A petition calling to establish a regular bus service from the Pembrokeshire village of Ludchurch to Narberth has been heard by County Councillors.

The e-petition, on Pembrokeshire County council’s own website, by Ryan O’Shea of The Ludchurch Village Committee, asked: ‘We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to implement a minimum of one daily bus service connecting our village to Narberth.

‘This essential service would significantly enhance the quality of life for our residents by providing much needed access to other destinations such as Tenby and Haverfordwest.’

After meeting the threshold for consideration, the petition was heard at the March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr O’Shea said the village had no shop, post office, or access to a mobile library, and had not had access to a regular bus service for a number of years, asking for a reinstatement of a service, which he said would help social isolation as well as increased employment opportunities for residents and free younger residents “from a dependence on family and friends”.

He said the two-plus miles walk to the nearest bus services, at Summerhill and Princes Gate, on unlit routes without a pavement was “a significant safety concern,” with a Flecsi Bus service not available, and a once-a-week dial-a-bus scheme run from Narberth’s Bloomfield not addressing the community’s needs.

He suggested three ways of addressing the issue: By extending one of the nearby services to include Ludchurch; by enhancing the Narberth-based service; or by improving pedestrian access to the nearest services.

Members heard from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett, who said that the Flecsi service was viewed as the best way forward, constrained by funding and no previous offers to tender for the route; the option of re-routing other services adversely affecting timetables.

He reiterated council financial considerations: “As part of the budget for the forthcoming financial year we have had to take an £80,000 reduction in the bus service budget to make our costs and sums add up.

Committee member Cllr Rhys Jordan said he sympathised with Ludchurch, but said many of the county’s rural areas were disconnected from a service; with fellow councillor, and committee chair, Cllr Mark Carter adding: “It’s certainly a desirable thing to have but there must be 30 or 40 villages that have the same.”

Local member – and former council leader – Cllr David Simpson said he had been a local county councillor for 20 years and supported the idea, but neither he nor the local Community Council had “had any approach for a bus service,” adding: “To get this on board in this day and age would cost a lot of money.”

Members resolved the petition be noted along with the Aspirational Bus Network for Pembrokeshire, which is being developed as part of bus franchising, including the expansion and enhancement of Fflecsi services to ensure all rural settlements, including Ludchurch, have access to a daily local bus service.