'Red rating for Bedford roads is wrong' says mayor as he hits back at MP
The Mayor of Bedford borough has told the town’s MP that a government-published “red” rating for the council’s road maintenance performance was incorrect, following public criticism from the MP over pothole conditions.
In an open letter to Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin, mayor Tom Wootton wrote: “You will, I hope, now be aware that the Department for Transport made an error in its recent reporting of Bedford borough’s road maintenance red rating and is in the process of correcting that mistake.
“You will no doubt be pleased to learn that the red rating attributed to Bedford borough is incorrect.”
Mr Wootton added that Bedford borough has “many well-maintained roads, particularly when compared with neighbouring councils,” and said the authority is currently investing £9.5 million in highways maintenance, supported by £6 million of government funding.
The mayor said he was disappointed that Mr Yasin had published his letter before sending it to him, and accused him of “talking Bedford down”.
“Residents deserve straight talking,” Mr Wootton wrote. “I am therefore disappointed not only that you chose to publish your letter days before sending it to me, but also that you sought to talk Bedford down in the process.
“As elected representatives, we have a shared responsibility to talk our area up, not undermine confidence in it.”
He added that if Mr Yasin has concerns in future, he hopes he will contact him directly so they can be discussed constructively.
Mr Wootton’s letter was written in response to correspondence published on Facebook by Mr Yasin where he raised concerns about new government “traffic light” ratings assessing local highway authorities’ performance on potholes.
In his letter, Mr Yasin said Bedford Borough Council was listed among the 13 lowest-ranking local authorities under the new system.
He said residents were “currently being forced to endure unacceptable conditions on the roads managed by your council” and described a “failure of strategic planning and execution” in local infrastructure maintenance.
Mr Yasin said the government had allocated £31,849,000 in highways funding to Bedford Borough between 2026/27 and 2029/30, including baseline and incentive funding, and urged the council to accept government-funded capability and planning support, including expert peer reviews.
He said he would be monitoring the council’s use of these funds closely and expected to see “a tangible improvement in performance”.