Campaigners told North Yorkshire Council that officers “cannot be allowed to mark their own homework” by conducting an in-house review of the rule change. The policy change means the council will only pay for a child’s transport to their nearest school, meaning children will not get free transport to their catchment school if it is not their closest. Jo Foster, from campaign group School Transport Action Group, which was formed to fight the policy change, told the meeting the policy was “failing families, schools and communities across North Yorkshire”. Asking for the review to start this year, she added: “Please ask yourself, can this council easily afford three more years of this mess? The plan to start the review in 2026 has been criticised by opposition councillors.