Legal advice over pausing Bedford's local plan cost more than £3.5k

It cost Bedford Borough Council £3,500 to learn that pausing the Local Plan 2040 would be a “huge risk” to borough residents.

During his campaign, mayor Tom Wootton called for the Local Plan 2024 to be paused – and following his election in May he sought legal advice over pausing the plan.

The council said the legal costs for ‘advising in consultation (chief executive) and written advice’ was £3,500 plus £700 VAT.

The cost was published as a written answer following a question posed by councillor Dean Crofts (LibDems, Kingsbrook) during last week’s Executive Meeting (June 21).

The councillor asked mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) how much the legal fees cost the council.

Mayor Wootton replied that he would find out, but it was “probably hugely expensive, massively expensive”.

“But we did promise in our manifesto that we would get legal advice on the plan,” he said.

“But it is something that as a group, and as a part, said we wanted to do, we wanted to get legal advice and we have done so,” he said.

The mayor said a written answer would be given to councillor Crofts.

“We think it is a waste of taxpayers money to get advice on something that we already knew,” councillor Crofts said.

“The risk of uncontrolled development throughout our communities was well established, and recognised by many in your own party, including the deputy mayor in comments that he made in the previous term.

“So you have got yourself in this expensive mess by making an election pledge that was just not deliverable,” he said.

Mayor Wootton said: “I strongly disagree because you say you’re going to take legal advice on something you go and get legal advice.

“We don’t know legal advice until you actually take it. How can I know what the KC is going to say until I actually asked the chap?” he asked.

“That’s why we pay him the money we do, because his opinion is all important.

“We feel very strongly that we needed to have some guidance about the plan, and we have had that guidance,” he said.

In May, the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked for the estimated costs to the council for this week’s Wyboston by-election.

This is being held as mayor Wootton was also elected as ward member, but he immediately stood down as he had already been elected mayor.

The council had not given a figure by the time of publication.