Row over highways funding at Central Bedfordshire Council ahead of tonight's budget meeting

Ahead of the local authority’s budget full council this evening, (Thursday) the Labour group said in a statement: “Despite receiving an uplift in highways funding from central government, the administration has failed to allocate the increase to the highways budget.

“Instead the ruling group will be reducing planned expenditure equal to the windfall. Labour councillors warn that this decision will leave local roads in a worsening condition, while residents continue to pay more in council tax.”

But the Independent administration says the wait for the money continues, while it accused the Labour Party of promising the funding “on social media to every bandwagon which comes past”, at a full council meeting last month.

The Labour Group has proposed an amendment to the budget, which “would ensure the full £2.57m uplift in highways funding is directed towards road repairs”.

Labour councillors intend “to vote to restore the highways uplift funding in full, ensure road repairs and infrastructure improvements are prioritised and demand accountability for how taxpayers’ money is being used”, added the statement.

“Labour’s alternative budget proposal will ensure all extra highways funding is used for infrastructure projects and delivers direct benefits to residents in the form of pothole repairs, resurfacing and pedestrian safety improvements.

“Capital maintenance expenditure is mainly for the structural renewal of highway assets, including roads, footpaths, bridges, drainage and lighting (according to a 2024 House of Commons briefing), and not to reduce the council’s overall capital budget.”

Labour group leader and Dunstable North councillor Matt Brennan explained: “This Independent administration essentially has taken funding specifically allocated for highways and diverted it away from fixing our roads.

“While residents struggle with potholes and deteriorating infrastructure, CBC is sitting on money that was meant to improve our transport network.

“Labour’s amendment puts this funding back where it belongs, improving our roads and ensuring residents see the benefit of government investment. We’re calling on all councillors to support this amendment and stand up for everyone who expects better roads, not more excuses.”

CBC’s executive member for finance and Independent Aspley and Woburn councillor John Baker said in a statement: “I’ve explained a number of times to councillor Brennan that he’s referring to £2.5m of funding the government has announced, but not yet provided.

“It’s also finance for which we’ve been told there are likely to be terms and conditions, which have not been outlined yet.

“Councillor Brennan refers to ‘pedestrian safety improvements’, for example. But a local Labour MP wants to spend the money on an unadopted (private) road, while others talk about potholes.

“When the government tells the council how much money will be provided and the terms of any expenditure, then we’ll know how to spend it. This is no different to the previous Conservative government’s numerous highways spending announcements.

“Unless councillor Brennan is psychic, he’s no more idea than anyone else about how that funding can be spent.”