Delay over enforcement cameras for Leighton Buzzard bus gate branded "ridiculous"

Highways officers for Central Bedfordshire Council need to reconsider their approach to allowing bus gates or bus lanes to be provided without ANPR technology being ready to operate, according to a local councillor.

“It’s been a year since the bus route on the Roman Gate housing development in Leighton Buzzard opened and residents report it’s being misused by cars regularly,” noted Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay.

“When will the ANPR camera which was promised last summer to stop vehicles using this bus route actually be installed?” she asked in a written question at a CBC meeting.

Independent Aspley and Woburn councillor John Baker apologised for the delay, saying: “It’s been a long time since the planning application was granted and built out.

“I’ve looked into this. The council has received the money from the developer and is in the process of procuring the ANPR cameras you and your residents want to see on that stretch of road.

“It hasn’t started . . . published the procurement process yet. But I’ve said to officers ‘we need to move this forward now’ and clearly it’s something we need to make happen.

“I’ve received feedback to my question about when can we deliver something, and the answer was the end of this financial year.

“I’d really like to move things more quickly than that, so I’ve asked officers to increase the tempo of this project to deliver the solution your and your residents rightly deserve.”

Ms Holland-Lindsay said: “I welcome that, and having a timescale is positive. It’s fair to say our residents have a level of disbelief that this facility was allowed to open without the proper enforcement.

“So I would urge all speed possible to get the cameras in place and would encourage CBC highways to consider how to properly open these facilities.

“I think it’s ridiculous to open a bus gate without the enforcement in place. Can the highways team consider the process they should go through to provide these routes, so you have the cameras in place when they open?” she inquired.

CBC’s executive member for finance councillor Baker replied: “I can’t speak for the highways team, but I can consider that and I fully agree with you this project has taken too long.

“We need to move it forward more quickly and I’ve set an expectation that the end of the financial year is the absolute maximum time this should take to implement.

“I’ll ensure you and your colleagues receive more updates in due course, as I’m given them.”