The recent meeting of the Full Council was the first since the conclusion of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In light of the remarkable summer of sport we all enjoyed, and in particular the unique contribution made by Bedford Borough throughout, I wanted to take the opportunity to say a special thank you to all those locally who, in their different ways, helped make it such a special experience for all.
The Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service in Bedford on the Embankment was, as always, a moving experience. There was a very strong turnout of people who had come out to pay tribute and to observe the act of remembrance together.
My latest regular column for the Times and Citizen, published in this week's paper, considered the similarities between the threat posed to our local police force a couple of years ago at the time of the attempted merger with Herts Police and that which faces Bedford Hospital currently in the form of the plans to downgrade two of five hospitals in our area. In case you haven't seen it, I've pasted a copy of the article below:
Tonight is the night of the big Christmas Lights Switch-On and Fireworks show on the Embankment. This is always a great event, and in addition to the customary appearance of Father Christmas himself, we also have another very special guest joining us tonight. Bedford's very own 2012 Olympic hero Etienne Stott will be there, adding to the excitement around this ever-popular free event.
Yesterday I went out and about to see some of the areas in the Borough worst-affected by the floods, or at least some of those which were accessible. There has obviously been real disruption for many people, and I spoke to people about how they are prepared for the high waters, and how it has affected them locally. One of the places I visited was Bromham which, as you may be able to see in the photo with Herons Mead resident Mr Webb on the right, has seen very high levels on the river. None of the homes had been flooded, although I visited some properties where the water has come perilously close.
This week we received the very welcome confirmation of the award of £3.1 million from the national weekly collection support fund. The grant award is in recognition of our commitment as one of the minority of councils to have protected weekly black bin collections and our plans to increase recycling and reduce waste even further.
