An elected mayor who campaigned against East West Rail's preferred route had a major financial interest in the project which was not recorded as having been declared during a meeting in parliament with the rail minister, it has emerged.

Tom Wootton, Bedford Borough Council's Conservative mayor, also commissioned a publicly-funded study into alternative routes that would avoid splitting his family's farm.

Under the council's code of conduct, councillors must say when an item of business affects their finances or land, or those of close family members.

Wootton said he would not "be providing any comment on personal or family matters" but was "content" he had "declared everything" he had to.

Wootton added he had "opted not to attend" meetings in which he might have had a declarable interest rather than go and potentially face having to make a declaration and leave the room.

Wootton was a long-serving councillor whose family has a significant footprint in Bedfordshire before he was elected mayor of Bedford in May 2023, beating his Lib Dem predecessor by 145 votes.

Opposition to East West Rail (EWR), the £6bn project linking Oxford and Cambridge via Bedford, was a key part of his election campaign.

He described the chosen route as an "utter disaster" and claimed his stance had helped win the election.

After taking office, he commissioned a £40,000 study into alternatives to EWR's preferred route through Bedford and north towards Tempsford and Cambridge.

The study did not reach a clear conclusion.

However, while publicly lobbying against the route, Wootton was also involved for more than three years in separate talks taking place between EWR and individuals affected by the route, in relation to land owned by his family.

Working with the Bedford Independent, the BBC has uncovered Land Registry records that show Wootton owns farmland and property north of Bedford thought to be worth more than £2.7m.

Some of this land would be needed for the railway, which means he would be financially compensated for land acquired by EWR.

An EWR spokesperson said it had dealt with Wootton "in two very distinct roles: first as mayor of Bedford and second as affected landowner".

"These engagements are handled by different teams within East West Rail and are kept strictly separate," the spokesperson added.

Last week a report was published by government inspectors who had been sent in to investigate concerns about financial management at Bedford Borough Council.

It found poor governance, weak leadership, a failure by the mayor to take difficult decisions and "blurred lines" between member and officer roles.

Documents from Northampton Magistrates' Court show EWR sought permission in September 2025 to carry out survey work on land owned by Wootton and other family members in Ravensden and Wilden after access was initially refused.

By comparing title plans contained in the court papers with EWR technical drawings, the BBC identified the extent to which the family's land would be affected.

The drawings propose a large soil storage area near the mayor's home, a construction traffic route passing his farm and construction compounds and utility works on land owned by the family.

Once completed, the scheme would leave a 14m-high (46ft) railway viaduct crossing the farm, alongside access roads, drainage ponds and habitat restoration measures.

Large areas of high grade agricultural land would be lost and the farm effectively divided in two.

The Localism Act 2011 requires councillors to declare personal financial interests in meetings where an item being discussed could leave them financially better or worse off.

Guidance also states members should make declarations when acting in their official capacity, even when they are not making formal decisions.

Councillors must update their register of interests within 28 days of becoming aware of a relevant interest.

In June 2026, a fellow Tory councillor complained that Wootton had failed to properly declare his financial interest in the rail scheme.

An assessment by the council's monitoring officer found no further investigation was necessary. The council declined to provide a copy of its decision and the evidence supporting it.

Between November 2024 and June 2026 the mayor's register of interest did set out that he was part of a "farming partnership" that owned land in the parishes of Ravensden, Renhold, Thurleigh and Wilden.

In June 2026 the register was updated to reflect personal ownership of some of this land.

The BBC identified one council meeting and 14 official meetings the mayor attended in which the council's code of conduct suggests a declaration was required, but where no declaration was recorded. Wootton said in a statement he was "content he has declared everything he has to".

On 4 February 2026, councillors debated a public petition relating to East West Rail and the construction of a multi story car park in Bedford town centre. The mayor spoke in this debate and no financial interest was recorded.

The official meetings include six with EWR representatives and council officers between May 2023 and February 2026, seven public consultation events between July 2023 and March 2024, and a meeting with transport minister Lord Hendy in April 2026.

Minutes from the parliamentary meeting show Wootton urged the minister to abandon the preferred "Route E" option and consider alternatives south of Bedford. There was no record made of Wootton declaring a pecuniary interest.

These routes would avoid land owned by Wootton and his family.

The BBC asked both Wootton and the Department for Transport (DfT) whether any declaration of financial interests was made in advance of or at the meeting.

The DfT said responsibility for declaring such interests rested with the mayor and council, while Wootton said he had "declared everything" he should have "in accordance with the requirements of the Member Code of Conduct".

Land Registry documents show he became the legal owner of land at Brook Farm and Grange Farm after they were transferred by his father, Edward Wootton, in 2022 and 2024 respectively.

The BBC first contacted the mayor with questions about his financial interests in June 2026 but did not receive a response.

It contacted him again in early October 2026 with detailed questions relating to declarations at the meetings and his register of interests and gave him two weeks to respond.

The BBC asked Wootton whether he had updated his register of interests to reflect his personal land ownership within 28 days as required, and whether EWR had discussed compensation for land acquisition.

Wootton said his register of interests "has been kept up to date".

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