Residents call for direct bus link between Sherford and Plympton

A resident in Sherford has started an online petition to create a direct bus link between Sherford and Plympton.

Greg Wills, who lives in the new town of Sherford, told The Moorlander: “In our household we have 3 teenagers, a 13-year-old with type 1 diabetes who attends Plympton Academy. A 17 and 19-year-old who are both learning to drive. Having moved from Plympton, a lot of their friends are there, so it is to provide them their freedom. We currently pay £6 a day for my stepson to get the bus provided by Plympton Academy. We are fortunate that we can afford to do this. After starting the petition, we’ve heard details of mums doing the school run, actually offering lifts to children they don’t know because they’re forced to walk to school and it’s unsafe.”

Currently, Sherford is served by Stagecoach, with routes taking residents toward Plymouth City Centre or Paignton. 

Plympton, which is just a short distance away, currently lacks a direct bus service.

Greg explained that to make the 7-minute journey to Plympton by bus, residents must take buses to either Lee Mill or Cattedown and then transfer to another bus, making the trip take over 40 minutes. 

“We hope this petition will show there is sufficient demand for a route directly linking the two areas,” he added.

Support for the petition is growing, with over 100 comments from residents backing the call for a bus service to Plympton. 

One commenter said: “I live in Sherford. There are no safe pedestrian routes into Plympton. My children also go to school in Plympton.” 

Another added: “I don’t drive so this would be beneficial for me and loads of other people.” 

A third commented: “This would allow more people to access Plympton independently from their home.” 

Many parents have raised concerns about the safety of children walking to and from Plympton, with one describing the current situation as “extremely dangerous due to the lack of pavements.”

The Moorlander understands from Go South West, operator of Plymouth Citybus that any additional services are unlikely to run as a commercial service and would most likely form part of a tendered service option operated on behalf of Plymouth City Council. 

MP for South West Devon, Rebecca Smith, told The Moorlander: “I have worked extensively with local residents, the Sherford Consortium, councils and other local stakeholders to address outstanding issues at the Sherford development. One of the first actions I took as a MP was to meet with and seek answers from the Consortium on key questions raised in my survey. Significant progress has been made. Just last month we saw the opening of a new sports hub and convenience store.

“However, work remains to address the new town's public transport links. I welcome the recent news that a contract tender has been opened for a Plympton-Plymstock bus link and fully support efforts being made to establish a direct bus route between Sherford and Plympton. Bus users should not be expected to take 40 minutes, changing at Lee Mill or Cattedown, for a journey that takes 7 minutes by car. This will stymie our local economy and does little to encourage locals to use public transport.”

The petition has gained significant attention, particularly as many children from Sherford attend schools in Plympton, and residents have expressed frustration over the current lack of accessible transport options.

This petition coincides with the Government’s announcement on November 18 of £83 million in funding to boost bus services across the South West. 

This funding includes £11,618,699 for Devon County Council, which will help improve and protect crucial bus services in the region. 

The funding is part of a wider initiative to enhance popular routes, protect rural services, and improve the overall reliability of bus services across England.

Could this new funding help support the creation of a direct bus route between Sherford and Plympton?

The possibility of a new bus service may now seem more achievable with the Government’s investment in local transport.

However, a Plymouth City Council spokesperson confirmed to The Moorlander that: “The Sherford community is served by the Stagecoach South West 1A and Gold buses but we are aware of some requests for a link to and from Plympton. Operators do not currently see this as a commercially viable route but, in line with our Bus Service Improvement Plan priority to provide direct and connected services, we are keeping opportunities to provide a link under review, as part of our subsidised, non-commercial network.”

To follow the petition, you can do so here.