An ambitious bid to establish an evening bus service between Pilgrims Hatch and Warley appears to have been stopped in its tracks.

Hopes were high that the popular number 73 bus route could be extended into the late evening.

The borough's cross party Bus Task Force was optimistically expecting a decision from Essex County Council at the beginning April, but had to wait until this week to find out that highway chiefs are putting the plan on ice.

A county council spokesman told the Brentwood Gazette: "This matter is not being taken any further at the moment. Any further decision would be subject to further discussion with Brentwood Borough Council."

The campaign to extend the number 73 service into the evening was launched back in November after Brentwood lost two existing services.

Bus campaigners believed the route between the Bishops Hall estate and Warley, via the Brentwood Centre and the High Street, would help people without access to their own transport and boost the night time economy.

At the time the move was backed by the Town Centre Partnership, but Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles warned that more extensive surveys had to be undertaken to establish where bus services were actually needed.

However, the county council did indicate that securing the service depended on whether residents could prove there was a strong enough demand.

Taskforce chairman David Kendall, who back in November expressed hopes the service would be put out to tender at the beginning of this month, said: "I am very annoyed as we are unable to get any answers out of the county council and they seem very uncommitted about why this decision has been taken."

"It appears that the possibility of getting the service is seriously under threat. If that is their final decision we have been let down by the county council."

Published Thursday, April 24, 2003

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