C-Charge Income must be Ring-Fenced

2.35.44pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 20th Oct 2007

Liberal Democrats on Cambridgeshire County Council have demanded assurances that any income from congestion charging will not be used to fund road-building in other parts of the county.

The comments came during a meeting last week of the Environment and Community Services Scrutiny Committee which discussed the County Council's bid to the Government for funding for congestion charging in Cambridge.

County Councillor Nigel Bell, who is Vice Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, was concerned that the income from the charge might be used to fund the Council's pet projects across the county such as the £27 million Ely Southern Bypass. He commented:

"Any income from a Congestion Charge must be ring-fenced for spending on public transport, walking and cycling improvements to and across Cambridge . Residents and commuters in Cambridge must not be charged in order to fund new roads in other parts of the county.

"The Ely Southern Bypass has already been turned down for funding by both the Government and the Regional Assembly. The County Council should not be using the Congestion Charge as a cash-cow for their pet road-building projects."

"I am extremely concerned that the Council are now giving the false impression that money from the TIF bid can be used for road building. It can only come from other sources such as the profits from a congestion charge."

Councillor Roy Pegram refused to give any assurances about how income from Congestion Charging would be used.