Building an Early Head of Steam for River Festival 2012!

Yesterday I hosted a breakfast meeting with thirty seven businesses about River Festival 2012, talking about the potential for the festival to be the biggest and best ever and introducing the firms to the variety of ways in which they can get involved and support the event. Next year's event will be held on the weekend before the Olympics, and we have already set the Council's budget for the event for the coming financial year and the year after, in order to secure its status and enable early preparation for what should be a fantastic occasion. Establishing the budget has also enabled us to secure key infrastructure which will be in high demand for the olympics. For example, there are only so many porta-loos in the country, but don't worry, as we have made sure we won't be caught short!

Saving Our Libraries

The rigorous, ongoing process of stripping out waste and finding every possible efficiency saving across all parts of the Council and its activities is certainly a major task. However, I only have to consider for a moment what we have to lose if we don't succeed in continuing to find the vast savings required to remind me how important it is. Once vital services are lost, it is hard to see them coming back. To take just one example of a key service which I am simply not prepared for us to lose in Bedford Borough our libraries, for instance, are fantastic community facilities which must be protected.

Hitting the Heights!

Visit to Tree Survey - Witnessing Another Key Step Towards Delivery of the Bypass

Bedford Borough Bin Bonanza

Many residents living in larger households contacted me after I became Mayor about the Council's refusal to provide additional orange or green recycling bins or even bags to use alongside bins when they became full. Having campaigned for many years to make it easier for residents to use the recycling collection schemes, for example for new recycling facilities at blocks of flats and for a wider range of materials to be included, I have been determined as Mayor to continue to support residents to recycle. I therefore changed this policy, as residents who want to recycle must be supported to do so. Anyone who wants additional capacity to recycle more, either via more green or orange bags or a bin, can have it.

Digging in for the Exciting Bedford River Valley Park Project