Tim Hill

I’ve finally figured out how to set everything up on Facebook. 

So I now have a full Facebook Profile. Please read and enjoy J

Local residents have been in touch to advise that although there is still some litter in the ditches close to the school, the situation has improved considerably.  I believe this is a combination of:

a) Getting the Borough Litter Pickers to do a litter pick.

b)     Getting the Borough to do a Pride In Bedford Community Clean up in Wootton in November every year.

c)     Persuading the Pride In Bedford Team to approach Wootton Upper to get some 6th form students to do a Project on educating the school about litter.

Top national Liberal Democrat Campaigner Colin Ross was in the US to help the Obama Campaign during Election Day week.

He flew back last Friday especially to help with the Wootton and Stewartby 1M Doors Challenge Action Day the following day (Sat 8th Nov). 

Over 20 Liberal Democrats knocked on over 1,200 doors in Wootton and Stewartby from 9am - 6pm to listen to local residents concerns about the Marston Vale Eco-towns and giant incinerators. 

It was absolutely brilliant to have so many experienced campaigners from across the local area come and help our local campaign, and then getting Colin’s help was the icing on the cake. But we couldn’t have knocked on so many doors without the help of so many people. 

Colin told us some wonderful anecdotes from the Obama campaign when we visited The Viceroy Indian Restaurant in Wootton for a very pleasant Indian meal. 

Sorry if we didn’t get to see you, but we did call on more than 450 homes in Stewartby and over 800 homes in Wootton, more than half of all homes in the Ward.

Local residents have been in touch with me regarding the need for the bollards at the top of Popes Way to be re-instated. 

I have asked the County Council to do this work.

Many thanks indeed for your time if you were in when I was calling on local residents in Studley Road, Wootton on Sat 18^th Oct 08. 

I was really pleased to see that the road surface at the entrance area to Studley Road is in good condition after my pressure on the County Council in Oct 06-Jan 07 to get it done.  

However, I was concerned to see the amount of weeds on the footpath verges. I have asked the County Council to arrange for the area to be cleared of weeds.

I am growing increasingly concerned about the response to the current crisis by the Government.The bail-out of banks including part nationalisation was welcomed by all parties as the best if only way forward to deal with problems in the financial sector. 

But following the massive leap in unemployment, which was lets face it expected, and the cost of energy etc there is still tremendous pressure on ordinary working people and their families.  Yet the Government is reacting significantly slower to these problems. 

I think it’s time the Government showed as much urgency with the plight of working families and small business as it has done for big business, Banks and the City. That means tax cuts, lower interest rates and real help with fuel bills for this winter to protect the elderly, infirm and children. 

But remember we have the most conservative Labour Government ever - so we will have to wait, but for how long? 

Every day more jobs are lost, every day more people are in more debt and our pensioners are living in fear of the next heating bill. 

The Liberal Democrats want to know your views on plans to build a waste incinerator near Stewartby. The project has been driven to date by the Tory-run Bedfordshire County Council. With the County Council being abolished on 1 April 2009 it is down to Bedford Borough, Central Beds and Luton Councils to decide whether to progress with the plans.

Bedford Borough Lib Dems have consistently opposed the plans for the giant incinerator, believing that it will work against the goals of reducing waste and increasing recycling and arguing that there are better waste disposal options for the environment. The options include Mechanical and Biological Treatment, which is a process whereby as many useful materials are extracted from the waste as possible before any sort of treatment of the remaining waste takes place.

We want to know what your views are. Do you want think that burning the County’s domestic rubbish in an incinerator near Stewartby is the right thing to do, or do you think that local councils should be pursuing a different option? Please let us know by using the on-line poll on the Bedford Liberal Democrats web site at http://www.bedfordlibdems.org.uk/.

I met with several Parish Councillors, the local beat bobby Jamie Quinney and the new Area Inspector Mark Everett for an on-site meeting on this issue on Tuesday night. I’m very pleased to report that we agreed a way forward.We will be approaching the Town Hall for a temporary Mobile CCTV camera to be placed for a few weeks to cover most of the lay-by with suitable signs placed nearby.

If this is agreed and it has the desired effect, the Parish Cllrs present agreed the Acting Chair should propose to the Parish Council that is should set up 2 permanent CCTV cameras to cover all of the lay-by with suitable signs placed nearby. 

If it doesn’t have the desired effect, various options will be discussed that could include setting up Gates or laying temporary blocks. 

I promised all those present at the on-site meeting that I would approach County Hall to discuss the urgent need for some work on Stewartby Way to slow down the majority of drivers who speed along Stewartby Way. The local Police Constable confirmed on Tuesday night that he is regularly catching people speeding and giving out tickets. Action is required before someone is fatally injured.

Just to let you know that I recently received a letter from Bedfordshire County Council.  It relates to the temporary closure of Keeley Lane , Wootton for:

-        2 days during the period Mon 6^th Oct 08 to Wed 31^st Dec 08.

-        One day during the period Fri 1^st May 09 to Tues 30^th June 09.

-        One day during the period Tues 1^st July 09 to Sun 31^st Aug 09.

Why they cannot be more precise on the dates involved beggars belief! 

I would very much appreciate it if you could give me your feedback on the following issues:

a)    Did you receive a copy of the enclosed letter yourself?

b)    If you did, did you think it was enough notice?

My current view is that the County Council does not give enough notice to a large enough number of local residents on such issues. However, I would like your views before I can lobby the County Council to improve the way they do this. Please let me know by either e-mail, letter or phone what your views. I look forward to hearing from you.