Families in Bedford Borough are paying over £23 million more a year for their energy bills because they are living in poorly insulated homes, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are demanding that the government urgently invest in fixing leaky homes in the area and cut people's energy bills in the long term.
My latest monthly column for the Times and Citizen newspaper reflected on the recent widespread disorder seen in London and elsewhere, and on how the uplifting scenes people taking part in spontaneous clean-ups and joining 'broom armies' got many of us thinking about our own communities and how precious they are to us. In case you haven't seen here, I've reproduced it here:
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed the extent of the continuing fall in unemployment in Bedford Borough. The number of people claiming Job Seeker's allowance has fallen by 46% - more than 2,000 people - since February last year. Meanwhile, the age group with the highest proportion of claimants, 18 -24 year-olds, saw a particularly high month-to-month fall between September and October, with the numbers dropping by 16%. This is considerably faster than the regional reduction.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has described today's rail fare rises as 'another kick in the teeth' for Bedford rail users. Rail fares have risen by a further 2.7% - a rise that Mayor Dave has called 'totally unjustifiable'.
The Woodland Trust have announced a Free Trees for Schools & Communities project.
Can you help name fly-tippers and put them out of business? Bedford Borough Council is asking for your help in identifying people they would like to speak to regarding these environmental offences.
