Claims Bedford council has troubled relationship with bus operator dismissed as "complete rubbish"

The comment came in response to a councillor saying the “controversies” are out on the internet.

A report presented to the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (March 20) said “on the whole” Bedford Borough Council has a “good relationship” with bus operators.

But councillor Charles Royden (Lib Dem, Brickhill) said: “The fact that we can’t have those bus companies come to this meeting because there’s legal action going on, I think it just shows how bad things have got.”

Councillor Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden), who has recently become the portfolio holder responsible for bus services said: “I would maybe challenge back to you because I do feel that our relationship certainly with Stagecoach is fine, Grant Palmer seemed fine.”

Councillor Royden countered: “I don’t accept that the relationships with Grant Palmer and Stagecoach are brilliant because they’re not allowed to be here.

“We’ve been asking for them to come here for months and months now and they’re not allowed to be here because apparently there’s this legal action going on.

“I actually entered into AI what’s going on here and AI was quite up front about it.

“There’s the controversies that are going on, so it’s out there on the internet,” he said.

Paul Pace, chief officer (environment) said: “In relation to the relationship with Grant Palmer, whatever it says on AI is complete rubbish.

“We are having regular meetings and monthly meetings with both Grant Palmer and Stagecoach – we have very good relationships,” he said.

Mr Pace added that he had met with Grant Palmer earlier that day and “the world was set right” after a “lively discussion”.

“There is an issue because very early on in taking on the service, there appeared to be some confusion over an historic contract,” Mr Pace said.

“And a legal letter was served trying to get to the bottom of that.

“It’s not a threat of any legal action, it was a gentle legal letter from Grant Palmer’s solicitors trying to get some clarity around this particular element.

“I don’t believe it’s a problem any more.

“It is something that was a mountain out of a molehill, and simply a clear lack of understanding of some of the transitions between the different teams.”

Committee chair, councillor Colleen Atkins (Labour, Harpur) said the bus operators didn’t refuse to come to the committee.

“We were given legal advice that we shouldn’t be in that situation,” she said.

Councillor Royden said: “We were told that relationships have got so bad that there were legal ramifications with both operators.

“Not just one operator chair, both operators, that’s what we were told as a committee,” he said.

Joanne Branson-Budd, a council officer who will be taking on bus services from next month, said: “I was in a meeting yesterday with Sarah [Fleckney, manager for passenger transport and sustainable travel] and Stagecoach.

“The representative there was very complimentary of the relationship with the borough.”