CHILDREN may have to walk up to six miles to and from school each day, if new proposals by Monmouthshire County Council are voted in next year.

The cost-cutting measure suggests that the catchment area for provision of free school transport may be increased from 2.5 miles to three miles for secondary pupils and 1.5 to two miles for primary school pupils.

This will cause some pupils to face a three mile walk each morning and evening, threatening an increase in traffic braving the school run.

In Chepstow, this will mean that pupils from

villages like St Arvans and Mathern would no longer qualify for free school transport.

A spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: "The current distances within Monmouthshire to enable entitlement to free school transport are 1.5 miles for primary pupils and two miles for secondary school pupils. These are more generous than the Welsh Government's learner travel measure which stipulates that primary school pupils must live at least two miles away from their school and secondary pupils three miles from their school.

"Among the proposals we're considering is to bring the council in line with the Welsh Government's learner travel measure. If adopted, it will come into effect in September 2016 at the

earliest.

"We will engage with Monmouthshire's residents, organisations and businesses over the council's budget for 2015/16 when we hold public meetings and roadshows from 5th to 12th January and we will listen to what our stakeholders have to say about reducing costs and increasing income".

MCC is holding the following public meetings to discuss these and other cost-saving initiatives on 6th January, 6pm to 8pm at Monmouth Leisure Centre, 7th January, 6pm to 8pm at Caldicot School and 8th January, 6pm to 8pm at Chepstow School.