School travel assistance appeals

If an application for transport is declined, you may submit an appeal.

A decision may be challenged on the following grounds:

• eligibility
• distance measurement
• safety of the route
• transport arrangements offered

There is no moral right to challenge a decision where the entitlement to transport assistance has been removed on the grounds of unacceptable behaviour.

The appeals process

Stage 1 - Review of decision

You have 20 working days from the receipt of the transport decision to make a request, asking for a review of the original decision.

The request should detail why the decision should be reviewed and give personal and/or family circumstances, which should be considered during the appeal process.

A Senior Officer from Northamptonshire Highways will review the original decision and will send you a letter detailing the outcome of the review within 20 working days of receipt of the written request.

This will set out the following information:

• the nature of the decision reached
• how the review was conducted
• information about other departments and/or agencies consulted as part of the process
• what factors were considered
• the rationale for the decision reached
• information about escalation to Stage 2, if appropriate

Stage 2 - Appeal

​You will have 20 working days from receipt of the authority’s decision, to make a request to escalate the matter to appeal.

An independent appeal panel, made up of 3 members of the council, will be convened to consider the appeal within 40 working days.

The independent appeal panel will consist of

• a councillor
• an assistant director or their representative
• a senior transport officer
• a democratic services officer (acting as clerk)

No member of the appeal panel will have been involved in the original decision to decline transport assistance. This panel will consider verbal and written representations from both the parent and officers involved in the case.

You will be invited to attend the hearing to present your case.

The Senior Officer from Northamptonshire Highways involved in the review of the decision at Stage 1 may also be invited to attend.

You will receive a letter, detailing the outcome of the appeal hearing, which will set out:

• the nature of the decision reached
• how the review was conducted
• information about other departments and/or agencies that were consulted as part of the process
• what factors were considered
• the rationale for the decision reached
• information about escalation to the Local Government Ombudsman

To request a review or an appeal, email [email protected].

Local Government Ombudsman

There is a right of complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman on the grounds that there was a failure to comply with the procedural rules or there was an irregularity in the way the appeal was handled.

Contact the Local Government Ombudsman.

Last updated 27 December 2023