OVER 3,000 SIGNATURES - AND A RESPONSE FROM ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL!

Dear supporters,

We are delighted to share that this petition has today passed over 3,000 signatures - the equivalent of more than 1 in 8 people living in Waltham Abbey. Thank you all for adding your names and continuing to spread the word. The answer to Waltham Abbey's inadequate public transport lies in the TfL routes that already run to the very edge of our town. Every signature brings us closer to making that happen.

The photograph above sums up the state of Waltham Abbey's public transport, and the reason this campaign exists. It was taken at the Lee Valley Campsite stop on Sewardstone Road - the last TfL bus stop within Waltham Abbey's town boundary.

On the left, our new "connection" to Chingford - which doesn't even reach Chingford. A commercial minibus running just seven journeys at off-peak times on weekdays. We talked about this new service in our last petition update. On the right, what Waltham Abbey deserves - a TfL New Routemaster bus on route 215, running from Walthamstow Central via Chingford Mount to the edge of our town every 20 to 30 minutes, from early mornings to the early hours, seven days a week, with full Oyster integration. Two buses. One stop. The entire case for this campaign in a single image. The answer is sitting right there at our town's doorstep.

Following the Arriva 66 evening service cuts and the launch of the limited new 'A3' route on Sewardstone Road, both of which took effect on 27th July, Dr Neil Hudson MP - our Member of Parliament for Epping Forest - wrote directly to both Transport for London and Essex County Council, calling on them to work together to address Waltham Abbey's inadequate public transport.

Dr Hudson has since received, and shared with us, a response from Cllr Mark Webster, Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure at Essex County Council. His response reads, in part:

"Most of the bus services in Essex, around 85%, are commercially provided and decisions on those services are made by the operator. Essex County Council has no role in deciding routes, fares, timetables or frequencies for those services... Where there is no commercially provided service at all Essex County Council does have a role. It assesses 'gaps' in service provision and will consider funding a service in line with its Local Bus Priority Policy... The plans and policies referred to here are those set by the previous administration under their democratic mandate. I can confirm that I have been in discussions with our transport team and will likely be reviewing the current plans and policies."

We want to be straightforward with you about what this means. On one hand, this is a genuinely significant development - the first direct engagement from the new administration at Essex County Council at Cabinet Member level, and confirmation that the transport plans and policies inherited from the previous administration are under review.

On the other hand, the central ask of this campaign wasn't addressed. It places Essex County Council's role in terms of commercial services versus locally subsidised provision, and does not mention working with Transport for London. The answer does not lie in more limited commercial services. It lies in the TfL routes that already run to the very edge of our town.

We have pressed this point directly with Dr Hudson, and we are pleased to report that he will be writing again to Essex County Council to push the case for collaboration with Transport for London.

We are also very pleased to report that our new county councillor for Waltham Abbey, James Abbott, has been in direct contact with us and shown a genuine willingness to engage.

For the first time in this campaign's history, we have a Cabinet Member aware of our case, a county councillor listening, an MP actively pursuing a second round of correspondence, and confirmation that the previous administration's policies are under active review. That is real progress, even if the final answer has not yet been given.

A final note: we have experienced some difficulty posting updates to the main Waltham Abbey community group on Facebook over the past few weeks, which is why this update has taken a little longer to reach you than usual. We will continue posting there as soon as we are able.

The answers to Waltham Abbey's public transport sit right at the edge of our town - and we will not stop until Transport for London and Essex County Council work together to give us the bus network we deserve.

Thank you, as ever, for your support.

The Bring Back Red Buses campaign team