Free bus offer from Cheshire East

Fancy an old bus? Cheshire East is ready to hand over its surplus buses for community-led transport schemes.

The council has nine buses to hand out, worth an estimated £63,500 which it is prepared to donate to worthy community schemes.

A report to next week's Cabinet meeting says: "The aim of allocating surplus Council vehicles to the community and voluntary sector is to help support community-led transport initiatives that will improve access to key services."

The types of schemes which may be supported include community bus schemes operated "by the community, for the community".

The report adds that the value of the vehicles to be donated represents a relatively modest write off when compared with the service innovations and community benefits which could result from self-help initiatives.

Cheshire East also has grants and other funds to support community-led transport and accessibility initiatives.

Grants totalling £250,000 are up for grabs, from £1,000 to £10,000 for each initiative. The Cabinet is to set out policies for dishing out the cash in a fair and equitable way.

The Council has the power to award grants to organisations and to gift vehicles which are surplus to requirement under the recent Localism Act 2011.

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