The prolonged period of snow and freezing temperatures was damaging to local businesses in range of ways, with town centre retailers hit, for example, by reduced numbers of people being able to get into town. To support traders and give local shoppers a boost, we offered free parking on Boxing Day in all town centre multi-storey car parks, with the offer to be repeated on New Year's Day.
You may have noticed this website has been a bit quiet in the last 10 days or so. Apologies for that - following the update of the site during the weekend before last, it was not possible to update it for a while. It's all up, running and fully functional now, allowing me a belated chance to offer everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Today's announcement that the family unit at Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre is closing with immediate effect is wonderful news. Locking up innocent children is an affront to our common humanity, and the fact that it has been happening in our Borough makes the matter even more raw for local residents here. I am delighted that the government is to take a more compassionate, human approach to the removal of families with no legal right to remain in this country, and I am especially pleased that this stain on our nation's character will no longer exist here in Bedford Borough.
The footfall counters around the town centre showed a staggering 77% increase in the number of people in town during last weekend's Victorian Christmas Fair, in comparison with last year's figures. We extended the fair this year, with the event featuring, for the first time ever, Christmas market stalls along a temporarily-pedestrianised High Street. While there are improvements which can be made if this is repeated, for example the markets company turning the stalls around on the High Street, it was fantastic to see so many people of all ages there and in other parts of town enjoying Bedford at Christmas time.
This week I signed the document to confirm the launch of the 'Scores on the Doors' food outlet rating scheme in Bedford Borough. Scores on the Doors is a scheme set up by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), involving the publication of a food hygiene rating for restaurants and other food outlets in a local authority area. All inspection gradings and further information is made available online, allowing restaurant-going local residents to make an informed choice about where to go when eating out.
