Bedford
Liberal Democrats

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Dave Hodgson with Town Bridge behind

Ambitious for Bedford Borough - My Speech to Last Week's Hustings Meeting

Last Week I took part in a hustings meeting at the Salvation Army Centre in Bedford. Below is the text of the short speech I delivered, setting out very briefly how we've managed to buck the national trend and save services here in Bedford Borough, while cutting council tax for the first time in recent history. It also covers briefly my ambition for our Borough, and how if re-elected as Mayor I will continue to work for the very best for Bedford Borough, and help make residents across the Borough every bit as proud as I am to call it my home. Here's the text of the speech:

3 May 2011
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Mayor Dave Hodgson with Pavenham Solar Panels

Mayor's Climate Change Fund to support wave of exciting new projects

A wave of exciting new projects to protect our environment and cut energy bills at community facilities are set to receive support from the Mayor's Climate Change Fund. The Fund, which provides 50% of funding, up to a maximum of £20,000, for projects to reduce energy usage and help tackle climate change at community buildings, has grown in popularity as awareness has grown of the benefits its support can bring to local organisations such as schools, charities, voluntary groups, parish councils and places of worship. The latest set of applications which meet the fund's criteria include bids for measures such as solar panels, low energy lighting, improved insulation and air source heat pumps. The organisations who are set to benefit from this latest round of grants are the Community and Voluntary Service, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, Christ Church and Daubeney Middle, Mark Rutherford Upper and Biddenham Upper Schools.

2 May 2011
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Dave Hodgson

Mayor Hails Bedford’s Electric Car Revolution!

Bedford is set to be at the forefront of the forthcoming electric car revolution, after it was confirmed that four charging posts will shortly be installed in public places around the town, with another four to follow. There will be two plug-in points on each post, which will be installed thanks to the Council's leading role in two joint bids for local areas to be amongst the first places where residents who wish to reduce the cost of running a car and their impact of the environment are able to consider the growing range of electric vehicles now coming onto the market. The first four new posts will be installed in the next few months, and with the electricity to be supplied through a sponsorship arrangement with renewable energy firm Ecotricity, the plug-in points will offer a real incentive for residents considering electric vehicles.

26 Apr 2011
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Dave Hodgson in front of the town bridge

Saving Weekly Bin Collections in Defiance of National Shift to Fortnightly Systems

A widely-reported recent survey by the Press Association found that 59% of councils had scrapped weekly rubbish collections. The news that we're in a minority here in Bedford Borough may come as a surprise to some, but the retention of our weekly collections has been hard-won! You may recall that the Conservative Leadership of the former County Council tried to impose fortnightly collections on Bedford Borough households. I fought successfully alongside colleagues on the Borough Council to retain our weekly collections, and as Mayor, despite the financial pressures we have faced, I've found the savings to make sure we can save weekly collections. For example, instead of reducing the frequency of collections, we are reviewing the collection routes and will save over a quarter of a million pounds for local taxpayers by making them more efficient, with no impact on the level of service whatsoever. Meanwhile, our efforts to work with local residents to support them to recycle more has seen our recycling rate shoo

26 Apr 2011
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Dave Hodgson with Town Bridge behind

Welcoming Vision Modular Systems - More Investment and Jobs for Bedford Borough

The news that the modular building firm Vision Modular Systems are coming here and creating up to 250 jobs is fantastic for Bedford Borough. VMS had other options for their new location, but we worked with them to show them the benefits of doing business in Bedford Borough and I am delighted that they have confirmed that they will be coming here. VMS have been responsible for a number of major construction projects including the world's tallest modular building in Wolverhampton, and will be creating a range of skilled jobs at their new plant on the Woburn Road Industrial Estate in Kempston.

23 Apr 2011
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Dave Hodgson with Pothole Hit Squad Sign

Pothole Hit Squad Update: Over 1,200 potholes filled since January

The Pothole Hit Squads we launched in January have now surged past the 1,000 potholes repaired mark, with over 1,200 repairs undertaken. The teams not only do a high quality job, with repairs which last, but also allow us to get much more maintenance work done for local taxpayers' money thanks to the new, more efficient method of working. The hit squads, of which there are now four, have a 'hot box' on the back of their vehicle, meaning that they have a ready supply of hot tar with them while they mobile and out on the road. It means that the tar is at the ideal temperature when they actually carry out the works, and does not cool down on route from the depot, as was prone to happen in the past. It also means that the teams do not have to keep returning to the depot to pick up hot tar, and can stay out on the roads responding to calls swiftly and getting more potholes filled than ever before. The teams are also now working on Saturdays, spending more hours out on the roads and pavements carrying out vital rep

22 Apr 2011
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