Parents and carers without transport could be walking over six miles miles a day (or 10km) when their children start term at the new £12 million primary school on the former Salop Road playing fields in January.
Powys County Council has confirmed that there won’t be a bus provided as it falls under the regulation two miles, so it means some hefty distances for those at the far ends of town, particularly Oldford.
The canal route is one option but, with a pushchair, the paved route through the town centre is 1.6 miles from the middle of Oldford. It means a parent/carer will walk 3.2 miles there and back in the morning and the same for picking up in the afternoon.
A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “For primary school pupils to qualify for school transport, they must live two or more miles from the nearest school, measured by the shortest walking distance.
“Welshpool has active travel routes which can be used by parents and pupils to get to their school if they do not qualify for school transport. We would encourage parents and pupils to use these routes when the new Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School opens next month.”
The state-of-the-art school has been created out of the closures of the former Gungrog, Maesydre, Oldford and Ardwyn schools. A separate Welsh-medium school will be built on the current Maesydre site.