MARLBOROUGH town councillors have united in voting against any cuts to Wiltshire bus subsidies.

So far over 8,000 people have responded to the bus consultation and recorded their views. On Monday Marlborough Town Council’s planning committee agreed to send a response unanimously opposing any cuts in bus subsidies.

After a suggestion from chairman, Coun Marian Hannaford-Dobson, that councillors should take each of the six options in turn and vote on each of them, other councillors argued that cuts to bus services had already gone far enough and that a total rejection of the cuts would have a larger impact on Wiltshire Council.

Coun Guy Loosmore said: “This is purely about money – it’s not taking people into account. The issue is we cannot afford for any more services to be cut.”

Councillors felt many people relied on local buses, such as students travelling to college in Swindon, old people without cars, people going to work, people using the bus link to rail services, relatives of those in hospitals and more.

Coun Nick Fogg said: “We are reaching the point where some of these cuts are costing more than they save – costing more in social impact and money spent further on.”

Councillors were all in agreement that any further cuts to the bus routes in the Marlborough area would have negative economic and social consequences for the rural population.

Following the debate Coun Loosmore and Coun Hall proposed that the Town Council does not support any reduction in the bus subsidies. The vote was passed unanimously, opposing the cuts.

Last year, Wiltshire Council spent £5.1m on subsidising bus services and says it will save £804,000 a year by withdrawing subsidies from services after 7pm and on Sundays and bank holidays. It also spends around £4.3m a year on pensioners’ concessionary bus passes.

Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We know how important bus services are for rural communities. However, we are under severe pressure to reduce the amount of budget that we spend on subsidising public transport."

“We are committed to minimising any impact changes might have, especially on vulnerable people including those who are elderly, disabled and young.”

Since the announcement of the proposals to the subsidised bus services, a number of public meetings have taken place that gave local townspeople the chance to submit their opinions by filling in a survey.

Earlier this month, Bus Users UK, an organisation that helps give bus users a voice in making decisions on the services, held a meeting in Devizes where over 60 people attended to submit the consultation forms.

There is still time to submit your views on the Wiltshire Council’s online consultation by visiting http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/subsidised-bus-services-consultation.