Liberal Democrats on North Yorkshire County Council Hall have reacted angrily to Wednesday’s decision by the County Council’s Transport Scrutiny Committee to support the termination of the highway agency agreements with District Councils in Scarborough and Harrogate.

The decision came at the special meeting of the Transport & Telecommunications Overview & Scrutiny Committee at County Hall on 28 November. The committee voted by six to two to end the 30-year-old system where the County Council delegates responsibility for road maintenance to the District Councils in the urban areas. As usual, Labour and the Tories voted together. Only the Liberal Democrats voted against.

No substantial argument  was put for ending the agreements on grounds of quality or value, and no financial case was made.

The only argument made for changing the arrangement was that the County’s highway maintenance contract with its private sector provider is due for renewal in three year’s time.

Lib Dem County Councillor Dr Keith Barnes (Harrogate Oatlands), said afterwards:

“It may well be time to review the agency agreements in Harrogate and Scarborough, but to end them without consultation or evidence is unprofessional and a travesty of democracy.”

“The Council has made no attempt to find out whether local people are happy with the current arrangement.”

Honorary Alderman George Crowther OBE, former Leader and Mayor of Harrogate Council, spoke against the proposal before the debate, and commented after the meeting:

“The Tories appear more concerned with keeping their private sector contractors happy than with providing the best services for Harrogate and Scarborough residents.”

“And Labour have meekly backed them to the hilt.”