A CAMPAIGN to bring back a "lifeline" bus to a York village estate has enjoyed a double dose of success - with the reinstatement of the service and the launch of a new Sunday one.

Peter Edwards, commercial director of bus company First, admitted that it had "misjudged the strength of feeling" when it withdrew the No13 from Flaxman Croft in Copmanthorpe early in September.

The service, which is expected to be restored on October 31, had been considered commercially unviable.

But its withdrawal came under fire from local residents. In one letter to First, Doreen Felton, of Ropers Court, said the half-hourly bus was "a lifeline for people on this estate, many in their late 80s and early 90s", and criticised the substitute, hourly No26 as "inconvenient".

Campaigning residents also raised their concerns with Mr Edwards at a meeting of Copmanthorpe Parish Council.

Mr Edwards explained that changes would have to be made to services 16, 16A, 25 and 26 to reinstate the No13.

But he said the routes had been carefully planned with City of York Council to ensure they operated reliably.

"Judging by the number of complaints we had received from the area, it was clear that nothing short of a re-instatement of the half-hourly service via Flaxman Croft would be acceptable to local residents," he said.

"We obviously misjudged the strength of feeling, but we are now pleased that we can not only put back the 13 but also give the residents a Sunday service which is something they didn't have before."

Selby MP John Grogan congratulated York Council and First for "working hard to restore a direct bus to the centre of York from an area of Copmanthorpe where many pensioners live".

Welcoming the news, Coun Ann Reid, executive member for transport, said: "Residents had made it quite clear they felt the removal of a bus to serve Flaxman Croft was a retrograde step. There are a large number of elderly residents and families with young children living there for whom the walk to the nearest bus stop became just too far."

Ward councillor Glen Bradley welcomed First's "swift response" to the concerns raised while ward councillor Quentin Macdonald urged First to ensure any future changes were fully consulted on.

"The Flaxman Croft loop serves 31 streets and no less than 1,000 people, a significant proportion of the population of the village," he said.

Updated: 09:39 Wednesday, October 06, 2004