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Two speed bumps. £56,000. And a country asking where the money's going.

ended 28. October 2025

A recent Freedom of Information response from Surrey County Council, shared by a local resident, revealed the alarming cost to taxpayers of installing just two speed bumps on Somerset Road, Redhill: £56,000. 

A massive £20,621 of this cost was attributed to design, with £27,707 for engineering. Over £8,000 was spent on an assessment of street lighting for the new road furniture.

This has unsurprisingly prompted angry debate as to how just two speed bumps could cost the taxpayer so much money.

Nottinghamshire's Reform-led council also sparked controversy last week after it was revealed it planned to spend £75,000 on flags and banners. This comes just months after the council effectively declared itself bankrupt by issuing a Section 114 notice, stating that it could no longer balance its books. 

Councils are increasingly finding themselves under financial strain. With the average council tax bill rising 5% in 2025, and as the Chancellor prepares to deliver the long-awaited budget which she herself has admitted will contain tax rises and spending cuts, questions are increasingly being raised about spending priorities. 

Questions:

  • Do you have any other examples of similar wasteful spending?
  • Are taxpayers right to be asking these questions? Or are we in danger of simplifying something (running local government budgets) that is actually highly complex?
  • Is public trust in politician's ability to spend wisely particularly low right now? Why? And will it plummet even further if the budget increases pressure on the public's purse?
  • Do we need councils and the government to be more transparent in how they come to difficult spending decisions?

Comments welcome from all.

6 responses from the Newspage community

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Antonia MedlicottVerified
Founder & MD at Investing Insiders
It's no surprise to me that the public is increasingly asking questions about where their taxes are being spent - and getting increasingly angry about the answers.

We've had it hammered home to us for years that there is no magic money tree and, that as a country, we face some very tough decisions.

Now households are bracing for a painful autumn budget, and people are facing another difficult winter of sacrifices in order to keep the heating on, and food on the table. Taxpayers are quite right in expecting our politicians not to waste a single penny.

Can we really justify such a spend on flags, banners and just two speed bumps, when social care, libraries and youth services are experiencing funding gaps?
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Ranald MitchellVerified
Director at bad credit mortgage specialists Charwin Mortgages
It’s another reckless waste of taxpayers’ money. You could have an entire driveway laid for a fraction of that cost or even buy a small home in parts of the North East yet councils are spending £56,000 on two speed bumps. It makes me furious. The country doesn’t need higher taxes, it needs a complete reset. Public money should be spent efficiently, with accountability and common sense. A private contractor could have delivered the same job at a far lower cost. We don’t have a tax problem. We have a chronic waste problem.
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Ben PerksVerified
Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers
This is possible the best example yet of how red tape is crippling the nation. I get a slight sense of relief when I see figures like this. The country finances might not actually be ‘down the pan’ it’s just that they’re being handled by absolute morons. Bring back the days of common sense and action.
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Pete MuglestonVerified
Mortgage Advisor & Managing Director at onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk
Examples of wasteful spending like this aren’t rare. It reminds me of the £100m bat shed built by HS2, which shows how disconnected decision makers have become from public priorities. Too often, suppliers inflate costs knowing they are spending government money, not their own.

Public debt is now close to the size of the entire economy, and interest payments exceed the education budget. Spending is spiralling out of control, with those in power more concerned about the daily news cycle than being accountable to the British people about expenditure.
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Kate UnderwoodVerified
Founder & Chief People Strategist at Kate Underwood HR and Training
£56,000 for two speed bumps — it is no wonder people are asking where their money goes. When costs like these make headlines, public frustration is inevitable. Yet council spending is rarely simple. Much of it is tied up in regulation, procurement and the red tape that surrounds public works.

Still, perception matters. Taxpayers deserve clarity on how and why their money is used, especially when bills keep rising. Transparency and communication are not nice-to-haves; they are the foundation of trust.

Whether you are running a council, a company, or a small team, the principle is the same: people will back tough choices if they feel respected and informed. Money alone does not build trust; communication does.
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Colette MasonVerified
AI Ethics Consultant at Clever Clogs AI
Why did budget forecasting and procurement systems not flag this was extortionate?

We need transparent decision making. We need preferred supplier lists that are fairly priced and not a grifter's paradise.

The budget's coming, taxes are rising, and trust in public-sector service delivery is rock bottom. Maybe it's time we stopped accepting "it's complicated" as an excuse for expensive incompetence, and got more systems in place to protect taxpayer ROI.

£75,000 on flags and bunting beggars belief.