Heyhouses Ward Conservatives: Concessionary Bus Travel - Council Funding fears are justified

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Wednesday 6 August 2008

Concessionary Bus Travel - Council Funding fears are justified

Lancashire District Leaders met yesterday at County Hall (August 4th) to discuss the costs relating to the Governments Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme. Although accurate figures are still not available, due to computer software problems the "estimated" funding shortfall is projected at £2.3 million. Some are predicting a total bill to Lancashire Council tax payers of up to £7 million. Yesterday saw this story break on Regional and national news and confirmed that Fylde Borough Council was right to see the traevl scheme as a "High Risk"

Cllr John Coombes said

"The take up of the free bus travel scheme for over 60's has been encouraging, but the slow implementation of software means we are still flying by the seat of our pants, when it comes to knowing just how much of a bill Fylde Council Tax payers could be faced with"

He added

"Bus operator records have shown a 90% increase in free travel to the Fylde Coast, this year, through the Preston Bus Terminal. This means that Fylde Tax payers will be expected to pay the return proportion of these particular bus journey's. This figure could be upwards of £200,000, equating to almost 5% on their Council Tax Bills

The Council has had to make unpopular decisions to try and keep Council Tax bills down whilst at the same time having available the funding to pay for the Bus Travel Scheme. It is unbelievable that a Government scheme should be paid for by local tax payers - the bill as it stands, threatens to squeeze further the Council's budget and put cash strapped residents under more financial pressure. With this bill now hanging over the Council I hope that residents will see why the funding for the pools had to be stopped for the time being.

I will be joining forces with fellow Conservative Council Leaders to lobby Lancashire MP's and Government for a commitment to cough up the funding shortfall. Although I support the basic principles of the scheme, yet again it shows that the funding mechanism for this policy have been ill thought out. There is a consensus that the scheme may cost up to £7 million pounds, in the first year! A figure which would bring about swinging reductions in services across Lancashire unless Mr Darling commits to fund the total cost of the scheme.

Fylde Borough Council is caught between a rock and a hard place, Conservatives have more ambitious plans for the Borough but whilst this sword of Damocles is hanging over us we are unable to commit revenue funds to any new schemes.