Restricting the Council's Own 'Snooping' Powers

Network Rail Must Respect Riverside Right of Way Over Footbridge

Network Rail is seeking to pull down the footbridge over the Bedford to Bletchley railway line along the riverside path in Bedford, near the Prebend Street Bridge. This may not mean much to those people who don't use that path, but the many people who do know it and who use this important route between the town centre and Queens Park and Kempston will know that this means people will have to use the path under the bridge. That would be fine, were the clearance under the bridge on the path not just 4 foot 9 inches, and liable to flooding which makes it impassable.

Battery Recycling from the Doorstep

A lot of people use a lot of the different services provided by the Council, but the one thing the Council does which almost all of us use and rely on is the household bin collection scheme. We have obviously retained weekly collections here, after the former County Council tried to change to a fortnightly system in Bedford Borough. When I talk to residents around the Borough about the bin collection, it is clear that people really value having a weekly system. People also tell me they like the fact that we have a relatively simple recycling collection scheme. Most non-food items can be put in the orange bin or bags for collection every fortnight. However, one thing that a number of people have told me is that they would like the range of materials you can recycle expanded even further. So, we've been working on it, and I'm delighted that we are now rolling out battery recycling collections from the doorstep for the very first time.

Visiting One of Bedford's Hidden Giants!

When I talk to people about the major firms located here in Bedford Borough, I am always struck by the fact that the presence of Fujifilm UK's Head Office does not seem to be widely known. They actually have 14 buildings at the St Martin's Way Business Park alone! It's another example of the major businesses we host here in Bedford which would be the envy of any town in the country. As part of the 'Open for Business' programme I launched after becoming Mayor I visited Fujifilm UK last week to talk to senior management figures about their business and how the Council can support them to continue to thrive here in Bedford Borough.

Cutting Council Carbon by 40%... While saving taxpayers £8 million!

This week saw the launch of the Council's Carbon Management Plan. That doesn't sound very exciting, I know. However, it sets out how the Council is going to cut its carbon emissions by a massive 40% by March 2015, and save taxpayers £8 million! If you ask me, that really is something to shout about. In fact, by the end of the 5 year programme, the ongoing saving to the Council through this plan, which has been produced in partnership with the Carbon Trust, will be almost £1.5 million.

Pulling Together for the Bedford Rowing and Watersports Lake!

On Wednesday this week I attended the formal start of landscaping for the Bedford Rowing and Watersports Lake. In fact, I even had the honour of planting the first tree! The vent was held to mark not only the start of the landscaping, but also the fact that the Bedford River Valley Park enabling development for the Rowing and Watersports Lake is now in the Council's draft Allocations and Designations Plan. The fact that the land is now on course to be allocated for the enabling development, which will feature an extended campus and sports facilities for the University of Bedfordshire and much-needed extra-care retirement homes, is a major step towards the delivery of the lake.