Protestors show anger over cuts to free transport for children with special needs

Up to 20 demonstrators from Dudley Coalition Against the Cuts gathered outside the office of Dudley Council's children's services on Wednesday while the council's children's services scrutiny committee was meeting to discuss the changes as the council seeks to save more than £200,000 a year.

The authority said it is not legally required to provide the service and has launched a consultation to bring in charges.

The council currently pays for 49 children with additional needs to travel to specialist nurseries in the borough.

But leaders claim they have been forced to consider axing the service after funding cutbacks from central Government. They also said that demand for the service will decrease over the coming months and that by September, when the proposed charges could be introduced, only 11 children would be affected.

Dudley's opposition groups have hit back at the plans, claiming it is 'immoral' to be making cuts to children's services following a controversial senior management restructure.

However, the committee's chairman Melvyn Mottram said the council would look at alternative ways of enabling the children to get to nursery, including providing them with a personal budget to pay for their own transport in exceptional circumstances.

He was responding to questions written to the committee by members of the public asking what arrangements the council would make for children affected by the cuts.

He added: "The council is considering the provision of a personal budget to cover the cost in exceptional circumstances. The council does not believe that it is in the best interests of children to travel long distances to geographically distant locations."

But he could not comment on individual cases until he knew who would be affected.

Sedgley councillor and UKIP West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge is opposed to the cuts.

He said: "The proposed cuts are sick and show how totally out of touch this Labour - led council is.

"Ukip will continue to oppose these repulsive cuts which are a damning demonstration of Labour's utter contempt for the people they have for the very people they claim to represent.

"We will throw everything at campaigning against the proposed cuts and the saving that the authority wishes to make is chicken feed compared to the cost of fat cats at the top and the special allowance for the Mayor.

"The role of chief executive should be scrapped as well as the Mayor's allowance. Ukip would also slash the cost of politics in Dudley by reducing the number of councillors in the borough."

A consultation is currently taking place on the plans, which runs until March 2. Visit www.dudley.gov.uk to take part.