MP asks for more time for school transport survey

A consultation on home-to-school travel has been extended after the timeframe to respond was criticised by an MP.

Lee Barron, Labour MP for Corby and East Northants, said a previous two-week window to reply, set by North Northamptonshire Council to end on Tuesday, 24 February, was "entirely insufficient".

The council wanted parents and carers to share their experiences as it was reviewing how travel to school works.

It said due to "interest in the survey" it had been extended to 4 March to "allow more people to contribute".

In a letter to Cornelia Andrecut, the director of children's services at the council, the MP wrote: "Given the significance of this consultation - and the large number of families affected, many of whom have children with SEND [special educational needs and disabilities] - I request that the consultation period be extended by at least a further two weeks to ensure everyone who wishes to contribute is able to do so."

He said that after he became an MP in 2024 he was "overwhelmed with messages from parents of Year 7 students who had not been informed of changes to school transport criteria".

He said lessons needed to be learnt and he was "pleased to see more effective communication the following year for children joining Year 7 in September 2025".

A council spokesperson said it had received about 300 responses since the consultation opened on 10 February, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The survey was shared with all families using home-to-school transport services, with valid email addresses, on 28 January," they said.

It said it was also shared on its website, local media, school newsletters, social media and promoted by partners, including the SEND Information Advice Support Service (SENDIASS) and Parent and Carer forum.

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