Council leader says concessionary tram travel will continue under new East Midlands mayor

Coun Ben Bradley MP (Con) was responding to criticism from Hucknall Ashfield Independent councillors that he had pledged to keep the free tram travel in his campaign to be mayor of the new East Midlands’ Combined Authority, while the council was considering proposals to reduce or end concessionary travel.

Options the council is considering include half-fare payments, free travel for only disabled concessionary pass holders and their companions, and no changes.

The council is currently holding a public online consultation on the proposals which people can take part in at nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/public-transport/concessionary-travel/tram-concessionary-pass-consultation

Last week, Hucknall Labour Party members joined union members and members of the public in a protest against the proposed cuts at Hucknall tram stop.

Campaign group Save Free Tram Travel has called on the council to extend the current online public consultation until February 29.

Coun Lee Waters (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall South at County Hall, said: "Ben Bradley appears to be campaigning against the decisions of the council he is the leader of – it’s ludicrous.

"He is saying one thing as mayoral candidate for and another as council leader.”

And Coun Dave Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall West, added: The Conservatives think it’s okay to build a posh new office for £21m, yet want to snatch free tram travel for those in places like Hucknall and across Nottinghamshire."

Coun Bradley replied: The Ashfield Independents are deliberately misleading people and misrepresenting what I have said.

"The tram concessions will not disappear and they know this perfectly well.

"As ever they use fear as a weapon for political campaigning.

"They know perfectly well that responsibility for transport will pass from the county council to the new East Midlands Mayor.

"That means that it should be the mayor, not the council, that fund concessions in future.

"All of the main contenders in that mayoral election have said they will continue with tram concessions, including me.

"So one way or another, tram concessions will continue, even if they are funded from a different budget.

"It is unfair on local residents that the Independents continue to spread false information and worry people unduly, when they were sat in the room at a recent full council meeting when all of this was discussed and clarified.

“They also continuously misrepresent the new Hucknall office development, which they pretend is just an expensive cost despite knowing perfectly well that it represents a long-term saving for taxpayers.

“This building will save taxpayers millions because we are reducing things down from 17 office buildings to just nine.

"It is not going to cost people money, it is going to save money that we can reinvest in local services.

"All of this has been discussed at the council many times, it has been clarified many times and, even though the Ashfield Independents very rarely actually bother to show up for any of these meetings, they know all of this perfectly well.

"The fact that they so consistently mislead local residents on these issues is utterly appalling.”