Friday, 4 January 2000
For immediate use

Hove MP lobbies Government on fares
City Council facing rising spending on concessionary bus scheme

Celia Barlow MP is seeking to increase funding for Brighton & Hove City Council. She has written to Local Government Minister John Healey MP, outlining local concerns about the costs of the new concessionary bus fares for pensioners. Spending on concessionary fares by Brighton & Hove City Council has increased considerably in recent years. Brighton & Hove City Council estimates the cost of the Sussex Countywide scheme to be £11m in 2008/09 compared to actual spending in 2005/06 of only £1.8m, a six-fold increase due to the popularity of the concessionary scheme.

In the current financial year, the increased spending for concessionary travel has resulted in an overspend of £1.4m. For 2008/09 there is an additional unplanned budget gap for concessionary fares of £3.6m, equivalent to 3.5% on council tax. This funding gap is now endangering spending on other services such as looked-after children. In her letter, the Hove MP urges the Local Government Minister to reconsider the grant given to the Council, following representations by senior members of the authority.

Celia Barlow MP said, “I am extremely happy about the success of the concessionary bus fare scheme, enabling thousands of pensioners in our City to travel for free. This shows how the award-winning partnership between the Council and the bus company has delivered for our local people. This is one of this Government’s and this Council’s success stories. However, the popularity of the scheme puts severe pressure on the Council’s finances. We need to make sure that that the free bus travel scheme continues to be a national success and not a threat to vital local services.”