Conservative Councillors have welcomed the Budget as good news for families across Bedford Borough.

Residents will benefit from further support with the cost of living, as the Government is maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) for a further three months from April 2023. In addition, charges for comparable direct debit and Pre-Payment Meter’s (PPMs) will be aligned and fuel duty will also be maintained at current levels for the next 12 months, including keeping the 5p cut.

Taken together these measures will give back £94 billion across the UK, equivalent to £3,300 per household to support with higher costs.

The Government is also giving Bedford Borough an extra £662,800 to fix potholes, which is good news for local drivers who have only recently highlighted how they have been forced to contend with neglected roads and extremely poor driving conditions for many years.

There will also be more support to help parents as the Government will be proving 30 hours a week of free childcare for 38 weeks a year, for eligible working parents of children aged 9 months to 3 years.

The Government will also scale up community Musculoskeletal (MSK) hubs in England so more people can access treatment, and provide free access to digital support tools hosted on the NHS website and app. This will help many thousands of patients in Bedford Borough.

Bedford’s Conservative Group Leader, Cllr. Graeme Coombes commented,

“Economic growth is one of the key drivers for increasing standards of living, higher wages and funding the good quality public services the Borough needs – it benefits everyone and that is what this Budget prioritises.

We are pleased to see a number of concrete measures that will provide tangible benefits to not just the wider UK but specifically to residents of Bedford Borough. Whether this is the free childcare, or increased support for residents suffering from MSK problems, or help for our pubs with business tax cuts, the Budget will bring real, tangible benefits.

It is a shame Bedford does not see the same support, vision and leadership locally, as the Mayor and Liberal Democrats continue down the track of managed decline. As the Mayor has failed to ensure that even our local roads are safe and fit for purpose, the Government has stepped in and is providing Bedford with extra £662,800 to fix Bedford’s potholes.”