Tonight I went to my first Cabinet of the new Council. It was a special one to approve the Outline Business Case for the Highways PFI, where the Council hope to be granted from Government £400m over the next 25 years to fund a contract with a private outfit, in return for maintaining their current expenditure on highways (£10.5m) over each of those years. All subject to inflation of course. By my reckoning that means the government is putting in £137 million net, at current day prices.
I have always welcomed the bid in the absence of any other plausible means of getting our highways network up to scratch and consider it to b e a damn good deal from our Labour Government.
The Council Leader agreed with me as he did not want to be churlish. This is getting worrying ! Wightlink, members allowances, a Vestas response, now Highways PFI - agreement from the Tories on all four in just two months of this Council......
It was a shame though that such an significant decision was not made at Full Council - even if it is August - rather than by the six members of the Cabinet with just FIVE other Councillors present - and none from the LibDem group. Nothing ever changes.......
1 comment:
Is it me or do the numbers keep changing? Previously it was only £5m per year from IWC & HMG match that with another £13m so we put in £125m & HMG put in £325m. So NOW we put in £250m & HMG only £137m.
something doesn't smell right! I doubt we will end up with better roads just bigger bills
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