Freeze on Bedford Borough Council's fees and charges announced

A freeze on Bedford Borough Council’s fees and charges has been announced a week before they have been considered by the council’s Executive.

This week (yesterday, Wednesday, October 19) executive members were asked to approve the fees and charges from January 2023 (or earlier).

However, the council’s Liberal Democrats Group sent out a news release last week (October 13) stating that council fees and charges “have been frozen” for residents to help with the Cost of Living Crisis.

It says: “Mayor Dave Hodgson has announced that most fees and charges for council services for residents will be frozen this year to help people with the Cost of Living Crisis.

“This includes freezing marriage and registration costs, cremation or burial service costs and freezing car park charges for the sixth year in a row.”

A quote from Mayor Dave Hodgson was included in the release, where he said: “It is vital that we help our residents in any way we can, which is why we have taken the decision to freeze fees and charges for residents.

“When the cost of everything is going up, it is important that residents know that council services will remain the same price.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked the LibDems why this has already been agreed given that fees and charges are to be ‘debated’ at next week’s Executive, or if the Executive is no longer being invited to “determine the fees and charges”.

A spokesperson replied that there is no mention of anything being agreed [in the news release], adding that the papers are now published and available, hence the announcement from the mayor.

A LibDem statement said: “The Proposed Fees and Charges Report for 2023 will be put forward to Executive on October 19.

“If agreed it will mean a freeze for residents on most council fees and charges to support them through the cost of living crisis.”

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