Warcop Parish Council, in conjunction with Cumbria County Council’s Community Wheels Scheme, has negotiated the hire of an Appleby Heritage Centre minibus to run a weekly link service from Warcop via Sandford to Appleby. This will link in with the first Appleby to Penrith 563 service at 09:58 and return to Warcop via Sandford when the last bus arrives at Appleby at 14:16. The bus collects at The Croft at 09:20, the bus shelter in Warcop at 09:30 and The Sandford Arms bus stop at 09:40.
Passengers can go on to Penrith on the 563 on either the early bus or the later one at 11:30, or they can just go into Appleby.
We put out a questionnaire in every household’s letter box where your views were sought on the timings, whether you’d use it and if you’d like to volunteer to be a driver and so on. About 7 volunteer drivers have come forward. Initially this link bus will run on FRIDAYS. The service started on Friday 7th September.
The scheme operates as a Cumbria County Council Community Wheels service so passengers have to register with Community Wheels and obtain a card which covers the cost of journeys. No cash is required. They can be topped up at Kirkby Stephen or Appleby Libraries and Appleby Heritage Centre. Appleby Heritage Centre will provide one of their minibuses and do the necessary administration. Cumbria County Council will provide the Community Wheels cards, leaflets with times and pick up points and other publicity.
We have a team of volunteer drivers who have undergone the MIDAS minibus training and are all local residents and we are grateful to all of them and to Appleby Heritage Centre and Cumbria County Council for their support
Please support this idea if you can and it will help many people in our parish get out and about again. If numbers are low, then the service will not be able to continue. Attached below are copies of flyers, timetable and application forms.
The Classic Coaches 574 service continues on Tuesdays picking up from Warcop Railway Bridge.
Thank you,
David Keetley
Chair, Warcop Parish Council
2018.09 Community Wheels Appleby Flyer v5
