A treasury minister has justified proposed cuts to the county's bus services, saying “difficult decisions need to made” on council spending.

David Gauke MP, who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury, was speaking at a public meeting in Chorleywood last Thursday, where one resident told him she feels people are "being made a prisoner in their own environment" because of proposed cuts to bus services.

Petitions opposing Hertfordshire County Council’s plans to axe £700,000 from the subsidised bus services were signed by more than 13,000 people and, in the council's original consultation, just 30 of the 4,548 responses supported the plans.

But in November, campaigners were left stunned after council chiefs agreed to consult the public on plans to cut even deeper than originally planned and the new consultation was launched today.

The Chorleywood resident told the public meeting: “Many of the bus routes have been withdrawn, which is a great disadvantage to many people who use them.

“I know particularly in Shire Lane, there are lots of people who cannot get down to do their banking or shopping because it is a very hilly area.

“To get a cab, it is £5 a go and I do feel the council should revisit this because it is having an effect on many people’s lives in Chorleywood, Heronsgate and Rickmansworth etc.

“I do feel they have made a prisoner of many people in their environment. Please can they re-look at the situation and be much more aware of the effect it is having on people.”

County council chiefs say that if the measures were passed, it would affect two per cent of buses in Hertfordshire and would impact on 760,000 passenger journeys.

The authority subsidises 11 per cent of bus routes in the county.

Mr Gauke, in response to the concerns raised by the resident said: “I am taking this issue up after a number of constituents raised it with me.

“I think what the County Council is saying is, they have limited resources and when it comes to the support the county council provides, they will have to make some very difficult decisions and look long and hard at where the subsidies are going and where they will continue to provide these.

“It is very much a decision that is made by the county council and I know there is a lot of engagement in that at the moment.

“I would rather some of these bus services could be protected but the county council has looked at its options and there has been a lot of engagement in Chorleywood about protecting the libraries for example and there is a desire to make sure our schools are properly funded.

“There are a whole host of public services that are valued, but we do need to live within our means.”

Hertfordshire County Council is proposing to withdraw funding from bus services which operate after 7.30pm on Monday to Saturday.

They will also withdraw funding from contracted services on Sundays, unless they directly serve a hospital and will determine which routes and services receive funding by considering cost per passenger journey.

Councillor Terry Douris, Cabinet member for Highways said: ““We are committed to engaging with as many residents and stakeholders as possible. We are proposing a later cut off point for contracted services to 7:30pm rather than 6:30pm and will protect services that directly serve hospitals on a Sunday up to 7:30pm.

“We have also listened to resident's comments about the amount of money we give to individual passenger journeys and are seeking to establish a clear, value for money approach by setting a limit on the amount of subsidy we provide to individual journeys.”

The consultation closes on Friday, April 10 and the results of the consultation will be presented to the Highways and Waste Management Panel in May and Cabinet will make a decision in the same month.

Council chiefs say any proposed change will come into effect in September.

But Councillor Nigel Bell, who represents West Watford at Hertfordshire County Council, has accused the authority of moving the goalposts.

He said: “They had one Bus consultation then ignored it and moved the goalposts despite the public money spent on the original one and now start all over again with this unnecessary consultation through to April, and won’t take any decisions until, surprise, surprise after the General election in late May.

“The County should be providing a vital public transport service to encourage people out of their cars and to try to cut back congestion in urban towns in Herts like Watford.”