The Chew Valley, a rural area in North East Somerset, is once again at risk of losing all its regular bus services—a situation locals faced just three years ago. After unprecedented cuts in 2023 left residents without bus connections, a community group successfully launched two essential routes in 2024: the 99 “Chew Valley Cat” and the X91 “Chew Valley Sprint.” These services, funded by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) through its WESTlocal scheme, have become lifelines for many.
However, recent reductions in government funding to WECA put these vital services in jeopardy. Although the bus routes' funding has been extended, their continuation is only secured until July 2026, sparking fears they may be discontinued thereafter. David Harding, a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Chew Valley on Bath and North East Somerset Council, voiced serious concerns at a WECA meeting: “Removing our timetabled buses would leave the Chew Valley dependent on the WESTlink demand-responsive transport system, which has proven inadequate in serving ultra-rural areas like ours.”
While WESTlink and WESTlocal might sound similar, they operate very differently. WESTlink, launched in 2023, offers demand-responsive transport with green minibuses available by booking rather than fixed schedules, which critics argue fails to meet rural needs. In contrast, WESTlocal funds traditional scheduled bus services operated by community groups, providing reliable and predictable routes.
The funding dynamic is complicated. WECA receives its transport budget from both government grants and council levies. In 2022, WECA was allocated £57.5 million over three years for its bus service improvement plan. More recently, it received £42.4 million for the next three years, alongside a separate £9 million bus grant to North Somerset. Nonetheless, Liberal Democrats warn this overall funding still marks a cut, especially impacting rural bus services.
Kevin Guy, Bath and North East Somerset Council leader and WECA committee member, criticized the funding shortfall: “A £6 million reduction from central government for our bus services is unacceptable. While I remain optimistic about the new Labour government, this is a clear letdown for our region.”
Fiona Gourley, rural transport project lead and Liberal Democrat councillor, urged WECA to prioritize keeping timetabled buses running instead of focusing on other initiatives like the Kid’s Go Free scheme. “A free bus ticket does no good if there’s no bus available,” she said.
The community’s own survey strongly supports maintaining the existing routes. David Harding emphasized, “Our extensive bus survey shows the X91 and 99 services are crucial for users’ health, wellbeing, and social connectivity. Satisfaction ratings for these routes are significantly higher than for fixed-route services in neighboring areas.”
Jackie Head, a key organizer behind the current bus services, warned against replacing them with WESTlink’s hybrid approach, which mixes fixed routes during peak times with demand-responsive services otherwise. “WESTlink only fulfilled 41% of ride requests in rural areas, proving it unsuitable for Chew Valley’s needs,” she said. “Without the X91, I wouldn’t have been able to get here at all.”
In response, the Liberal Democrats have launched a petition urging WECA mayor Helen Godwin to fund regular bus services rather than demand-responsive transport schemes, and to consider bus franchising in the region to secure reliable transit.
In January, WECA announced it would extend most WESTlocal services’ two-year trial until July 2026, allowing further review and adaptation. The authority suggested potential future models might blend fixed peak-time routes with demand-responsive elements, citing the 768 service south of Bath as an example, which combines semi-fixed routes with demand-responsive stops.
As the July deadline approaches, the fate of Chew Valley’s lifeline bus services remains uncertain, with community campaigners pressing hard to keep their buses running and ensure rural connectivity is not lost once more.