A large number of Cornwall councillors have said it is time to change an “unfair” school transport policy.

The current system means children in rural areas have to pay for bus travel while children from the same village – or even the same family – get it free if they attend a different school which could be the same distance away.

Children can find themselves on the same bus, with some of their parents having to pay and others receiving the travel for nothing.

Cllr James Mustoe, the Conservative member for Mevagissey, introduced a motion at a full Cornwall Council meeting on Tuesday, April 21 asking for a review into admissions policy to make it fairer for families to access transport to secondary schools.

He explained that children from Mevagissey have to go to either Penrice or Poltair secondary schools in St Austell.

Penrice is recognised as the designated school for the village, but he says the growing population in St Austell is making Penrice more untenable for Mevagissey families. A council-run bus stops at both schools – Poltair first and then Penrice.

“If a child applies to go to Poltair and not Penrice, they don’t get funded transport provided under the current scheme,” said Cllr Mustoe. “If they apply to Penrice and it is full, they would get funded transport on the same bus to Poltair if this was their second choice.

“We are told that a public bus has been arranged to go to Poltair. This means that families not currently getting support via Home to School Transport have to pay every day for their children to get on a bus that follows the same often half-empty service run by the council.

“There has even been a situation where a sibling has had funded transport and another sibling has not.”

Cllr Mustoe said that if a policy is no longer fit for purpose “then we, as members, should be able to review it and get it changed”.

He added: “My solution is to get Penrice and Poltair as both the designated schools for Mevagissey and the surrounding communities because of the particular population growth in St Austell.”

He said the matter was a “hot potato” which was being passed from department to department. “For the families having to live with the consequences of this policy every day, the buck stops with Cornwall Council. They don’t care what department.”

Labour group leader Cllr Kate Ewert, who seconded the motion, added there were “deep frustrations” concerning the issue, which has a wider impact on families across Cornwall, including in her own division in St Germans and Polbathic.

Those families who have chosen their closest school geographically in Looe, as opposed to the designated school at Saltash, have found themselves in the same unfair situation, she said.

“We are told when we raise this that the policy is being applied correctly and the only way to change the policy is through a vote in this chamber. So here we are.” She asked that common sense is applied.

Cllr Dan Rogerson, the Lib Dem cabinet member for transport, said the situation wasn’t unique and there were a number of ‘”historic anomalies” with how schools have been designated.

“I think this is long overdue a look and I’m happy to do that,” he added, agreeing to a review of the policy.

Cllr Loveday Jenkin (Crowan, Sithney & Wendron, Mebyon Kernow) said it was an issue which affects people in her area too “and probably affects a lot of rural areas because you may have children going to different school equidistant apart”.

“It seems ultimately unfair and has been for many years, that if children go to one school six miles away they get their transport paid, but if they go to another school six miles away they don’t get their transport covered even though there are buses travelling those routes for other people.”

Cllr James Ball (Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill, Independent) – who sits on the transport appeals committee – urged caution: “We have to draw a line somewhere when we’re talking about Home to School Transport. The cost implications could be huge for this council.”

Cllr Rowland O’Connor (St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn, Cornish Independent Non-aligned Group) asked how it can be justified to families, “because from a resident’s perspective it can’t”.

“This is the definition of inconsistency,” he added. “Do we accept a system that treats children on the same bus differently? Or do we take a measured, common sense step to put that right?”

Cllr Hilary Frank, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for children, families and schools, said that any changes would have an impact on the whole Home to School Transport system throughout Cornwall.

“In Cornwall in 2019 our Home to School Transport bill was £19-million. In 2025/26 the bill was £35-million. Cost needs to be taken into account, but fairness also needs to be taken into account.”

She welcomed Cllr Rogerson’s assurance that the policy would be reviewed. Cllr Mustoe added that the issue lies with the schools admissions policy rather than the transport policy.

The motion was supported by 44 councillors, with 12 voting against and 11 abstentions.