'Lifeline' High Peak bus service is saved

The 358 service, which runs from Hayfield to Stockport, via New Mills and Marple, was in danger of being lost as part of a major revamp of services as government funding given to bus companies through the Bus Recovery Grant ends in October.

Hundreds of people signed a petition calling for the service to be saved and a public meeting was also held.

And it has now been announced that Derbyshire County Council will provide funding to save three routes which go into Greater Manchester, including the 358 which services Marple and Cheadle Hulme, Aquinas and Stockport colleges.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said: “These services provide vital transport links for rural communities in Glossop, Hayfield, Gamesley, New Mills and Hadfield and we could not stand by and see them disappear.

“Nationally bus passenger numbers have not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, so in supporting these services we hope we will encourage more people to use them and I would urge all residents to start using the buses available on a more regular basis. By providing the money to keep these services going we are doing all we can to allow people to get to their place of work, education, to the shops or travel for leisure.”

The 237 Glossop to Ashton via Hadfield, the 341 Glossop to Hyde via Gamesley and the 358 were recently tendered by Transport for Greater Manchester, with the council deciding to provide additional money to keep them going.

County councillor Anne Clarke, who represents Hayfield and New Mills, said she is delighted, adding: “This is such a brilliant result. This bus is such a lifeline for so many people and I know a lot of people were worried about the future of the service.

“I have had people come up to me in the street saying if the bus was lost they would lose their independence.

“They wouldn’t be able to get to the hospital or the shops and some people have even said they would have to move out of the area as they don’t have a car and rely so much on the buses.”

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