(UK) Rochdale: Council spends $6.7M in SPED transportation last year

Aug 7, 2025, Manchester Evening News: Council spent over £5m [$6.7M] transporting special needs children to school and back last year

N. England

Over £5m [$6.7M] was spent transporting children with special educational needs and disabilities to school by Rochdale council last year.

This eye-watering sum has more than doubled in five years, according to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Rochdale Council spent £5,42,31 in 2024/25 funding transport for SEND children, up from £2,678,080 in 2020/21.

These figures showcase the increasing cost the council faces in funding children’s services.

A big reason for this jump in spending is higher cost of taxis and transport as well as more children being classed as SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), according to town hall bosses.

Due to shortage in special needs school places and some complex needs requiring more specialist educational facilities, some children need to be transported out of the borough – at a higher cost to the local authority.

In 2024/25 it cost the council £1,771,746 to support transport to 57 specialist schools outside the borough alone. According to the FOI data obtained from the council, that figure has more than tripled from 2020/21 when it cost £575,073.

The educational facility furthest away from Rochdale was in Liverpool – 43.1 miles away.

Sharon Hubber, director for children’s services, said: “Like many areas across the country, the number of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in our borough has risen in recent years, along with those requiring an education, health and care plan (EHCP).