Bedford’s mayor has told a government select committee that local communities are “raising precepts”, fundraising “and having whip rounds” to fight East West Rail “tooth and nail”.
However, when questioned by the Bedford Independent, he was unable to give specific examples.
Mayor Tom Wootton spoke in Westminster on Wednesday, 6 March at the Transport Select Committee which was scrutinising the East West Rail project as part of its strategic transport objectives inquiry.
This session followed a recent National Audit Office (NAO) report which said the Government “is not yet clear how the benefits of the project will be achieved nor how it aligns to other government plans for growth in the region”.
Mayor Wootton said: “We want best things to happen to our borough and best things to happen to Bedford.
“But it was a disappointment that the National Audit Office had found them with their pants down.
“They have not done their homework and they haven’t done it well, and the Audit Office caught them out.
“It’s a damning report really and it’s something that when it says the HM Treasury should head up on establishing a cross-government shared vision, this sort of stuff is pretty horrible for East West Rail to read.”
Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Buckingham, asked if the residents of Bedfordshire as a whole had been listened to.
Mayor Wootton said there was a contrast with how National Highways “put parish councils and people first” with the dual carriageway between Bedford and Cambridge.
“I really do feel the [East West Rail] consultation has been bodged and not done well,” he said.
“[National Highways] pulled out the stops and really learned their lessons.
“And we have East West Rail who have a level of distrust that’s almost palpable when parish councils meet with them, and with members and with councillors.
“There is a real problem of trust between East West Rail and what they’re saying.
“There is a problem with the consultation and now we’re going into more consultation and it’s building on the consultation that’s already flawed,” he said.
“The Highways Agency [sic] are getting it more or less right, even though they have upset individuals locally.
“Everyone along the route is having whip rounds”
Mayor Wootton told the select committee: “East West Rail have got themselves in a huge mess and everybody along the [route] is having whip rounds and precepts are going up to fight this tooth and nail
Asked by the Bedford Independent to give specific examples of parish councils that were “having whip rounds”, Mayor Wootton’s office simply provided a statement.
“The Mayor is aware that a number of Parish Councils have indicated their dismay at the way EWR is treating residents and have organised their own local collections to help fund their campaign in association with BeFare.
“Whilst the Mayor is entirely supportive of the resident’s [sic] right to protest against this unfair treatment, to be clear no Borough Council funds have been used or committed to support the Parishes,” it read.
When pressed, campaign group BFARe and Cllr Nicola Gribble, (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden ward) declined to comment on the Mayor’s select committee statement.
However, Brent Fielder, chair of Wilden parish council (a non-political parish council), told the Bedford Independent: “Wilden will fight the railway tooth and nail, not because we oppose the railway as such, but because the line through Bedford and Wilden destroys homes and lives, will cause a decade of devastation for Bedford and all of this for no gain.”
He said a southern route would avoid house demolitions and is, “shorter, flatter, greener and cheaper”. He said that for “political reasons, EWR refuses to even properly consider it”.
“EWR have confirmed that six lines will be needed through Bedford, with dozens of house demolitions and chaos for the town, yet many Bedford Borough Councillors still sit with their heads in the sand, hoping for a fairy-tale four-line solution, instead of backing Mayor Tom’s opposition to the track,” said Cllr Fielder.
“They would rather wreck the town than band together with a Conservative. Wake up Lib Dems, wake up Labour. The people of Bedford don’t care about your political colours, just stop this thing in its tracks.
“Support the Mayor just this once, or forever hang your heads in shame.”
additional reporting by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
