A local bus operator has revealed it pulled out of a recent Bedford Borough Council contract tender due to a breakdown in its working relationship with the authority.
Last week’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, (3 July) heard that Grant Palmer chose not to submit a bid for a contract earlier this year because of concerns over how the relationship with the borough had deteriorated.
David Shelley, director of Grant Palmer, said: “It’s fairly widely known that we’ve had a number of issues in terms of our relationship with the borough council in the last year or so.
“We’ve worked with the borough very successfully for at least 10 years, and we’ve been very disappointed that we felt that relationship has deteriorated quite significantly in the last two years.
“That led to us withdrawing from the process in terms of submitting a tender for the North Bedford [route], that was our own decision not to do so.
“But it was based on how we felt the relationship was at the time,” he said.
Mr Shelley added that there are some “excellent relationships” still in place, but he wasn’t “going to pretend otherwise” because this had been widely reported in the press.
“The relationship has been a real concern for us,” he said.
The admission was made during a wide-ranging discussion between councillors, officers, and representatives from local bus companies including Stagecoach, Grant Palmer, and Uno.
While other operators described their working relationships with officers as positive and productive, Grant Palmer’s comments stood out.
Despite its past frustrations, the operator did acknowledge recent improvements, including a constructive meeting that same day with Cllr Nicola Gribble, (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden), the portfolio holder for transport.
“We’ve had a good relationship with Cllr Weir since he joined the authority, and this afternoon we met Cllr Gribble for the first time, and I have to say I felt that was a positive meeting,” Mr Shelley added.
The borough’s bus services, particularly in rural areas, have undergone changes in recent months following a review and retendering process.
The council has faced scrutiny over declining bus use in Bedford compared to neighbouring areas, and concerns about communication with both residents and elected members.
Several councillors echoed frustrations over being left out of the loop when changes to routes were made, often hearing about them only after residents raised complaints.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
