Thank you Bedford for your acts of remembrance earlier today.

This evening will see one final act of remembrance with a beacon being lit at the War Memorial on The Embankment joining hundreds of others across the United Kingdom, following a lighting of a beacon by the Queen. Members of public are being asked to arrive by 6.45pm, with the beacon lighting scheduled for just after 7pm, following The Last Post

Network Rail is advising passengers in Bedfordshire to check before they travel this weekend.

Network Rail is undertaking essential railway improvement work at Odell Viaduct near Odell and Sharnbrook as part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, the biggest programme of improvements to the Midland Main Line since its completion in 1870. As part of the £1.5billion investment, the bridge needs to be raised to allow for the safe clearance of overhead line equipment in preparation for electrification of the line between London to Kettering and Corby via Bedford.

This weekend will see a range of events in Bedford marking the centenary of the end of the First World War and remembering those members of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives. The weekend of events will culminate in the lighting of a 'Beacon of Light', as part of the 'Battle's Over' National Tribute on 11^th November.

Schools across Bedford Borough are facing a combined cut of £1.3m as their budgets are slashed by the Conservative Government. The amount allocated to Bedford Borough for each child in school is being cut, leaving the whole area with over a million pounds less to fund our schools in 2019/20.

News of the cut comes despite promises of a new national funding formula putting right the massive underfunding of local schools. The reduction will see schools receive £1,000 less per primary school class and £1,600 less per secondary school class than they would if per pupil funding was retained at current levels.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has described the High Court ruling which against Covanta Incinerator's (BACI) claim to quash the environmental permit for the Covanta Incinerator at Rookery South Pit near Stewartby as a 'dreadful blow' to nearby communities.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "This is a dreadful blow to communities in the vicinity of the planned giant incinerator. The BACI team of volunteers deserve huge credit for the incredible battle they have fought on behalf of local residents. At the very least a clear message has been sent to Covanta and all regulatory bodies that every move will be watched closely and that residents will fight tirelessly for the good of their community."

Remembrance events and activities are already underway across Bedford Borough, and last Sunday Mayor Dave Hodgson attended the Scots Society's Remembrance Service at Foster Hill Road. The service was a remembrance for all service personnel who have lost their lives in the armed forces, and it commemorates the large number of members of the Highland regiments who were stationed in Bedford prior to heading to the Front in the First World War, and who sadly lost their lives in large numbers due to infection and illness.

In a major boost for local shoppers and traders, Mayor Dave Hodgson's Cabinet has resolved that all car park charges will be frozen for 2019, with the wide array of free parking options for Bedford Town Centre maintained and even extended.

The freeze cuts the real cost of parking for a second successive year, delivering a pre-Christmas boost for local traders and shoppers alike. The freeze applies to all charges, covering both on street parking and Council car parks.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has issued a rallying cry in support of local markets, in the week that his Executive agreed a freeze in the cost of pitches in support of local market traders.

Markets provide important additional footfall at a time when town centres across the country are facing major challenges, and they are an important and historic feature of Bedford. In support of the Bedford Charter Market and Kempston Market, Mayor Dave Hodgson's Excecutive this week agreed an inflation-defying freeze for pitch hire in 2019, cutting real costs for traders.