High Peak bus service restored to cover Harpur Hill thanks to government funding

High Peak Buses made the controversial decision to cut Harpur Hill from the 185 route back in December.

However, High Peak MP Robert Largan and Derbyshire County Council secured £47m from government funding for a Bus Improvement Plan.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided Derbyshire County Council with £47 million to boost its bus services.

“Supporting bus operators in Derbyshire with providing more services and extending timetables across 17 routes is great for local residents, who will now benefit and be able to make the most of the fantastic work, business and leisure opportunities Derbyshire has to offer.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said: “These improvements are all in response to people asking for more services so we are confident they will be used.”

Some of these funds will be used to reinstate the 185/186 service to Buxton Hospital and Harpur Hill.

From Monday July, 24 there will be an extension of the service which will include the Harpur Hill area providing an hourly cross town Buxton service until 7.30pm, which would include links to the Devonshire Hospital and the southern area of the town where large scale residential development is currently taking place.

Mr Largan launched a petition to save the service last year and worked at securing the bus improvement scheme.

He said: “I’m really pleased that the campaign to restore the 185 bus has been successful.

“Cutting off Harpur Hill was a short-sighted decision, given all the new houses being built in the area and the planned relocation of Aldi from Buxton town centre up to Harpur Hill.

“This is a big win for Buxton residents, especially those living in Harpur Hill and Fairfield.”

Also benefiting from the government funding will be the TransPeak bus which runs from Derby to Belper, Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton.

From Monday July, 10 the service will increase to an hourly timetable on Sundays when now it only operates every two hours.

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