GOVERNMENT officers have ticked off Cumbria County Council for failing to push road improvement schemes through on time.

Government Office North West director of competitiveness and infrastructure David Higham said a record of "poor scheme delivery" in 2001/2 had had a bearing on CCC share of highways capital funding for 2003/4.

In a letter to CCC chief executive Louis Victory, Mr Higham explained the reasoning behind CCC's Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement of £16.9 million for 2003/4 compared to around £17 million this year.

His report said: "Although your area has undoubtedly suffered from the effects of foot-and-mouth, your Annual Progress Report acknowledges a number of other difficulties that have resulted in poor scheme delivery in 2001/02However, we are sure you will realise that this lack of progress will have a bearing on this year's settlement. It is important that you do everything in your power to rectify this progress shortfall, so that indicative allocations will be allocated to you in future."

CCC leaders have pointed out this year's capital allocation had not been slashed and defended their performance, claiming foot-and-mouth meant a number of road schemes were knocked off schedule - but despite this set back they were now on target to spend all this year's road capital expenditure allocation.

Labour leader Coun Stewart Young blamed previous underspends on "poor management" and said pressure to spend budget allocations before the end of the financial year had forced officers to prioritise schemes, which were easier to complete.

February 14, 2003 10:00