COUNCILLORS have u-turned on a threat to withdraw school buses for children on the edges of the city.

City of York Council had put forward plans to pull out of running buses to Manor CE Academy from places like Copmanthorpe, Rufforth, Acomb and Foxwood – but this evening backed off in the face of pleas from disgruntled parents.

Instead, the three Manor buses will keep running for the 20116-2017 academic year, in part because the school itself agreed to put £13,000 in covering half of the cost the council currently pays to fund subsidised places for some.

The decision was formalised at a meeting of City of York’s Executive tonight [Thursday]. At the same time, plans to cut school transport for children at St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School by 2017 were rubber stamped, as were changes to school or college transport for 16 to 25 year olds with special educational needs.

One parent from Copmanthorpe spoke at the meeting to thank the councillors for listening, while later father Dave Stanford, whose daughter, Millie, 12, uses the service every day, added: “It’s absolutely fantastic the council has listened to the concerns of parents, children and the school, not just in Copmanthorpe but in Woodthorpe and elsewhere.

“I am sure I can speak for all parents affected by this decision when I say we are very grateful to the council for taking on board our concerns, and also to Manor Academy head Brian Crosby for his part in the negotiations.”

Executive member for education Cllr Jenny Brooks backed the change of heart at the meeting, thanking council staff for coming up with a fair solution.

For St Wilfrid’s pupils, the decision means that a bus for pupils from Strensall, Haxby, Clifton Moor and Rawcliffe will keep running for one more academic year before being phased out in favour of a mileage rate payment for families eligible for school transport.

However, Labour group leader Cllr Janet Looker spoke up with concerns about the changes for children and young people with special educational needs. The proposals include shifting more people onto personalised transport budgets which they use to organise their own transport, but Cllr Looker asked the education staff present to make sure that families could switch back from that system if their circumstances changed.

At the same meeting, councillors talked about finding a solution to York’s goose problem.

Micklegate councillor Lars Kramm presented the results of a scrutiny review, which said the 500 non-migratory Canada and Greylag geese in York are creating a significant “city wide” problem.

The review had proposed an integrated “goose management strategy” including population control by egg treatment, site management like fencing at city parks, education to stop people feeding the birds, and cleaning up of goose droppings.

It also asked the Executive to fund a £6000 survey to find all the city’s nesting sites, so eggs could all be treated to stop the population growth, but with that money not available the task group were instead asked to come up with more specific recommendations for the executive member Cllr Nigel Ayre to consider.