Since the day he was first elected as Mayor in October 2009, Mayor Dave Hodgson has prioritised economic growth and jobs for Bedford Borough. He has retained the Economic Development portfolio personally throughout his time as Mayor, and has worked tirelessly to attract new investment and create a supportive environment in which existing businesses can succeed. Here are the facts on jobs and the local economy:
The Sunday Times has selected Bedford amongst its list of the 50 best urban places to live in Britain. Sunday's paper, which included the list drawn up by the paper in conjunction with Zoopla Property, saw Bedford described as a 'perennial wallflower coming into bloom' and declared that 'it's high time we paid more attention to this overlooked market town.'
The overwhelming confidence shown by commercial operators in the Bedford Town Centre riverside regeneration scheme has been further illustrated with news that the high quality restaurant operator Wagamama has signed up for a twenty-year commitment to Bedford. Wagamama joins a host of high quality restaurants in signing up for the exciting scheme.
At Wednesday's Full Council agreed the submission of the Local Plan 2040.
In a huge boost for local schools, Mayor Dave Hodgson has announced a victory for the campaign against the shock government funding cut for Bedford Borough's schools. Extra funding has been secured from the Department for Education, which will maintain the per-pupil funding rate for Bedford Borough's Schools for 2019/20.
