Cambridgeshire: County backs out of traffic schemes

2.43.26pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Oct 2006

Cambridgeshire Lib Dems have reacted in anger to the news that Cambridgeshire County Council is backing out of long-awaited traffic schemes all over the County.

In plans just revealed to the public, the County Council has announced it is freezing the budget for all minor Traffic Regulation Orders which includes putting in place new disabled parking bays and changing parking bays and yellow lines.

The County has hit financial problems because of large overspends in many of its budgets, and so has drawn up plans to save millions of pounds. It has so far not been prepared to share the details of these cuts with the public, despite a public question from Councillor Huppert asking what they were.

Councillor Julian Huppert, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the County Council, commented:

"These 'minor' projects can make a real difference to people's everyday lives. This could be someone's much-needed disabled bay that has gone, safety improvements for dangerous corners, or a simple scheme to make it easier for residents to park near their homes.

"Residents have been asking for these improvements for a long time and many were promised them. The County went through the legal processes in some cases as long ago as April. Now residents are being told that it's not going to happen.

"This latest move is further evidence of the Council's financial mismanagement and it's residents all over the County who are going to suffer. I fear there will be even worse news when residents find out what the rest of the County's cuts are going to be."