Minibus to be trialled on Kidderminster's Habberley Estate

A petition was launched in July for the number 2 bus to be reinstated after elderly residents complained they had rarely left the house and felt "forgotten about" since Diamond stopped serving the estate last September.

Plans have now been revealed to trial a weekly minibus service between the Habberley shops and the town centre following a meeting between Wyre Forest district councillors and staff at Berrington Court retirement living development.

In May, determined Berrington Court residents successfully raised £17,000 for a minibus to combat social isolation among the elderly community across Community Housing Group sites.

The service will be trialled on the Habberley estate in coming weeks and, if successful, could receive council funding to subsidise the cost to residents.

Habberley South ward member Cllr Leigh Whitehouse said: "I am absolutely delighted to announce that this service will soon be available to isolated residents.

"I will continue to work hard to see the return of the bus service however, in the meantime, this service will provide an opportunity for residents to get to town each week - at a low cost. I hope residents will register and will enjoy this service."

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Residents will need to call Sue Houghton at Berrington Court Social Fund on 07527 311444 to register as soon as possible. A registration form will then be sent to their address.

If the service proves popular with residents, Cllr Whitehouse will then consider allocating a proportion of his community leadership budget to bring the cost down from £6 to £3.

"This is significantly cheaper than the current £12 return trip for a taxi," he said.

The bus will leave the Habberley shops on Thursday mornings and return from Kidderminster town centre two to three hours later. Times may be amended based on feedback from users.