NETHERNE BUS CAMPAIGN
Breaking news! We have had two articles published this week (Nov 4th) about the ‘urgent’ need for a service in Netherne and the ‘political football’ that has been going on since we began the campaign. Read the Standard one here. Read the BBC one here.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THIS BY SIGNING OUR PETITION.
We had 552 signed petitions which represents over 1/3 of Netherne residents.
The next step of our Campaign is the introduction of a new service called the Digital Demand Response Transport service (DDRT). You can find out more about this and how to book here.
It is so important that Netherne residents use this service in order to show Surrey County Council that we have a need. IF WE DON’T USE IT WE MAY LOSE THE CAMPAIGN ENTIRELY.
See below for all of the latest news on the campaign.
With support from Charles King, the Chair of East Surrey Transport committee, we have been having meetings with representatives from Surrey County Council. Whilst they maintain that there is no money to provide a service to Netherne we have discussed the possibility of one bus and two drivers to run from Netherne to Coulsdon South Station, into Coulsdon and back again. We were asked to conduct a survey of the Village to establish if residents would use this service.
Survey results
We had 240 responses from 580 units in Netherne (41%)
- Approx. 30% of residents travel to work by train & 50% travel by car.
- 95% of those using the train travel from Coulsdon South
- 72% get dropped off by car or drive to Coulsdon South
- 72% of children travel to school by car.
- Nearly 60% of residents GP services are base in the London Borough of Croydon making access difficult without a ULEZ compliant car.
In July 2024 we had a meeting with Surrey County council, our borough councillors, Claire Coutino’s constituency manager – Cllr Biggs, and a representative from Hooley RA.
Valerie Sexton – the Bus Service Planning Team manager from SCC has ascertained from TFL that a shuttle bus or extension would cost in the region of £400,000 a year. Surrey County Council would be required to fund the full amount.
The next step is to lobby Surrey County Council.
Cllr Biggs will ask Claire Coutinho to write to Matt Furnis Cabinet Member for Transport and Growth and Tim Oliver leader of Surrey County Council and ask them to support us.
Cllr Khan and Cllr Gabriel will ask the Green Party members of Surrey County Council to support us.
In the meantime and as a direct result of the Public Bus Campaign, Surrey County Council agreed to extend the DDRT service to Netherne from September 2024.
The service is available to all and runs Monday to Friday 07.00 to 19.00 hrs and on Saturdays from 08.00 to 18.00 hrs. Please refer to the Surrey Connect website where you can find booking details and register or telephone.
The service is a step in the right direction but in no way meets the needs of our village for a public bus service.
We will continue to update this page with latest news.
2023 Bus News
On Thursday Dec 7th members of NOTHRA went to London to hand in the final petitions and join the London Assembly to have the issue put on the agenda for the Mayor of London and TFL.
We are petitioning for the 463, a single decker, to extend its route from Coulsdon South Station to Netherne on the Hill.
The bus stop will be at the lamppost on the junction of Netherne Drive and Cayton Road (as per the current school bus).
This would be the last stop on the route; it will not drive around the Village.
This is based on considerable demand from the parents of school children (who have had access to their school bus removed), commuters (who lost their Netherne bus during Covid) and also our senior residents who no longer wish / are able to drive.
It is also complimenting our ambition to prioritise the environment so people are having to use their cars less.
As part of the campaign we have managed to secure several news articles in local papers including the Surrey News and GB News – You can read the full articles here and here. and here.