BUS SUBSIDY SOUGHT

Brigg Town Council will not be providing cash to help fund a bus bringing visitors, shoppers and sports facility users in from Winterton during the 2011/12 financial year, starting next April.
Winterton Town Council promotes and manages the Thursday bus, which drops off at Ancholme Leisure Centre, Cary Lane and Brigg Garden Centre.
When the matter was discussed by Brigg Town Council’s policy committee on Wednesday night, Coun Mike Campion said that although the bus brought an appreciable number of people into Brigg, the £1 fare was cheap. As Brigg Garden Centre seemed to benefit from customers, he wondered whether it ought to be that business being approached for funding.
Coun Jenny Bell pointed out the bus used was a 52-seater; she wondered whether a mini-bus might prove cheaper to run.
Coun Penny Smith said that, based on figures showing the numbers using the bus, it would be “throwing money away” to offer support.
“It is not cost-effective and it would be a poor use of our public money,” she added. “If they come back to us with more figures, we might look at it again.”
She also pointed out two of the “bus drops” were actually outside Brigg (the leisure centre and the garden centre),
Coun Julian Kidd said the bus didn’t seem to be half full.
It was agreed not to offer any cash by way of a subsidy.