PARENTS of children in Tatworth who attend Holyrood Academy will once again get free bus travel - after winning a battle with County Hall.

Somerset County Council had ruled that parents of students starting at Holyrood this academic term would either have to ask their children to walk, or pay for a yearly bus pass, because the route to the school in Chard is less than three miles.

However, the parents of one student, who were turned down in their application for free transport, successfully appealed on the grounds the route is not safe to walk.

The ruling means they and other parents of children in the village will now be eligible for free bus travel.

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “An application for free school transport from an address in Tatworth to Holyrood Academy was initially refused on the grounds that the walking route is under three miles and had been assessed by a Qualified Senior Accident Prevention and Road Safety Officer as being safe to walk, accompanied as necessary.

“However, an appeal was lodged against this decision and the panel decided that Forton Lane was not a suitable alternative walking route. We accept this decision and will provide free school transport for the appellant and other affected pupils from Tatworth on these grounds.”

Andrew Turpin, chairman of Tatworth and Forton Parish Council, said the appeal ruling was the latest twist in a saga spanning more than three decades, during which time the county council has at various times removed free transport and handed it back on safety grounds.

Following the appeal ruling, Cllr Turpin said: “I'm absolutely delighted. The route along Forton Lane was hazardous and local residents knew that, which is why there was such a protest over this.

“The parish council was unanimous in support of this appeal and Jill Shortland (Tatworth’s county councillor) was also right behind it.”