THE threat to a number of Forest bus services has been lifted after local people spoke out about plans to reduce them.

Last year Gloucestershire County Council consulted on plans to reduce services in order to reduce the amount it spends on subsidies for services.

Among the proposals was a merger of services 23, 24, 30 and 31 between the Forest and Gloucester on Sundays and in the evening.

The 23 serves Coleford, Bream and Lydney, the 24 runs through Cinderford, Ruardean and Huntley, while the 30 and 31 both run between Coleford and Cinderford with the 30 going via Broadwell and the 31 through Brierley.

Also among the services under review were buses in and around Coleford and Newent.

The consultation revealed many buses were well used and and as a result changes were not as severe as first expected.

The only change to Gloucester services will be the withdrawal of the buses on Monday to Thursday leaving Drybrook Road at 11.56pm and the city at 11.20pm because of lack of use.

In Coleford, the 709 from Symonds Yat and the 738 from Cinderford via The Pludds will be replaced by a single service from the Yat and Joy’s Green on Fridays.

The 701 to St Briavels will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will connect with the 707 to Chepstow and the 35 in both directions to and from Monmouth.

The 707 to Chepstow via Clearwell will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The 784 between Purton and Westbury is being axed because it only has one regular passenger which makes its expensive to operate. Users will be directed to the Lydney Dial-A-Ride service instead.

In Newent the 677 to Much Marcle and 678 to Gloucester are being merged, serving Much Marcle to the Glass­house Inn and then onto Tibberton and Taynton to Gloucester.

It will run two days a week instead of the two services each running two days a week. Users of the 678 will be able to use Stagecoach number 32 which runs along the main road from Newent to Gloucester.

The 643 from Newent to Bromsberrow is being stopped as other services are available and the 679 to Ledbury will run on Tuesday and Friday at the current times.

Service 693 between Newent and Highleadon will be altered to serve Onslow Road on Mondays and Thursdays.

All the changes will take effect from Tuesday, January 3.

Cllr Nigel Moor (Con, Stow-on-the-Wold) the county council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for bus services said the cost of subsidies was up to £15.76 per passenger on some routes.

He added: “I am really pleased to know that we have been able to protect popular and well-used services such as the evening and Sunday services 23, 24, 30 and 31.

“We need to make sure we make our bus services are as efficient as we can because that helps us protect vital routes across the county.

“We’ve listened really carefully to what people in the Forest have told us – and I’m really pleased we’ve found a way to protect more routes as a result.”