To Norfolk County Council and Local Transport Authorities,

Access to quality education should be a right, not a privilege. Yet many students in Cromer, Mundesley, North Walsham, and surrounding areas face significant challenges in travelling to Easton College. The current lack of a direct transport route forces young people into excessively long, complicated commutes that affect their learning, wellbeing, and family life.

Easton College offers outstanding vocational and diploma courses, from Entry Level through to Level 3, which are not available at Paston College or Norwich City College. These practical, hands-on programmes are especially valuable for students who struggle in purely classroom-based settings. However, the absence of reliable direct transport leaves many of these opportunities out of reach.

The current transport situation creates serious problems:

• Students from Sheringham must catch a bus as early as 7:05am.
• Those travelling from Cromer face a 20-minute car journey before even reaching this bus.
• Students from Mundesley often need a 35-minute car ride just to start their commute.
• Once on the bus, travel times exceed 1 hour 30 minutes, resulting in exhausting 12-hour days for young learners.
• As well as these early starts, this places pressure on working parents who must manage drop-offs, and on families with younger siblings to get to school, making it a long and difficult day for everyone involved.
• Indirect routes often require multiple changes, adding stress, increasing financial costs, and raising safety concerns.

Research consistently shows that students facing long, complex commutes have lower academic performance, poorer attendance, and higher absenteeism rates. This is not only unfair but risks undermining the future prospects of young people across North Norfolk.

Introducing a direct bus route would bring multiple benefits:

• Provide a safe, reliable, and time-efficient journey for students.
• Ensure equal access to education across Cromer, Mundesley, North Walsham, and nearby areas.
• Reduce the need for long parental car journeys, easing pressure on families.
• Improve attendance, punctuality, and students wellbeing by cutting commute times.
• Promote sustainability by lowering the number of private vehicles on the road, reducing the area’s carbon footprint.

We propose a dedicated student bus or coach service, aligned with Easton College hours, that is affordable and accessible for all. Other regions have introduced similar direct routes with great success, improving both travel efficiency and parent satisfaction.

We, the undersigned, urge Norfolk County Council and local transport authorities to act now. Establishing a direct morning and afternoon bus route from Cromer through Mundesley and North Walsham to Easton College would make a tangible difference in the lives of students and families — ensuring education is accessible, fair, and sustainable for our community.

Sign this petition to support a direct bus route to Easton College. Together, we can secure safer, shorter, and fairer journeys for the young people of North Norfolk