I Know it's Early... Important 'Christmas in Bedford' Dates for the Diary

Yes, I know that often the last thing we want in October is to be told that Christmas is around the corner, especially when shops and advertisers seem to be bombarding us with it for months in advance! However, with dates now confirmed for a couple of important free Christmas events in Bedford, you may want to pencil them into your diary to make sure you and your family are able can join in the fun when they come around.

Pioneering Biomass Deal Continues Comprehensive Council 'Greening' Process

While debate continues elsewhere over the Prime Minister's claims of leading the 'greenest government ever,' the process of 'greening' Bedford Borough Council continues locally with the latest development in this area being a pioneering deal which will see many Council buildings, including schools, use electricity generated by organic, plant-based biomass.

A Parish for Your Area: Have Your Say on Having Your Say

Bedford Borough Council is currently undertaking a review which I hope will ultimately put right an unequal, unfair situation in the Borough. For historical reasons local residents in some areas have had a say over local concerns through their parish council. In the Borough they have existed for the rural areas and for Kempston, but not for the other urban areas. Brickhill residents put this right in their area 7 years ago, and since then they have also had their own parish Council. I believe Parish Councils play an extremely valuable role in representing local residents and getting things done for their communities. A 'Community Governance Review' is now underway to find out what people in the 'unparished' parts of the Borough think about having a parish council for their area.

St Mary's Street Update - Now Open in Both Directions

I'm pleased to confirm that St Mary's Street is now open in both directions, as work continues on the major scheme to reconstruct the road after a survey revealed it was at risk of collapsing. The works will continue for up to another three weeks at most, during which it will continue to be at a reduced capacity (i.e. one lane open in each direction). However, it's great to be able to report that vehicles can now travel north over the Town Bridge, which will ease some of the pressure on our road network and help residents in going about their day-to-day business.

Catching up with Progress at the Bedford Academy Build Project

As you may be aware, Bedford Academy - formerly John Bunyan Upper School - is benefitting from a £25 million investment in completely new school buildings which will feature excellent facilities for its students. It's a major project and represents a huge investment in the education of the children and young people in the catchment area for the academy, but many people may simply be unaware of what's going on there and the progress that is being made on the new buildings. That's because the project involves the building of brand new buildings at the back of the current site, behind the present school buildings, which will be demolished when the construction work is finished and replaced with playing fields in the front of the site.

Town Centre Remembrance Service Sees Bedford Pay Tribute