BRIGHTON AND HOVE: School transport latest

A proposed in-depth review into what went wrong with school transport for children with special needs is not enough, according to Conservative councillors.

But a Brighton and Hove City Council committee has rejected a request for independent scrutiny by a cross-party group of councillors in favour of a “peer review”.

During the first week of term, more than 60 children who need transport to special needs schools in Brighton and Hove were left stranded at home or otherwise affected.

Dozens of parents have complained the transport provided was not suitable for their children’s needs.

Conservative deputy leader Lee Wares put forward the case for an independent look at what went wrong to the council’s Audit and Standards Committee on Tuesday (September 17).

He made his plea the day after the same request was rejected by the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee.

He told the Audit and Standards Committee: “This is simply not good enough. For weeks we have been bombarded with complaints about the service, the administration, the council and officers.

“For months we have been warning of the issues that now exist and we still have no answers to questions we raise.

“We heard the council say sorry then promptly blame everybody else.

“We heard Labour say how they would oversee the investigation and anybody with concerns should send them to officers to process.

“I cast no aspersions, but you could forgive anybody for thinking that the fox has been put in charge of the chickens.