Liberal Democrat Councillors on Bedford Borough Council are all joining Twitter and you can follow them and their thoughts on events as they happen. The Twitter account: @BedfordLibDems has been set up to create a quick-fire comments page for all fourteen Liberal Democrats on Bedford Borough Council, including Mayor Dave Hodgson.
As part of the ongoing drive to open up the Council, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are to propose new rules under which a residents' petition carrying at least 30 signatures will trigger a debate at a Full Council meeting. A report to a meeting of the Council's General Purposes Committee taking place on Tuesday 13th July recommends a minimum requirement of at least 1,000 signatures before Full Council considers a petition, but the Lib Dems are proposing to make the petitions system more open and responsive to the concerns of local residents.
The summer sun may have been shining, but earlier this week I signed off a decision to order 3,000 additional tonnes of salt from Sweden for the roads in the winter. The Council has had salt on order from domestic suppliers for months, but a severe national shortage means they cannot even guarantee delivery by the winter. Clearly the fact that all local authorities are struggling to get hold of stocks would be no consolation to anybody if we were to face another winter like the one just gone, so I was adamant that we must the extra mile (or extra thousand miles!) to find salt stocks and make sure we are as well prepared as possible to help keep people safe on the roads and to keep schools, hospitals and businesses open.
With Bedford Borough enjoying warm summer weather, Mayor Dave Hodgson's commitment to making the Council as well prepared as possible to for next winter and any repeat of the 'Big Freeze' has seen an additional supply of 3,000 tonnes of gritting salt secured from Sweden. The Council has placed orders with domestic salt suppliers to replenish stocks for next winter, but a severe national shortage has left these suppliers unable to guarantee delivery before the winter. Rather than waiting and hoping that these orders materialise, the Mayor authorised a search of the international market, which is also suffering a shortage of supplies. A supply of 3,000 tonnes of salt in Sweden was located and secured, and this will be shipped in and added to the Council's stocks in readiness for gritting local roads when the next bout of cold weather hits.
I was delighted to formally open the new car park on Havelock Street in Queens Park yesterday afternoon. The car park is intended to help tackle the congestion problems which occur along Ford End Road due to unlawful parking on the roadside. Huge credit for the new car park must go to Wells and Young's brewery, who very kindly donated the land for the car park for the benefit of the local community. At the official opening I also congratulated the local residents, Councillors and everyone who had contributed to making the idea for a shoppers car park a reality.
The second 'Pints in the Parishes' event is taking place tonight, at the Fox and Hounds in Riseley. These sessions are intended to provide an opportunity for me to hear directly from anyone who wants to discuss the issues important to them in an informal, local environment. They are also a chance for for me to show my support for local, community pubs. I will be at the Fox and Hounds from around 7.30pm.
