My latest monthly article for the Times and Citizen newspaper was on the topic of services for children at Bedford Hospital, and in particular the decision of the NHS decision-makers to respond to a problem over the supervision of junior doctors by launching a review of whether paediatric services should be removed from our local hospital altogether.
In the face of the unprecedented cuts to local government funding in recent years, we have rejected the approach seen in a number of other areas of passing on the impact of this to hard-pressed local households via spiralling council tax or hikes in fees and charges. That's why alongside three straight years of average Council tax freezes, shoppers' car park charges have been frozen, in stark contrast to the situation elsewhere nearby and across the country. This has been extremely tough to deliver, with extra savings to be found elsewhere, but we've done it because we are committed to supporting town centre businesses and shoppers. Now we want to go further in this aim. So, starting before Christmas this year, I plan to bring in free parking in all town centre car parks on Saturdays for the first two hours of your stay.
I am pleased to be able to confirm the start date of the Free Parking Deal, and to confirm new late car park openings we are bringing in to support the night-time economy in Bedford Town Centre. The Free Parking Deal will start on November 23rd, after legally-required consultation on the changes to arrangements. So, it will be in place in time for the all-important Christmas shopping period for our town centre traders.
The topic of my latest monthly article for the Times and Citizen newspaper was the Free Parking Deal, our initiative to follow our three successive years of shoppers' car park freezes with two hours' free parking in Bedford town centre on Saturdays from November 23rd. In it, I suggested that while Bedford has been quietly bucking the trend with our frozen charges for shoppers, rising footfall and falling shop vacancy rate, perhaps it's time to be a bit noisier in promoting our town and all it has to offer. If you didn't see the article, here it is in full:
The fight to protect frontline services here in Bedford Borough in the face of the unprecedented, extraordinary funding crisis...
Recently I popped along to the Embankment to have a look at the historic balustrades, which we are repairing and renewing as part of a £50,000 investment to preserve this landmark feature of Bedford Town Centre.
