Holme Valley Minibus services, which are jointly funded by Holme Valley Parish Council and Metro, have just celebrated their 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, on Tuesday, 15 November 2005, all the services were free, thanks to the operator. Stotts Coaches, of Milnsbridge, stood the costs for the fare-free day, as a big THANK YOU to all the residents and visitors to Holmfirth who have supported the services in ever increasing numbers.

Cllr. Karam Hussain, Chairman of Metro, Cllr. Margaret Fearnley, Mayor of Kirklees MC, Cllr. John Chilton, Chairman of the Parish Council

On 15 November 1980, Holme Valley Parish Council inaugurated an innovative, community focussed, network of minibus routes in and around Holmfirth and the Holme Valley. The pioneering good practice demonstrated by this progressive network has since formed the basis for several other rural bus services in West Yorkshire and beyond.

Since the initial three-month experimental network of services was introduced in 1980, running over three routes but at limited times of the week, the services have grown into regular hourly services, running six days a week. Centred on Holmfirth, the network covers Wooldale, Totties, Upperthong, Holmbridge and Hinchliffe Mill, Scholes, Thongsbridge, Brockholes, Deanhouse and Netherthong.

The services, which have been run in partnership between Holme Valley Parish Council and Metro over the last 17 years, have seen more than a six-fold growth in customers since the beginning! Passenger figures now run at 151,000 per year. Recently Metro and Holme Valley Parish Council awarded a new five year tender to Stotts Coaches to continue to provide the six core services.

Holme Valley Parish Council has given financial support to this venture from the beginning – it sees this as a sound investment for the benefit of the residents of the Holme Valley. It supports, in partnership with Metro, the principle of low cost, accessible, public transport for all and continues to investigate new ideas for improving services to the community. It certainly hopes to celebrate the golden anniversary of the Holme Valley Minibus Services!


HOLME VALLEY MINIBUSES – BACKGROUND NOTES AND CHRONOLOGY

It is now 25 years since Holme Valley Parish Council launched the first Holme Valley Minibus services. On 15 November 1980 the then Chairman of the Parish Council, Cllr. W.H.H. Oldham (who is still serving on the Council) and Mr. Richard Wainwright, then the local MP, were present to inaugurate the services.

The first services were operated by SKJ Motors Ltd. and were run on a three month trial period with three routes serving Holmfirth to Cinderhills, across Chapelgate at Scholes to Hepworth, Holmfirth to Wooldale, Totties and return via Kirkroyds, and a circular route around Upperthong. Fares were 20p for up to three stops, and 30p for 4 or more stops. Children and Pensioners were charged half-fare. Initially the service operated mornings only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and all day on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Whilst it was never anticipated that the services would provide a profit, it was stressed in all the publicity that people would need to make good use of them to ensure their success. In the first eight weeks of the services, 4089 passengers travelled on the minibuses. In reports to the Council at this time it was indicated that according to passengers, the minibus services were fulfilling a long awaited need and any thought of not continuing with running the services would need to be carefully measured against the usefulness and the cost of running the services. Suffice to say, the Parish Council has continued to provide financial support since that first three-month trial period.

Following this initial success another regular service was introduced in 1981 to run from Holmfirth to Woodlands and Thongsbridge (later extended to Brockholes in 1982), and a Thursday Market Day service – the Austonley, Cliffe, Cartworth and Fulstone circular routes. In 1984 the Honley Minibus service to Honley, Deanhouse and Magdale was introduced. Over the years the Council has tried various alternative routes, some of which have not always proved as popular as expected. A major overhaul of the routes and the timings in 1988-89 created the routes which still operate, largely unchanged from that major review– this allowed the Minibuses to start serving other areas which had no bus service and also allowed the services to be operated hourly – making it much easier for local residents to remember the timetables!

In the 24 years since, only four operators have been involved in running the services. SKJ Motors Ltd. continued to operate the services until 1988, but with the demise of that company West Yorkshire PTE (Metro) stepped in to join in a financial partnership with the Parish Council. Yorkshire Rider operated the services on an emergency tender for a brief period, but after this time, Yorkshire Traction ran the services for a 7-year period. In 1995 operation of the services was taken over by Stotts Coaches, the current operator. Services continue to be very popular and now passenger figures run at 151,000 per year. Recently Metro and Holme Valley Parish Council awarded a new five year tender to Stotts Coaches to continue to provide the six core services.

M. A. Bewick, Clerk to Holme Valley Parish Council