THE cost of home-to-school transport could reach £225 million a year by 29/30 – significantly contributing to the council’s budget gap. The cost has already risen from £49 million in 2024/25 to about £69 million in 2026/27 reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

The council has said it is forecasting a budget gap of £110 million in 2027/28, rising to £279 million in 2029/30. It says the most significant driver of the gap is demand pressure, mainly across Social Care Services and Home to School Transport, which totals £225 million by 2029/30.

Inflation is also a significant driver, reaching £156 million by 2029/30. There are new burdens and other cost pressures of £18 million by 2029/30, mainly relating to financing the capital programme.

An Essex County Council statement said: “We are seeing significant growth in the cost of delivering Home to School Transport for SEND, as the numbers of students eligible for transport increases, with increasingly complex travel requirements.

“For 2026/27 and beyond, it is not possible to precisely forecast demand patterns as we continue to see different trends, particularly across our children’s related services, and a volatile macroeconomic environment. It is important that the trends on service demands are closely monitored through the coming year. Our existing strategy of retaining appropriate levels of reserves to provide for exceptional demand and price increases remains critical to the financial sustainability of the council.”

County Councils Network estimates the national costs of providing school transport for young people with SEND could reach £3.4 billion per year by 2030/31.

Councillor Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: “These findings reinforce the need for comprehensive reform of the SEND system, and that the Schools White Paper must consider how we fund and provide home to school transport.

“Councils are consistently overspending on this service, diverting funds from other priorities to manage the growing costs. To help tackle this, the SEND reforms have to deliver significant improvements to inclusion in mainstream settings, whilst still ensuring we have adequate provision in special schools for those who need it.

“It is simply not right that a child has to travel a long distance to school because there is no adequate provision near to their home. Councils stand ready to work with government to ensure we have a SEND system which improves outcomes for children and their families.”