Bedford council budget changes included scrapping proposed £100k member allowance saving

The updated budget was passed two weeks after an earlier version was voted down.

The updated financial plan includes a series of changes, with several proposed savings removed and new spending commitments added, particularly in relation to the town centre and community safety.

One of the changes in the final package was the removal of a proposed £100,000 saving linked to the council’s Members’ Allowances scheme.

A council report said the saving had been intended to “rationalise and/or consider freezing” councillors’ allowances, but this proposal was removed from the approved budget.

The updated report notes that allowances are reviewed annually by an independent body, and that individual councillors may choose not to accept any increase.

The revised budget also removed a proposed saving linked to the maintenance and calibration of average speed cameras.

Instead, the council allocated funding for the coming year to allow more time for longer-term options to be considered.

The approved budget includes additional spending aimed at improving the town centre environment, including funding for extra street cleaning and public toilet cleaning.

The council has also committed £96,000 to fund two new Anti-Social Behaviour Officers, operating in Bedford town centre and Queens Park, in addition to provision already funded by Bedfordshire Police.

Amendments were also made to address pressures affecting vulnerable residents.

The temporary accommodation budget was increased, funded through an uplift in the government’s Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant.

The council also plans to strengthen its Social Care reserve by £1 million, subject to government approval of financial support, to provide additional assurance against rising pressures in children’s services.

To fund the changes, the council reduced its Funding Formula contingency by £336,000.

Despite the amendments, council papers acknowledge that its financial position remains challenging.

The approved budget assumes that the authority will receive Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

EFS would allow certain revenue costs to be funded through borrowing or capital receipts, and the council’s financial planning includes provision for £25 million of support in 2026/27.

The council has said it will continue to monitor spending pressures closely as it moves into the new financial year.