On 4 March 2026, the Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton, formally established a new Finance and Improvement Executive Committee to strengthen oversight of the Council’s finances and drive delivery of the Council’s improvement programme.

The Committee has been created to bring stronger leadership, discipline and transparency at a time when local government finances are under significant pressure and demand for key services continues to rise, particularly in adult social care, children’s services and homelessness support.

The new Committee will provide a focused forum to monitor delivery, challenge performance and ensure clear accountability from senior officers responsible for managing budgets and delivering improvement.

The Committee will:

• Track delivery of the Council’s Improvement Plan
• Receive regular updates on the Council’s financial position and savings programme
• Require service directors and senior officers to attend and report on delivery, performance and budget control

Meetings will be livestreamed or recorded to ensure residents can see clearly how decisions are being taken and how progress is being delivered.

The Committee will operate on a cross-party basis and will include the leaders of all formally constituted political groups on the Council, alongside representation from Independent councillors.

The Mayor has welcomed the recent Best Value Inspection and believes stronger local oversight is essential to ensure the Council responds with urgency, transparency and clear leadership.

Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton said:

“This Committee is about leadership and accountability. Residents rightly expect their Council to be open about the challenges we face and serious about fixing them.

We are strengthening oversight, increasing transparency and ensuring the improvement work now underway is properly tracked and delivered.

The financial pressures facing councils across the country are real, but we will meet them head on with clear leadership, firm grip on our finances and a relentless focus on improving services for residents.”

Councillor Marc Frost, Finance Portfolio Holder, said:

“For too long local government has tolerated a culture where overspends are identified after the fact and then managed retrospectively. That approach stops here.

Budget holders must take ownership of their financial responsibilities. Overspending is not a strategy and it is not acceptable.

This Committee will ensure the right level of challenge, transparency and discipline is in place so the Council lives within its means while protecting the services residents rely on.”