Conservatives fail to cost gritting of school routes (North East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

North East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@fenlandlibdems.org.uk>

Conservatives fail to cost gritting of school routes

October 26, 2010 12:33 PM

School bus routes across Cambridgeshire will be left ungritted this winter after county Tories didn't consider they were important and failed to work out the cost.

The amazing revelation, which will lead to roads to school being untreated in severe weather, came as Cambridgeshire County Council's Cabinet rubber stamped its Winter Review setting out priority gritting across the county.

At no time was the issue of gritting school bus routes discussed by the Tories and therefore, the option was never costed.

Liberal Democrats uncovered the truth after asking officers how much it would cost to add school bus routes to the priority gritting rota.

But they were told by officers that nobody suggested to them that they should consider adding school bus routes to the Winter Review and they did not recommend it to Cabinet because it had "not been part of the previous approach and so would have clearly had a cost implication."

"I find this absolutely incredible," said Lib Dem County Leader, Fiona Whelan. "They have decided not to grit vital bus routes to school without even knowing what the cost will be.

"How can taxpayers have confidence in decisions made by this group of councillors who make decisions without knowing the full facts? Children may not get to their classrooms this winter if the weather is bad and the Tories have taken that decision without giving it a second thought."