Funding alert

OK, it's time for villagers to get involved and take an interest. There is possible real money here. And discussions and hoops to jump through.

The Central Beds Local Area Transport Plan (LATP) offers the village a chance to spend some real money on real improvements to our local facilities. This includes bus fixtures and fittings, cycle enhancements and traffic calming features. We have just plenty  of traffic calming so this might be lower down many people’s agenda. But there have been calls for a pedestrian crossing at the Coop Corner raised table.  

Nothing is ruled in or ruled out and an application requires a petition from parishioners showing support.

Any agreed project requires matched funding which means the Parish has to come up a proportion of the money - your money.  The information document “My Journey” states: “In essence the fund will help to provide small scale walking or cycling schemes, public transport information provision, signage or other traffic management measures.”  It does not include financial support of bus services, which are funded from Central Beds’s revenue budgets.

Joint bids with other parishes will be considered.

The  fund aims to provide contributions towards small-scale, local improvements, which would not otherwise be funded through the main LATP prioritisation process. Applications to a maximum of £50,000 per scheme are recommended.

“My Journey” feels like IKEA catalogue for local infrastructure improvements offering a range of estimated costs. You can have a flat-top speed table for a two-way road of average width for £8-10,000 (“Includes design and statutory consultation element”) or a zebra crossing without raised table for a two-way average width road for £25,000. No, we don’t have to self-assemble (You've completed your pedestrian crossing and you still gave a left over Belisha beacon). No thank you.

A variety of speed limit orders cost anything from £3,000 to £20,000 (ouch).

Cycle tracks range from £27.5 per square metre for an unsealed surface across countryside or £100 per square metre for a sealed surface. Buyers beware – it states this is a “guide price”.

Public transport improvements include bus stop flag and timetable, £500; bus shelter with raised kerb, flag, timetable and seating, £12,000 and real time information display £5,000 (assumes local power supply).

“My Journey” adds: “The proportion of funding for a particular scheme provided by the parish council will have a significant weighting in terms of the prioritisation of the bids, and CBC will need to receive clear evidence that funding will be forthcoming.”

The parish council will be considering this at its committee meetings on 1 May at Holywell School. Bids must be in by the end of July.

To read the full document visit Local Area Transport Funding in Central Beds