Bringing the Proms Back to Bedford Park

You may have read the excellent news that the ever-popular Proms in the Park event is returning to Bedford Park this year. In the last few years it had moved out to Twinwoods in Clapham and, while I am told that the event was enjoyed by all as always, many people have told me how much they miss enjoying the concert in the beautiful surroundings of Bedford Park, not to mention the easier access to central Bedford for the vast majority of concert-goers. We were therefore very keen to strike a deal with the promoters, the Full Effect, and I am very pleased we reached agreement which will see many local residents and visitors come into Bedford over that weekend to enjoy some great music and another exciting event for Bedford.

Pints in the Parishes in Thurleigh Tonight!

The latest 'Pints in the Parishes' event is taking place tonight, at the Jackal in Thurleigh from around 7.30pm. If you're in the area, please come along and let me know about any issues or concerns you have about your local area, Council services or anything at all you want to discuss. Here's the link to The Jackal's website: www.thejackalpub.co.uk

750 More Trees by the Riverside

Exciting Riverside Regeneration for Bedford Town Centre

Following my visit to see survey work underway on site in preparation for construction of the western bypass earlier in the week, this week brings a number of further exciting developments for Bedford. Notable amongst those is the formal approval of the release of land for the exciting redevelopment of the area on the north side of the river in Bedford, from the site of the current Town Hall office block all the way along to, and including, the current Riverside surface car park.

Ridding the Borough of Useless Street Clutter!

Today I launched our campaign to rid Bedford Borough's streets of useless street clutter. Unnecessary road signs, railings and bollards that are cluttering our local streets are firmly in our sights. As you travel around the Borough, you see a number of road signs which serve no useful purpose. They clutter up the local environment and can even cause a hazard themselves due to their bulk and the obstruction they can cause for pedestrians. These signs are unwanted and unnecessary, as is some of the other 'street furniture' we have which it seems no-one ever asked for and nobody knows why it was installed in the first place! However, unless the Council makes a positive effort to work with residents and parish councils to identify these items and remove them, they can end up long outstaying their welcome and remain in their useless place for years. So we're making that positive effort.

Stepping in to Protect Rural Bus Services from Cuts Made Elsewhere!

As you have probably heard through the national media, a lot of Councils across the country are slashing their support for bus services, with rural routes in particular under severe threat. By contrast, here in Bedford Borough, where most rural routes are subsidised by the Council, we are working to protect residents' access to services and even improve them where possible. In the urban area, where services are run commercially by Stagecoach from Monday to Saturday, we have introduced a new Sunday service which mirrors the routes which run for the rest of the week and offers a vast improvement on the confusing, little-used routes which ran previously. With the rural buses, a range of difficulties have arisen due to the cuts of neighbouring authorities to their support for cross-boundary services. However, thanks to our extensive consultation with rural bus users and our close work with the bus operators, I'm pleased to say that we are doing all that we possibly can to make sure local residents don't miss out