Hucknall call to scrap £15m Top Wighay council-offices plan - and use cash to repair town's broken roads

Hucknall councillors have regularly voiced their anger at the state of the county’s roads – and Hucknall’s in particular, which they have branded ‘the worst in the county’.

They have also criticised the council’s plans for the new offices at Top Wighay Farm as part of a 800-home ‘village’, saying the buildings are something the council does not need, as well as citing concerns over the cost and the impact on local infrastructure and roads.

And as a result, today (Thursday) the Independent Alliance at County Hall will present an alternative budget amendment to the council.

The Independents say their plans will see the biggest ever single investment in Nottinghamshire’s roads with each of the seven borough and district councils receiving an extra £2.1 million to spend on highways.

And they say it can all be done whilst avoiding a proposed four per cent increase in the county council’s portion of council tax, which is proposed by the ruling Conservatives.

Ironically, the suggestion of a freeze from the Independents comes despite the Ashfield Independents agreeing, in principle, to increase, by the maximum allowed, Ashfield District Council’s council-tax charge to Hucknall residents.

Also, the proposed precepts for both the police and fire service are set to increase at a time when energy bills are about to soar amid changes to the national price cap set by the Government.

Coun Lee Waters (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall South at County Hall – and is also a member of Ashfield Council – will officially propose the alternative budget suggestions.

He said: “The ruling Conservatives at the county council say they want to keep council tax as low as possible but maintain that fixing our broken roads and pavements is a priority.

"This is exactly what we (the Independent Alliance) are planning.

"The disgraceful, dangerous state of our highways and the way we fix them is the biggest reputational risk of this council.

"We are proposing scrapping the plush new £15 million new council offices at Top Wighay Farm and using the money to turbocharge fixing our highways.

"The Conservatives face a clear choice today – reduce our council tax rise whilst fixing our broken roads and pavements or build an office block we say the council doesn’t need.”

The Independents claimed, in a statement to the Dispatch, that the county council’s chief finance officer and legal officer have agreed that the alternative budget is legal and balanced.

Coun Jason Zadrozny, leader of the Independent Alliance at County Hall and Ashfield District Council leader earlier this week defended a proposal to increase Ashfield’s council tax.

But on the alternative budget, he said: “The state of our highways is disgraceful.

"Only the Independent Alliance at County Hall has a clear plan to fix our broken roads and pavements.

“We will invest an extra £2.1 million in every single borough and district in Nottinghamshire to finally get to grips with the problem.

"Either the Conservatives are serious about turbocharging the highway’s maintenance programme or they’re not. We’ll find out today.”