Last night I was in Cotton End for the latest 'Pints in the Parishes' event at The Bell. I want to thank Landlady Lorraine and everyone at the pub last night for a warm welcome and a very good discussion about a range of issues faced by the local residents in the village and in neighbouring Shortstown.
Four days in, and the village tour is going really well. I've done surgeries in 13 villages so far, plus the pints in the parishes event in Cotton End on Tuesday night. Thanks to everyone who has come out and talked to me. I've taken away lots of actions for myself and for the Council, and if you've raised a query with me I will be getting back to you as soon as possible. The village tour is all about giving people in all parts of the Borough the chance to raise matters important to them with me directly, so if I'm coming to your village, please come and talk to me about any concerns, ideas, suggestions or just to say hello! The full village tour itinerary is listed below:
I'm delighted that the new energy contract entered into by the Council means that all Council-owned streetlights across the Borough will now be powered using renewable sources of energy. This will save over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and is a major step forward as we strive towards meeting our ambitious commitments under the 10:10 climate change campaign. The new energy contract also includes the installation of meters which will allow automatic meter readings to be taken for electricity and gas. This avoids the need for estimated readings and will help the Council to monitor, control and ultimately reduce energy usage.
After 14 days and 55 mobile walk-up surgeries in 55 villages, the village tour came to a close at 8pm yesterday with the final session in Willington. Over the two weeks over 300 people came up to speak to me directly, and I want to say thanks to everyone who did so and for the warm welcome I received from people in villages across the Borough. Getting out and about to see all that the Borough has to offer and to meet people in their own communities is one of the best parts of this job, and it really was an excellent two weeks. I have picked up several hundreds queries and requests for information and action. I will respond to each of these directly, although please bear with me as it may take a little while to get through them all!
This week saw the launch of the Council's eighteen-month trial of an extension of bus lane use in Bedford to taxis, motorbikes and bicycles. I am very keen to pursue anything which encourages more sustainable forms of transport and helps tackle congestion, and we gave this initiative serious consideration before launching the trial. We will monitor it closely in terms of safety and the impact on traffic levels and congestion. Results from trials elsewhere have been positive, so I am hopeful that that we will find that it is beneficial to air quality and helps cyclists and motorcyclists get around smoothly and safely.
The news that the Council has been successful in its bid for £959,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Museum project is great for the Borough and for local taxpayers. Added to the Council's £3.6 million investment and other generous contributions, it means that we can go ahead with a project that will make the art gallery and museum an extremely attractive destination in the town centre, while also cutting revenue costs for local taxpayers on an ongoing basis.
