AN Overton parish councillor has raised concerns about plans to axe a stop on a bus service from Basingstoke to the village.

Stagecoach has announced that from April 14, the number 76 and 86 which runs from Andover or Winchester to Whitchurch, Overton and Basingstoke, will no longer pick passengers up from Basingstoke railway station on its return journey.

Instead, it will only return from Basingstoke bus station.

Councillor Brian Langer said: “I think a lot of bus users will be unhappy with the proposal.”

He added: “What happened to public consultation? I campaigned long and hard for the railway station stop to be reinstated.

"From my experience, it is a well patronised stop but it does involve a convoluted route on the journey out of Basingstoke to Andover/ Winchester, which may explain the proposal.”

Andrew Dyer, managing director of Stagecoach, said there was a consultation in the autumn of 2012, and after this, a decision was made to cut the train station from the return route because it is not far from the bus station.

He added: “Most people are boarding at the bus station and then when it gets to the train station, it hasn’t been picking up anyone, so this will reduce delays.”