"Put bureaucracy in the bin" says Central Bedfordshire councillor in debate over moving hedge on cycle path

The Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Thursday, April 10) was asked to consider a request from councillors Emma Holland-Lindsay (Lib Dem, Leighton Linslade South) and Patrick Hamill (Non-Aligned Independent, Houghton Regis East), to find a way of speeding up the installation of footpaths and cycle paths.

The executive member for finance and highways, councillor John Baker (Independent Alliance, Aspley and Woburn) said: “As members we have grand plans, and often very reasonable plans, and it seems to be [that] delivery is part of the problem.

“The more I look into some of these projects, it isn’t always about money, it’s bureaucracy as well.”

Councillor Baker referred to a “500m or so” cycle path between Stotfold and Fairfield beside a busy road.

“To do this, apparently it’s council land, the council needs to apply for planning permission from itself to move a hedge,” he said.

“Well, I’ve got a simple solution, let’s get a chainsaw to get rid of the hedge, and we just build the bloody path like people did many years ago.

“That’s why they got things done.

“The only people that can take enforcement action against the council for not carrying out planning permission to move a hedge is the council.

“So do we just need some sensible thinking here to get through the bureaucracy?” he asked.

“Often it’s not the lack of money because we’ve got the money, it’s not the lack of the will, we’ve got contractors to do it.

“It’s the paperwork, the bureaucracy, the biodiversity net gain, the birds, the bees, and everything else stopping us from actually just getting a person between A and B on a bicycle,” he said.

“We all understand the challenges, but actually what we can do to assign ownership to get over the challenges.

“And sometimes just put the bureaucracy in the bin and actually deliver something,” he said.

Lorna Carver, the council’s director of place and communities, said she thinks of bureaucracy as “due process”.

“Making sure we’re legally compliant, and we will continue to be legally compliant,” she said.

“It does sometimes slow things down, but that’s the correct way.

“We have to do things properly,” she said.

Councillor Baker said he’d like to see a report from council officers with a set of actions to help councillors understand the problems and why things are not being delivered.

Councillor Victoria Harvey (Non-Aligned Independent, Leighton Linslade West) said she agreed with councillor Baker.

“This is about delivery, and this is very much the role of a portfolio holder and where I feel actually will play to his strengths in bringing the different people together in order to deliver.

“This could be an opportunity where councillor Baker could shine,” she said.

“A report is great, but we really need councillor Baker to own this and to put the work into streamlining the council so we can deliver it and not waste a fortune of officer time chasing issues,” she said.

The committee voted to request a report.