Environment Audit CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Norma George
Location of Tilton on the Hill.
Current public transport.
People experiencing difficulty leaving the village for work, education, shopping, socialising.
Reasons the present services are not used.
Suggestion to alleviate problems (probably at no extra cost).
A personal perspective.
1. Tilton is located almost equidistant from Leicester, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and Oakham. It has no school or Post Office but does have a Church and Public House. The nearest village, Billesdon, is 3.2 miles distant and on the main A47, Leicester to Peterborough Road.
2. Currently there is a weekday commuter bus and another in the middle of Wednesday to Leicester. Also on Wednesday there is a bus to Melton Mowbray. It has been mooted that these services will be greatly reduced soon.
3. Most inhabitants of Tilton have a car but there are some who have not. These include students and young workers, teenagers and pensioners, some in poor health.
Unless their parents are able to give them a lift young people cannot travel to college or work or to socialise with their friends.
When our Post Office was closed an outreach service was provided for 8 hours per week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). However the equipment is not designed to be moved so it breaks down and then there is no way to access the various services, most importantly to obtain cash.
4. From the beginning, reliability has been an issue. Some buses just do not arrive and there is no alternative except to beg a lift from a kind neighbour.
One person began using the early morning bus every Monday but had to give it up as the bus did not always arrive. On return journeys the driver has been known to change his route as he had not picked anyone up on the inward journey. Very occasionally a passenger has wanted to use the return service having been given a lift on the outward journey, perhaps to visit a friend in another village. They are then stranded.
Another reason the service is not used is that the destinations are not what many people want. Many residents would like to shop at Oakham or Market Harborough but have no way to get there without a link to Billesdon.
5. If the morning bus to Leicester went through Billesdon before travelling to Houghton as at present it would be possible to get to the Doctors’ surgery although we would need a return service. The Leicester to Uppingham service which runs along the A47, the one to Peterborough and to Market Harborough runs from Billesdon on certain days: Residents from Tilton would have access to these services too if only they could get to Billesdon.
A Personal Perspective
Although Tilton is not a pretty village it is a great place to live. It has wonderful views across rolling Leicestershire. It is on a busy cross county route with over 5000 vehicles passing through the village daily which is a drawback as speeding is a problem. However there is a great sense of community spirit.
I have not been in the best of health in the last couple of years and then my husband died recently. Neighbours have been so supportive in many ways—with lifts, shopping, bringing me nutritious cooked food and making sure that I was OK on a daily basis. However the lack of public transport is a real problem and I feel I cannot rely on others always. I do feel isolated when I cannot get to visit friends but have to rely on them visiting me.
I am not making any decisions yet but sometimes think I need to consider moving to a village with a bus service.
Conclusion
Whilst appreciating the need for savings and the fact that the current service is little used, I hope I have not only shown reasons for this but also suggested a viable way to improve matters without spending any more money.
1 September 2012