CAMPAIGNERS in a village left without public transport for seven months have managed to get a bus service reinstated.

Villagers in Long Newton, near Stockton, have welcomed the new bus service, the number 88, which was launched on Wednesday and which will run to Stockton and Yarm and back two days a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Long Newton Parish Council had funding ringfenced for a community bus service when Stockton Borough Council withdrew its bus subsidy in April this year.

Although the village is close to Stockton and Eaglescliffe, it is a few miles to the nearest shop, bank, doctor, chemist and bus route, and when Stockton Borough Council stopped the bus subsidy it left the village with no public transport.

Stockton council ring-fenced funding until April 2015 to support plans for community transport services and Long Newton Parish Council, with the support of residents, took up the fight for a village bus.

Gordon Smith, vice chair of the parish council said a transport survey showed that residents preferred to shop in Stockton and Yarm.

He said: "Proposals were prepared and presented to a public meeting at which there was almost unanimous support.

"With a significant mandate from the residents, the parish council made a formal submission for funding.

"A funding grant was approved in October subject to legal agreements and competitive tendering."

The new service is managed by the parish council and Redcar-based bus company Stagecarriage won the tender to operate the service, which runs to Stockton through Elton and Hartburn, and to Yarm via Eaglescliffe.

Mr Smith said Stockton Council funding would keep the service running until April 2018, but minimum passenger numbers were needed to keep it going that long. He said the real aim was to make it commercially viable to keep the service for good

He added: “The resident profile of the village highlights a growing retired and elderly sector. With this growing sector needing access to essential services, the Number 88 bus will go some way to addressing these needs. Since the announcement of the reinstatement of public transport, strong support has been expressed. Confidence is high that it will be well used.”