A funding agreement between East West Rail and Bedford Borough Council for work on the proposed Bedford–Cambridge railway has not yet been finalised, despite similar arrangements already being in place with other councils along the route.
East West Rail said a draft Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) is currently in place and that the council can still invoice the company for work carried out while negotiations on the final agreement continue.
A PPA is a mechanism that can be used on major infrastructure projects to cover the cost of local authority involvement in the planning process.
An East West Rail spokesperson said a draft agreement was currently in place with the council while negotiations on a final version continue.
“We are working with the council to put a full agreement in place,” the spokesperson said.
“In the meantime, Bedford Borough Council is still able to invoice East West Rail Company using the terms set out in the earlier draft version of the PPA.”
PPAs allow councils to recover the cost of officer time, project management and specialist input linked to the preparation of a Development Consent Order (DCO) application for major infrastructure schemes.
Documents released following a Freedom of Information request show East West Rail has already entered into similar agreements with a number of councils along the route of the proposed railway.
Costs reimbursement
For example, an agreement with Huntingdonshire District Council confirms the rail company will reimburse the authority for costs incurred in providing advice, information and technical input into the DCO process.
A separate agreement with Milton Keynes City Council included an initial payment of £40,000, with further costs to be agreed as the project progresses.
Local authorities are statutory consultees in the national infrastructure planning process under the Planning Act 2008, with the final decision on the railway resting with the Secretary of State.
Bedford Borough Council has been asked whether a final agreement has been signed and how much funding it has received so far, but had not responded at the time of publication.
The council is currently facing significant financial pressures, and recently, a request from the authority for Exceptional Financial Support to help balance its budget was approved by the government.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
