Browston's bid to get a bus service

SURVEYS have been sent to all pubs and shops in Belton and Browston in an attempt to gauge villagers' appetite for better transport links.

They will be asking customers and shoppers whether they think a new route should be devised to allow Browston a bus service, which it currently lacks. And there are hopes of setting up voluntary driver schemes.

The proposals follow a past study which discovered that the issue of trans-port ranked among the top concerns of those living in the two communities.

The latest survey will be collected before the council meeting in March.

Parish councillor Margaret Greenacre said demand for improvements had to be tested.

She added: “I hope we can have some talks about this and get some more bus services to the area, but it depends on the way people respond.

“We've got a steering group to take the idea forward, and in the near future it would be about getting volunteers to drive cars, but we would want to get better bus services in the longer term.

“There have been rumblings for some time, and there are a number of people, including older residents, who would benefit. Once we've got the surveys back, we will send the results to First Bus.”

Mrs Greenacre said creating a community transport scheme involving local volunteer drivers could help people, and she highlighted a new local youth group that would benefit.

She added that she wanted to spread the effort to improve services for local communities and possibly link up efforts with Burgh Castle, Fritton and St Olaves.

Tania Fiddy, a development officer at Great Yarmouth Borough Council whose role is to help provide community groups with the means to pursue such schemes, said: “It's widely acknow-ledged that access to key services for all individuals within the rural area can be limited, and from our point of view it's nice to be able to work with Belton - they're proactive and want to help themselves.”