Residents share fears over proposals to cut bus service in Norfolk

Proposals to cut a bus service in the region will isolate residents, a concerned bus-user has said.

Angela Farrow, who lives on the Kiptons estate in West Raynham, said she currently relies on West Norfolk Community Transport’s number 22 service to travel.

“Everyone is just so upset as this service means a lot to us,” she said.

“This is a bus service that is needed.”

Miss Farrow, who has PTSD which stops her from driving, said the only way she can get out and about is by bus.

The Go To Town service, funded by Norfolk County Council, links Lynn to Fakenham and serves villages in between along the route, including Great Massingham, Sculthorpe and West Raynham.

The council is currently consulting with bus-users before it decides what will happen.

Miss Farrow said: “There are elderly people who use that bus to go out shopping once a week, and that is the only way to get out.

“That’s something they do every week, there’s quite a few people that do that.”

The bus is more than just a means of travel, she said.

“If they take this bus off, those old people don’t have their friends to socialise with. It’s just downright ridiculous.”

She said she believes the reason that the service could be cut is because the council thinks “hardly anyone uses it”, but Miss Farrow disagrees.

“It’s wonderful, because it’s a smaller bus, everybody knows everybody.”

There are plans to build hundreds more homes at the former RAF base in West Raynham, and Miss Farrow fears that this will leave even more people without a means of travel if the service is to be cut.

“It’s bad enough as it is now, but if they build another 200 houses it will be even worse. Some of us don’t drive.

“The only way to get off this estate is with a bus, unless you drive.”

Miss Farrow said the proposals would see there only be one bus per day going from Fakenham to Lynn, but no bus returning, if plans are to go ahead from next year.

A Norfolk County Council spokesman said: “We are committed to the continuation of a service visiting the Kiptons and Great Massingham.

“However, we need to ensure any service offers value for money and is sustainable.

“Feedback we receive and subsequent discussions with the current provider will be considered and affect what the service eventually looks like.

“No decisions have been made, and any feedback will be considered before timetables are formalised.”