Only the Liberal Democrats seek to invest in Hertfordshire's infrastructure

At the Hertfordshire County Council meeting on 26 February, the Liberal Democrat Group offered the only alternative to the Conservative budget in Hertfordshire, with a budget that invested heavily in highway infrastructure and supported public transport, young people and the homeless.

Liberal Democrats in Hertfordshire proposed a fully costed budget that delivered a huge boost for our neglected roads. It supported bus routes, school crossing patrols and allowed for local decision making in areas where the part-night lighting scheme is not working.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Watford and Oxhey, Leader of the Opposition) commented, "This is a fully costed budget that focuses on the issues raised by local people with the Liberal Democrat Group. This budget would not have cost the Hertfordshire taxpayer a penny yet would have helped rescue our roads from the Ringway fiasco, maintain crossing patrols at our schools and ensure that our young people had access to more apprenticeships .

"Many local schools are on ungritted roads - our budget also tackled this and still provided vital extra funding to make up for the loss of Shelter in Hertfordshire."

Cllr Chris White (St Albans Central) continued, "It came as no surprise that the Conservatives voted down our amendment out of hand, however the Labour Councillors on the County Council let down the people they purport to represent by not bothering to submit a budget amendment at all. Instead we heard a rambling wishlist with no costings, no firm plans, just empty rhetoric. It is bitterly disappointing that they voted against our plans to maintain and improve local services"