Happy New Year
I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year, we can but hope it will be better than 2020.
Over the Christmas period Bedford Borough saw the worst flooding since 1998.
Ahead of the flooding around 1300 households were visited to alert residents of the flood warning and the danger it represented and discuss precautions that needed to be taken. They were also given details of support if they needed to evacuate.
Early indications suggest around 40 properties in the Borough were impacted with floodwater entering properties.
I would like to put on record my thanks to Council Officers, the Police, the Fire and Rescue Service and the many volunteers who gave up their Christmas to help local residents.
This week's Coronavirus Snapshot, which can be seen here, has seen yet another increase in positive cases reaching over 1,000 in a seven-day period for the first time at 1,127 in the week 30th December and 8 deaths in the week to 18th December.
The Government have announced a delay of the return for secondary schools in January, however they still require primary schools in Bedford Borough to open as normal next week. The Government did not consult with local councils about these decisions.
You can read more from the Government at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-sets-out-school-contingency-plans-for-england. If in doubt, please contact your child's school direct for further information.