After writing previously on mayordave.org.uk about Network Rail's plan to remove the riverside footbridge over the railway near Prebend Street in Bedford without providing any alternative to protect the right of way, I am delighted to report that following our negotiations it has committed to a major investment in a new footpath and underpass.
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats set out their desire for an open and honest debate on Britain's position in Europe at a meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday night. On a night when a motion calling for a referendum on the narrow technical issue of the EU Reform Treaty was unsuccessful, Liberal Democrats outlined their desire to see the debate opened up and called for a referendum on whether Britain should remain a Member of the European Union.
After the Christmas celebrations are over and all the decorations are down, if you cannot plant your real Christmas tree in the garden, don't forget to recycle it.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has announced several new projects to be added to the Council's Capital Programme. Paula Radcliffe Way will be repaired and resurfaced, new lifts will be installed at River Street Car Park and new Changing Places Toilets will be installed in the Borough. Other projects already announced will be expanded, including improvements to Brookside Care Home, additional funding for affordable housing support and structural maintenance to footbridges by the river.
I have written before about the financial challenge facing Bedford Borough Council, but as consultation begins on the first set of proposals to modernise Council services and make them more cost-effective, it is worth considering the figures involved in order to really grasp the full scale of that challenge. Bedford Borough Council has to save £36 million over four years in order to balance the books. That's an awful lot of money by any reckoning, but the fact that it represents over a quarter of the Council's current total net budget of £129 million brings the size of the task ahead into even greater focus (the bar chart on the right provides a graphical illustration). There is no escaping this; the Council is legally required to deliver a balanced budget, and cannot make a policy decision not to make all the savings, for example. What we can do, however, is to work with all parties on the Council, with staff and crucially with residents to make sure the savings are made carefully and in the fairest way poss
Accelerating the installation of superfast broadband across Bedford Borough, delivering the 'missing link' of the Bedford Western bypass, a brand new bus station for Bedford and stimulating new business investment in the borough. These are just some of the actions in an ambitious plan to help the borough grow and prosper in the coming years.
