A political row has erupted over a proposed council budget cut to support bus services, with conflicting interpretations of the financial implications of a £300,000 saving plan.
The dispute centres around whether or not the figure could be extrapolated as a full-year effect of £600,000.
The budget cut proposal was described as an “indicative part-year effect (six months) £300,000”.
However, during last week’s Budget and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (5 December) councillor Michael Headley (Lib Dems, Putnoe) mentioned a “£600,000” cut to supported bus services that the council’s Executive voted for in November.
During its meeting, the Executive voted for the £300,000 proposal for 2025/26.
The report did not specify the timing of this cut (for example, whether it will start in the second half of the fiscal year 2025/26) – or how the savings fit into the overall fiscal strategy.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked the Liberal Democrat Group why it assumed that this proposed cut could be evenly distributed over 12 months.
Councillor Headley said: “The saving that has been put forward is £300,000.
“That is clearly stated in the report and makes up part of the total savings plan figure. That is what would be deducted from the council budget if it is agreed to cover a six-month period. A 12-month period would obviously be double that.”
Budget not being cut
However, this interpretation was dismissed as overly simplistic by Conservative councillor Graeme Coombes (Wixams and Wilstead), who accused the Liberal Democrats of misunderstanding the intricacies of council budgeting.
The portfolio holder for finance and corporate services told the LDRS: “The Lib Dems seem to be plucking figures out of the air, doubling it, and taking away the number they first thought of.
“This shows a complete lack of understanding on the part of the Lib Dems as this is not how council budgets work.
“Lib Dems need to go back to school and do their homework.”
In response to councillor Headley at the Budget and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Bedford’s mayor, Tom Wootton (Conservative) said that he didn’t “recognise that figure”, but the cut wasn’t going to happen following a government grant.
“Part of taking that money is we’re not going to cut any money on the buses,” he said.
