The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Road maintenance and bus services could suffer as part of £6.2million of proposed cuts to Lincolnshire County Council’s highways and transport budget.
Measures being considered to make savings include gritting fewer roads, turning off some street lights, and reducing budgets for pothole repairs, grass verge cutting and rights of way upkeep.
And a council meeting on Monday (January 18) was told that more than £2m could be saved by “reducing bus subsidies and transport initiatives and remodelling support to the local transport network. This would result in a different bus service offer with a number of communities not having a service.”
One estimate says 160 services across the county will be affected and 1.8 million passenger journeys lost.
The meeting heard that people would need to become more reliant on volunteer transport, like the South Holland Parish Voluntary Car Scheme.
Stagecoach in Norfolk currently operates almost 500 journeys per week in South Holland across three services, including the 505 Spalding-King’s Lynn.
Commercial manager Will Smith said: “The vast majority of these journeys are operated on a commercial basis.
“We have not been contacted by Lincolnshire County Council to say that any of our tendered services are specifically under review and would not want to speculate on possible changes before the county’s budget has been confirmed.”
The use of bus passes which enable pensioners and the disabled to travel for free could change too, saving the council an estimated £400,000.
Currently, eligible people in Lincolnshire can use their bus pass at any time of the week. However, this freedom is at the discretion of the council and, in future, use might be limited to after 9.30am in midweek. This would bring the county into line with other authorities.
However, the £7m budget for concessionary fares will remain intact as it is a compulsory service.
The council has reduced its overall budget by £129m over the past four years and must find another £40m of savings over the next 12 months. It plans to raise its three-quarters portion of the council tax bill by 3.95 per cent – the maximum permitted without the requirement for a referendum costing £800,000.
People have the chance to question council leader Martin Hill and finance portfolio holder Coun Marc Jones about the budget during public meetings at Princess Royal Sports Arena in Boston on Tuesday and The South Holland Centre in Spalding on Wednesday (both 6pm-8pm).
Comments on the budget proposals must be received before the council’s executive meets on February 2.
Email finance@lincolnshire.gov.uk or write to Lincolnshire County Council, Finance and Public Protection Financial Strategy PDP6, FREEPOST RSTY-UXJB-ARHK, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL.
