Pothole budget could be cut in half (From Bucks Free Press)

Pothole budget could be cut in half

5:09pm Tuesday 12th January 2010 in

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE’S pothole budget could be slashed in half under council cost cutting plans.

As the freezing weather opens up new potholes, Buckinghamshire County Council is consulting on a £678,000 cut from its high profile ‘We’re Working On It’ campaign.

Roads boss Val Letheren admitted the cut would not give residents the service they expected – and said she was unhappy with the mooted cuts.

It comes as the authority warns of major spending cuts, which bosses blame on low Government funding.

Cllr Letheren told a committee of councillors probing next year’s budget: “It really is very very worrying.”

Terming it a ‘very dire situation’ Cllr Letheren said: “All in all it is not looking too good.

“We will have to do out best with whatever money we have. It is a really serious issue that we can’t detract from.”

She said: “To make our roads good would take something like £120m. It is like jeans that keep falling apart – you keep patching them up.”

The transportation department’s budget is about £25m. It comes after the council said it was spending an extra £54,000 on filling potholes this week (see link, bottom of story).

Cllr Letheren, cabinet member for transportation, said her budget had been halved over the last three years – and urged the committee to help her fight for more cash from BCC bosses.

The news was met with anger by watchdog councillors who warned businesses and residents’ lives are being damaged by a poor quality road network.

Councillor Patricia Birchley said: “I for one feel deeply concerned about some of these cuts.”

Councillor Peter Hardy said: “You haven’t been able to convince your colleagues on cabinet that road repairs are as important as you think they are.”

Cllr Letheren said: “I have done my best.”

Pointing to the high importance residents place on road repairs – borne out by council surveys – Cllr Letheren said: “I am not happy with as much money as I have got.”

Asked by Councillor Michael Brand whether the council would meet residents’ expectations over the quality of roads, she said: “We won’t, no.”

The authority is only obliged by law to maintain roads to a ‘safe standard’, a term that was ‘fluffy’ she added.

And council leader David Shakespeare ‘has always been reluctant to borrow’ to pay for the work, she said.

Adding that it was unlikely new roads would be built, Cllr Letheren said: “As a national issue, other countries do spend a lot more money on roads than we do.”

In a discussion after Cllr Letheren left, committee members expressed concern about the impact of the cuts.

Councillor Niknam Hussain said: “They did not appear to be able to advance strategic solutions to the problems we will see in the next three to four years.”

Investments should be made now to counter long-term problems, he said.

Councillor Adrian Busby said: “We are going to be under severe pressure from industry in terms of our opportunities for inward investment.”

Firms would go elsewhere rather than put up with the county’s road network, he said.

The Conservative councillor said the Government had put more road duties on councils – but set limits on how much they can raise in council tax, reducing their spending power.

But Cllr Hussain, a Liberal Democrat, said the Tory-run authority had been in power for 120 years and said: “When we did have the money, where was the strategic thought?”

The examination of the budget and medium term plan task and finish group will meet to discuss budget proposals for other council services next Wednesday to Friday. The public are welcome to attend.