Council spends £30k removing ‘noisy' speed bump amid £45m deficit
A cash-strapped council has spent £30,000 to remove a 'noisy' speed bump that cost £4,000 to install last year.
Norfolk County Council built the speed bump and a zebra crossing in the town of Dereham to make the area safer for pedestrians, including pupils at nearby Northgate High School.
But residents complained that heavy lorries would make a loud rattling noise when they drove over the raised portion of road, prompting the council to remove it less than a year later.
The Tory-controlled town hall was forced to make sweeping cuts and tax rises to plug a £44.7m budget shortfall for the 2025-26 financial year.
Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, has previously warned that the authority could go bust unless the Government helps with its growing financial pressures.
She said the authority was experiencing 'the toughest financial challenges the council has ever faced'.
The council has confirmed council tax will rise by 4.99pc in the April 2025-26 tax year – the maximum amount local authorities can raise the levy without a referendum.
The project to install the speed bump and zebra crossing on Quebec Road in Dereham cost the authority £216,343, with the speed bump itself costing £4,400 to build. The council has not removed the zebra crossing.
Harry Clarke, a Dereham town councillor, said the project had been a 'farce', and pointed out that £30,000 is the same amount the local council is considering taking away from Dereham Meeting Point, a charity that offers day-care for disabled people and over-55s.
He added: 'It's a mixture of waste and incompetence and lack of communication. It's not rocket science to install a speed bump.
'There's an unfortunate parallel with the charity which is under threat from having £30,000 withdrawn. Residents will draw their own conclusions.'
Norfolk County Council is struggling to balance the books due to rising demand for adult social care and children's services.
In December, the local authority said it would switch off 1,000 street lights in a bid to save cash. Powering street lights costs the council around £4m per year, and the proposal would save an estimated £200,000 per year.
In February, the Government agreed to provide Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to 30 councils in England for the 2025-26 financial year. Norfolk County Council was not among them.
A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said: 'The new zebra crossing and wider improvements carried out as part of this project have improved road safety in the area and we will continue to monitor the performance of the new crossing facility and traffic speeds at this location.
'It was necessary to remove the raised element of the zebra crossing due to the increased noise disturbance caused to neighbouring properties.
'We fully understand local feelings on wider council decisions but must stress that government funding for highway improvements cannot be used to support other frontline services.'
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