Dave Ledsom was a local businessman and a stalwart of Bedford Rugby Club. Today I went along before today's match for the presentation of the Dave Ledsom Civic Award, launched by Bedford Borough Council, to Mrs Ledsom.
A Liberal Democrat initiative to help Bedford Borough residents in blocks of flats to recycle their waste is set to be rolled out across the Borough after recycling rates rocketed at a number of sites included in a Council pilot scheme. The improvements saw recycling rates increase by up to 160%. The scheme was funded via a successful budget proposal by the Lib Dems, who have long called for improvements to remove the barriers which prevent many who live in blocks of flats from recycling their household waste.
With the projected costs for the planned incinerator near Stewartby spiralling to far in excess of £1 billion, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling for the plans to be scrapped in favour of an environmentally superior method of dealing with waste.
We were visited by Ros Scott today, a grass roots campaigner I've known for many years. Ros is from Suffolk where she was active in local issues such as her children's schools, she then became a local councillor and now she's a Baroness (sits in the House of Lords) and is President of the Liberal Democrats.
Latest figures from Bedford Borough Council have revealed that one in six looked after children move three or more times a year. The figures show that the number of children moving repeatedly within one year is almost five per cent above the national average, and four per cent over the Council's own target. Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling for the issue to be addressed as a matter of urgency and have requested a full report to the next Children's Services Committee meeting.
Today I joined a trip down the river with some other councillors. The Council are thinking hard about how best use can be made of this great and currently underused asset that Borough has.
