There is a glimmer of hope for a new bus service between Carterton and Swindon – if the Government agrees to fund it.

The number 64 used to travel 16 miles up the A361 across three counties from Swindon to Highworth to Lechlade and Carterton but got pulled from service in 2016 when many subsidised bus services were slashed by Oxfordshire County Council to save £3.7million.

Now people living in the village of Filkins and Broughton Poggs say they feel 'isolated' and 'cut off' as it takes more than an hour of connecting buses to reach the same destination.

Lee Bennett has led a campaign for the return of the 64 Service.

He said: I’ve been lucky enough to live in a town and a city which have the luxury of public transport, connecting services and amenities. 

"Since moving back to Filkins, I am now my elderly mother’s full-time carer and adult support worker.  

"The biggest factor I have encountered when speaking to many people of the village is since the pandemic, the ever-increasing feeling of isolation and feeling trapped. 

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He added: “The older residents of the community want to get to banks, shopping and leisure, especially for those who don’t own computers, smart phones or don’t want to rely on family members. 

"People I have spoken to have said that the ability to access transport links without having to rely on parking, fuel costs, taxis and lifts is missed."

Lee carried out a survey which found that more than 80 per cent would use the route if it was reinstated and that younger villagers wanted links to college campuses in Swindon and part-time jobs.

He said: “I myself attended Swindon College and I wouldn’t have been able to without a bus service.”

Now Oxfordshire County Council has offered a glimpse of hope as reinstatement of a route between Carterton, Lechlade and Swindon has been included in its Bus Service Improvement Plan.

However, it still does not know if the Government will fund it.

And a spokesperson said: "Should the Government not choose this as a particular scheme to fund, then the council currently has no alternative money available to restore this service in the near future."

Cllr Nick Leverton, mayor of Carterton, said: "I often used the service when I needed to go Swindon Railway Station.

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"The impact of the bus removal on the villages was huge and today they are still hugely disadvantaged. They are being denied access to vital services, employment opportunities and affordable shopping facilities.

"Lee has set a fine example to many of how a member of the public can hopefully influence those that hold the purse strings to effect change."

A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said one of the proposals in its Bus Service Improvement Plan is a demand-responsive service north-west of Highworth.

Vehicles would alter their route and journey based on passenger demand without using a fixed route or timetabled journey - a system which usually operates where a regular bus service is not financially viable.

He said: “We are working with neighbouring local authorities on cross-boundary services where appropriate which would include a Carterton to Swindon service.

"This plan is still in the process of securing Government funding and until that process is over, we cannot comment any further.”