Yesterday morning I was out in the early morning sunshine in Renhold to support a joint enforcement operation between the Council and the police. Renhold has suffered from excessive numbers of Heavy Goods Vehicles running through the village, and we were there to monitor compliance with the 7.5 tonne weight limit and timed restrictions which are in place.
Here in Bedford Borough we can proudly boast that we are hosting more Olympic and Paralympic teams for pre-games training camps than any other town outside games venues such as London or Weymouth. The Maldives Olympic Team is already here, and I'm delighted to welcome them to Bedford. It's an honour for us to be hosting teams as they prepare for the Olympics and Paralympics, and I hope that the Maldives team enjoy their stay here, and go on to have a successful Games.
There is surely nothing more exasperating for a motorist, cyclist, pedestrian or any road user than facing the disruption of a road being dug up just a short while after the last time it was closed or restricted for road works. This has been allowed to happen because utility companies and other private contractors have not had to ask permission to access public roads and pavements. This week, however, the government has announced that it has approved our plans for a permit scheme which will see utility companies have to apply for permission to carry out works on roads in Bedford Borough.
Armed Forces Day took place at the weekend, and it was marked in usual fitting style here in Bedford with a parade through town on Sunday, and then on Monday morning at Borough Hall with a Flag Raising ceremony. The Standard Bearers did a fine job as always, and it was once again an honour for me to 'inspect the standards,' which you can see pictured here. Following the flag raising, a ceremony was held for the signing of the Bedford Borough Armed Forces Community Covenant.
We're just two days away from the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Bedford Borough. At 9.32am on Sunday morning (yes, the scheduling really is intended to be that precise!), the torch is due to set off from Goldington Green, from where it will travel down Barkers Lane, briefly stopping off at Bedford International Athletics Stadium. It will then continue to the Embankment, across Town Bridge, down London Road and finish on Harrowden Road at 10.48am. It will then be taken to Cotton End where it will arrive at High Road at 10.52am and travel through Cotton End before leaving the borough.
The size of the crowds lining the streets of the torch relay in Bedford and Cotton End really was remarkable. Glancing at some of the footage of the relay in other towns and cities, I haven't seen such crowds out right along the route, and that's not to mention the enthusiasm on show. People of all ages came out to enjoy a real family occasion, with in many cases three generations enjoying the spectacle together. What is most remarkable, perhaps, is the fact that it was all in spite of some pretty dreadful weather, especially early on the Sunday morning when people will have been heading out. If the weather depleted the numbers at all, it certainly wasn't noticeable, with huge crowds not just along the Embankment and in Bedford town centre but all along the route.
