A VISION for a community-led transport scheme in the Stocksfield area will continue to take shape at a meeting later this month.

Stocksfield Community Association Trading Arm (SCATA) last year commissioned a local transport survey to assess people’s access to local transport in the area.

Taking what it has learned from the results, the group is holding an open meeting on February 26, to discuss the possibility of starting up a community-led scheme.

“We have enough evidence from that to show we were right and that there are quite a number of people in the Stocksfield parish who have difficulty accessing public transport and getting around,” explained Norman Hooks, who sits on the SCATA board.

“The problem, as the SCATA directors saw it and the parish council too, was although many areas in Northumberland would be envious of the transport links in Stocksfield – we have the railway and the bus service – it is a very scattered village and a scattered community.

“For older people who have given up driving it can be extremely difficult for them to get to the railway station or get access to the bus stop because of how scattered the area is.

“What is missing is transport within the Stocksfield area itself.”

At the meeting, the public will hear from Paul Harrison from Bell View Resource Centre, which runs a community-led transport scheme in the Belford area. Their scheme relies on volunteer drivers, which Norman said was something the board would consider for Stocksfield.

While the nature of the scheme would be dependant on funding, members are keen to gather suggestions from potential users or those who would like to be involved.

The meeting will be at Stocksfield Community Centre at 7.30pm.