Council to consider outcome of public consultation on budget cutbacks

Bedford Borough Council’s executive will consider the outcome of its public consultation on plans to hack £25million from the budget by 2019.

Cutbacks include axing council-run summer play schemes, scrapping funding for reducing speed limits and investing in average speed cameras, reducing opening hours at the customer service centre and withdrawing funding from the Marston vale Community Rail Partnership.

Changes to school transport policies are proposed to save £80,000 and cuts to dog warden and pest control jobs are on the cards, along with closing some public toilets.

Bedford Borough Mayor Dave Hodgson previously described the council’s work to meet ever tightening budgets as a result of cuts in central government funding and increased pressure on services, as ‘pretty horrific and at crisis level’.

A decision on the cutbacks will be made at full council on February 3.