A DEAL between a bus operator and Lancashire County Council has saved part of five local routes facing the axe.

Last month Rosso Bus gave notice it intended to cease running the fully-subsidised 11, 12 and 13 services and the partially-supported 7 and 11 early next year.

Now the local authority and the company have agreed a new schedule to save much of the routes serving Rawtenstall and neighbouring towns.

A county council spokesman said: “From January 6 we, in partnership with Transdev Rosso, will introduce new service 8, merging parts of existing services 7 and 8 to maintain a service between Burnley and Bacup, and Bacup and Todmorden.

“The Monday to Saturday daytime service will continue to operate generally every two hours between Burnley, Bacup and Todmorden via Towneley, Weir, Bacup Pennine Road and Sharneyford.

“There will be an extended morning and afternoon school-day only journey to maintain services from Burnley, Weir and Bacup to The Valley Leadership Academy at Waterfoot.

“Additionally, also operating as extended service 8 journeys, Transdev Rosso will continue to provide their current commercial service agreements with Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, Todmorden High School and Burnley College for dedicated student bus services from the Rawtenstall, Bacup and Todmorden areas.

“A new service 10 will operate generally every hour during Monday to Saturday daytime between Rawtenstall and Edgeside via Staghills, Newchurch and Waterfoot, partially replacing the withdrawn service 7 and 8 to maintain the bus service link on this section of the route. There will also be minor changes to the timetables of local services 11, 12 and 13 help passengers make connections with the new routes.”