A RURAL bus service which is currently under threat could still be saved thanks to the efforts of a Test Valley Councillor.

The number 46 bus that runs between North Baddesley and Winchester is currently under threat as a result of proposed cuts to transport and environmental services by Hampshire County Council in order to save £140 million.

Baddesley councillor Alan Dowden has had meetings with several parish councils in the hopes of raising the£40,000 needed by provider Stagecoach to be able to keep the service running.

So far North Baddesley and Valley Park Parish councils have each agreed to help fund the service by increasing their council tax precepts by £3,000.

Duncan Murray, clerk for Chandlers Ford Borough Council said that the council would be taking the proposals through to committee and full council when they had all the relevant information before making a decision on whether to back Cllr Dowden's plan.

Councillor Dowden said: "If you cut bus services, it effects young and old people, as well as people trying to get to work. If there's no buses it means more people will have to drive which increases traffic and pollution, and we all know how bad Winchester can be already. At the end of the day its all about give and take. If the service had to reduce the number of trips that would be better than nothing. I would at least like people to be able to get to work, get home and a couple trips in between."

A spokesperson from Stagecoach who operate the bus service on behalf of Hampshire County Council said: " we are aware that they have decided to make cuts to the bus subsidy budget in the future.”

Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council said: “Like all upper tier authorities across the country with responsibility for adults’ and children’s social care, Hampshire County Council is facing huge financial pressures because of growing demand, loss of Government grant, and inflation. As such, we are looking at all discretionary, non-statutory services provided by the County Council to see where savings could be made, and this includes subsidies for bus routes which are not commercially viable for the operator to run without extra funding, such as the number 46 which currently receives a subsidy of around £45,000 a year.  No changes will be made to any subsidies before April 2019 and final decisions on the overall subsidy budget have not been confirmed.  Any changes to subsidies would not take place without a public consultation exercise so there is time to explore all and any options that we can.

“In the meantime, we continue to lobby Government to allow us to pilot alternative ways of raising funding in order to sustain services; and also to work closely with Hampshire’s bus operators to increase bus patronage by improving bus travel, such as investing in contactless payments and on-board wi-fi.”