AN MP has called on a district council to look in to separating from Lancashire County Council because of the controlling Labour group’s “mismanagement”.

 

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said Ribble Valley Borough Council should follow Blackburn with Darwen Council in separating from the county council, claiming that his constituents are being left shortchanged.

Mr Evans will talk to Communities Secretary Greg Clark about the possibility of top slicing money from the county and giving it to district councils to run their own bus services.

His message comes after bus operator Holmeswood Coaches announced it is stopping four services in the Ribble Valley and Hyndburn at the end of this month ahead of the contract being withdrawn at the start of April. 

And more rural services could go later this year, although County Hall has set aside a £3 million fund to stave off the immediate scrapping of subsidised bus servies, libraries and museums in order to find alternative operators.
Labour said it was left with little option over the £85.1 million cuts approved by the county.

But county Conservatives claim allegations that Downing Street is to blame for starving Lancashire of cash are wrong.

County Cllr Paul White said: “The Conservative group put forward sensible, fully costed amendments to the budget, trying to save vital local services. On the day, the Conservatives stood up for Lancashire. The Liberal Democrats stood up for Lancashire. Labour played politics, and have left the most isolated in Lancashire cut off for the sake of their own silly games. They should be ashamed. I do not know how they can sleep at night.”

County Cllr Jennifer Mein, leader of the county authority, said: “We are acutely aware of the impact of these decisions and have listened to the views of local people before finalising the budget.”

Mr Evans said: “The budget has victimised the most vulnerable people in Lancashire. I am sick of this current council’s mismanagement of their budgets. The people of the Ribble Valley are being let down. All Jennifer Mein seems to be bothered about is her Preston Bus Station pet project, paying redundancy payments to senior officers and giving £6 million to consultants.”