Reasons to be Cheerful About Bedford Borough and its Future

Central Beds Must Rethink and Say No to Stewartby Incinerator after Covanta Shortlisting

Many local residents will have been shocked by the story in last week's Times an d Citizen, which revealed that the Conservatives in charge of Central Bedfordshire Council have shortlisted US waste giant Covanta's bid for a mammoth 600,000-tonne capacity incinerator near Stewartby amongst their potential long-term waste partners. There are 6 firms on their shortlist, which will be reduced further in the next few weeks. The Tories' move is the latest in a long campaign by the party in support of an incinerator at Rookery Pit near Stewartby. First, the former Conservative County Council pursued plans for its own incinerator there, and then Conservatives in Buckinghamshire previously selected Covanta's project as the preferred option for Bucks waste. Now Central Beds Conservatives could be about to give the biggest boost they possibly could to the appalling prospect of the incinerator being built. I am calling on the Conservatives to listen to the broad-based campaign of local residents, which even the local Con

Concerned that Twinwoods Incinerator Decision to be Taken as far from Communities Affected as Possible

I was dismayed to learn this week of the decision that the final determination of Biogen Power Ltd's application to build a new waste gasification incinerator atTwinwoodsBusinessParknear Milton Ernest will be made inWhitehallby a Government Minister. The proposals were turned down by the Council's planning committee in March, much to the delight of the large number of local residents who have expressed their concern about a range of issues, not least the number of lorry journeys over local roads which would result. Biogen Power Ltd appealed against the planning committee's decision, and the Planning Inspectorate recently conducted the appeal, with an independent planning inspector due to make the final decision in the coming weeks. It came as a surprise, then, when the Council received a letter earlier this week from the Planning Inspectorate which stated that the "the Secretary of State hereby directs that he shall determine this appeal instead of an Inspector."

'Wrong on All Counts:' My Comments to the Open Floor Hearing on the Covanta Incinerator Plan for Stewartby

Yesterday I spoke at the first session of the open-floor hearings being conducted by the Infrastructure Planning Commission on the application by US waste giant Covanta Energy to build a 600,000 tonne capacity incinerator at Rookery South pit near Stewartby. As I have explained previously, I have not been involved in the Council's formal submissions to the application process being conducted by the IPC, having received a warning letter from lawyers for Covanta. They had noticed that, like so many residents of this area, I am opposed to the principle of us being established as a magnet for lorries bringing waste from areas far and wide for burning using an environmentally damaging waste technology in the form of incineration. Indeed, I have campaigned against these abominable plans since they were published, well before I became Mayor. Not wanting to place the Council at any risk, I have instead taken part in the process as an individual, and did so again at the hearing yesterday.

The 'Warmer Beds' Home Insulation Scheme - Good for the Environment... and a really good deal!

I'll admit that a new home insulation scheme offered by the Council isn't necessarily the most exciting topic, but I really think it's worth highlighting what is an excellent deal for homeowners across the Borough. The 'Warmer Beds' Home Insulation Scheme is offering special summer discounted prices for cavity wall and loft insulation, which can help make a real difference to households in cutting heating bills and reducing their impact on the environment. Two thirds of all heat lost from an un-insulated home is through the walls and roof.

Have Your Say in Difficult Times on Council Savings

As you may be aware, Bedford Borough Council must find £36 million of savings - over a quarter of its current net budget - over the coming four years in order to balance the books. We cannot hide from this - the Council has a legal requirement to balance its budget and £36 million is the funding gap which has to be closed to achieve that. 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 possible. To that end, the first set of proposals on how to make those savings, agreed by all groups on the Council, are now out to public consultation. You can find details of the proposals, and take part in the consultation online, at www.bedford.gov.uk/budget2012. Also, in order to make it as easy as possible for people to give the Council their views, we have for the first time produced an interactive 'budget tracker.' This online tool gives you the opportunity to put together and submit an indicat