By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Bus provider Stagecoach will take on the under-threat 141 bus route from next month after reaching a deal with Nottinghamshire County Council.
The transport company has announced it will take on the route after its current provider Trentbarton said it planned to axe it.
It follows months of concern regarding the route, which connects rural and urban Ashfield, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood to Nottingham, after it faced being removed due to low passenger numbers.
The route, which also connects passengers to the King’s Mill and City hospitals, was the subject of a petition with more than 3,600 signatures calling for the service to be saved.
The petition, launched by Ashfield District Council leader Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), called on the service to be improved so it can continue to support rural communities.
Meetings took place over the summer involving Trentbarton bosses, county councillors and cross-party politicians from Mansfield, Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood to try to find an alternative for the route.
The Tory-led county council confirmed last month it will provide funding for at least another year to ensure the route could continue.
Now the authority has confirmed Stagecoach will take on control of the route from September 5, with funding to be provided for one year with the option for another 12-month extension.
Stagecoach runs dozens of other services around Mansfield, Ashfield and Bassetlaw.
Cllr Neil Clarke (Con), the council’s portfolio holder for transport and environment, described the announcement as “great news” for residents on the route and said the 141 is a “vital lifeline”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s great news for residents in the villages between Ashfield and Nottingham because that service connects a lot of remote and isolated areas where there are no other bus services available.
“Therefore, it’s vital those residents still have that facility to be able to connect to Mansfield, Sutton or wherever else they wish to get to.
“Whether it’s going shopping, seeing friends or going to the doctors or hospital, for some people who haven’t got cars this bus is a vital lifeline.”
The Stagecoach-provided service will follow the same route as when the bus was controlled by trentbarton, including buses running on the same timetable.
Trentbarton will continue to run the service until September 4, meaning passengers on the route will not go without public transport.
Matt Cranwell, Stagecoach’s managing director in the East Midlands, said: “Bus services are essential for our communities, helping people to get to work, education, healthcare, and the shops.
“Through a strong partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council, we are working hard together to support the local economy by rebuilding the county’s bus network following the pandemic.”
Cllr Zadrozny, who launched the petition earlier this summer, also welcomed the news.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Communities from Sutton to Nottingham including 12 towns villages and estates including Blidworth, Carsic, Newstead, Rainworth and Stanton Hill will be delighted at this news.
“I wrote to senior Stagecoach bosses as soon as it became apparent that Trentbarton had no wish to continue running this vital service.
“I am pleased that Stagecoach has responded so positively to my request. I’d also like to thank close to 4,000 residents who signed my petition to keep the vital 141 bus running. This is brilliant news and a victory for people power.”
Lee Anderson, Ashfield’s Conservative MP, added: “This is one of the biggest local campaigns that I have been working on in Ashfield ever since Trentbarton announced they were going to cease this service.
