorly used parts of our network.
"These changes have been designed to have the minimum adverse impact on our customers whilst ensuring we can continue to offer a high standard of service and good value for money.”
The Derbyshire Times has approached Stagecoach for comment.