Tories Make Sure Taxpayers Pay Up and Shut Up (South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@secambslibdems.org.uk>

Tories Make Sure Taxpayers Pay Up and Shut Up

September 20, 2010 2:38 PM

East Cambridgeshire residents fork out £60,000 a year for transport and safety improvements but have been robbed of the chance to say how the money should be spent.

Tories on the district council have decided to axe a key committee which discussed the issues in public.

They have given no reason for killing off the East Cambridgeshire Area Joint Traffic Management Committee which drew its members from both the district and county councils.

Members meet to consider and approve schemes such as cycle paths, road safety improvements, pedestrian crossings, traffic calming and dropped kerbs to

assist disabled residents.

The committee's budget was made up of £60,000 from East Cambridgeshire District Council - including donations from the village parish councils - and £60,000 from Cambridgeshire County Council.

Councillor Bob Stevens, who represents Bottisham on the district council said: "This decision is absurd. We have been given no explanation and it has robbed residents, parish councillors and district councillors of having any input in decisions on transport and safety.

"This committee had a full and important agenda and it is ludicrous to kill it off."

The decision to axe the committee comes at a time when the Tories on Cambridgeshire County Council are diverting government money from the Local Transport Plan into the fund for the guided bus.

"Crucial decisions are being made by the Tories on the county council about transport and safety spending in East Cambridgeshire," said Lib Dem leader, Ian Allen; "yet residents will have little or no say.

"We have already seen a number of projects axed to pay for the ill fated guided bus which brings no benefit to our residents. This is another example of the Tories ignoring the views of residents to pursue their own agenda."