Mayor Dave Welcomes Bedford Town Centre's Soaring Footfall Figures

New figures have confirmed that Bedford town centre is attracting more visitors, independent shops and investors than ever before. Bedford's array of shops, cafes, restaurants and cultural facilities and events are combining to attract growing numbers of visitors and shoppers, with May's footfall figures showing a 9% year-on-year increase. The rise brings the total number of visitors recorded within Bedford town centre in May 2015 alone to a staggering 1.2m.

Mayor Dave Welcomes Tim Farron's Election as Liberal Democrat Leader

Mayor Dave Hodgson has welcomed the election of Tim Farron as the new Liberal Democrat Party Leader, following the announcement last night of his victory in the ballot of all party members.

Government's Court Closure Plans Could be 'Final Nail in the Coffin' for Access to Justice Locally

Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed the Conservative Government's plans to close Bedford Magistrates' Court down altogether. The plans have been published this week as part of proposals for the closure of 97 courts across England. It follows the major downgrading of Bedford Magistrates' Court last year, when the majority of cases other than family court cases ceased in Bedford, including all criminal cases, which were moved to Luton Crown Court. The plans propose to move family court cases to Bedford Employment Tribunal, with other cases moved to Luton.

Mayor Dave Calls for Inquiry into 'Scandalous Loss of Public Money' as NIRAH Saga Ends

Jobseeker Figures at 7-Year Low as Bedford Borough Jobs Growth Continues

Mayor's Congratulations as Borough Students Buck National A Level Trend

Mayor Dave Hodgson has offered his congratulations to students after yesterday's A Level results publication revealed an increase in the number of local young people achieving top grades. Based on returns from the 7 upper schools, provisional A Level results show 42% of pupils achieved one or more A* - A grades, an improvement on last year. This improvement stands in contrast to the national pitcture, with the proportion of students across the country achieving a top grade falling slightly.