DENBIGHSHIRE County Council expects to spend £28 million on school transport over a seven-and-a-half-year period.

Members of the authority's cabinet will consider a report when they meet on Tuesday (June 26) regarding setting up a process for purchasing school transport to cover the period until 2026.

Members are expected to approve a system that will allow council officers to run mini-competitions for transport companies to supply their services to the authority.

Denbighshire is legally required to provide free school transport to some of its schoolchildren as well as those in post-16 education who qualify.

The council gives free transport for children aged four to 16, living in Denbighshire, who attend junior and primary school, if the child lives further than two miles from their nearest suitable school.

For those in further education there is free transport if they live more than three miles from their nearest suitable school or college and are under 19 at the start of the school year.

A report before cabinet members says: “The council has an on-going responsibility to continue to provide learner transport and to consider whether to provide local bus services.

"The Dynamic Purchasing Scheme (DPS) will be established for seven-and-a-half years, expiring at the end of February 2026.

“To continue to comply with the council’s contract procedure rules and EU legislation, the council is required to continue to use competitive tendering.”

Officers from the council have already begun discussions with prospective contractors and have offered training to make sure they can be part of the tendering process.

The report adds: “At current prices and under current policies, it is estimated that some £28m of transport services will be procured during the life of the DPS.”