Mayor Dave Hodgson has wished everyone a very Happy Bedfordshire Day. Bedfordshire Day was first celebrated only last year. Today's date was chosen after a public vote organised by the the Friends of Bedfordshire Society found the anniversary of the birth of John Bunyan to be the most popular suggestion.
Mayor Dave Hodgson welcomed the recent Autumn Statement's commitment to two key transport schemes which are hugely important to Bedford Borough, namely the East-West Rail project and the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has criticised reported government plans to require councils to increase council tax further in order to help pay for the rising cost of care. Ahead of Thursday's Local Government Finance Settlement announcement, it is widely reported that the government will announce plans for councils to raise council tax by an additional 6% over two years, on top of any other increase for services as a whole.
• New, extended free parking arrangements for Bedford Town Centre now in operation after Mayor Dave Hodgson brought them forward earlier this month
The 'Townscape Heritage Initiative' (THI) regeneration project for Bedford High Street has formally come to a close, having achieved tremendous success in transforming a series of properties via the restoration of their heritage and historic features and comprehensive refurbishment.
