Parents Of Children With Special Educational Needs Face 30% Rise In College Transport Costs

Parents of children with special educational needs in the Meon Valley are facing massive increases in the costs of sending their children to college.

Hampshire County Council is planning to raise the cost of transport to college for these 16 and 17-year-olds by nearly 30%.

For example, parents of a child living in Swanmore and attending Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh, which is 10 miles away, will see their annual cost rocket from £1365 at present to £1736 a year or nearly £600 a term.

The council claims its transport costs have gone up by 27.1% and it is planning to pass on the full cost on to parents.

Rural areas like the Meon Valley will be hit hardest as youngsters from there have the furthest to travel compared to those in urban areas.

A consultation about the planned increases is running but closes this Sunday. Full details here: https://www.hants.gov.uk/aboutthecouncil/haveyoursay/consultations/Post-16-Transport-Policy-for-2023-24