Two bus routes providing “vital lifelines” for thousands of people are under threat, a councillor has claimed.

Funding for the 167 and 20 services - which connect Debden, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill to areas such as Walthamstow and Ilford - could be cut by Essex County Council, councillor Chris Pond of the Loughton Residents’ Association has said.

Although an agenda for the county council’s cabinet meeting next Thursday (November 19) does not mention the routes by name, it proposes that a £586,000 subsidy to Transport for London (TfL) for “two services in Loughton” is withdrawn.

The move, as part of the council’s attempt to save approximately £1.5 million as they redesign the bus network, could see the routes run instead by commercial operators.

Cllr. Pond said: “These routes are vital lifelines for our area to Walthamstow and Ilford.

“They are really heavily used for school, work, leisure, shopping, and when the Central line is disrupted.

“It may be that these routes could be partially replaced, but that would be at lower frequency, greater cost, with no schoolchildren's free travel - and older, banger buses such as afflict some outer parts of Epping Forest.”

The county council and TfL have been contacted for comment.