We are in the middle of conducting in Elstow a survey of what local residents think on several local and national issues. 

I am very pleased to report that the replies are flooding in – either being left by people in their letterboxes for us to pick up later or being sent to the Freepost address on the survey. 

Once all of Elstow has been surveyed by the Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team, I will send everyone a summary of the results for the whole of the village. 

I am also determined to take action as soon as I possibly can on all casework issues raised by residents.  

Thank you once again if you filled in our Survey – the results will really help us in our campaigning all year round for Elstow.  

If we haven’t called yet, please be patient. We will get to you eventually!

I’m pleased to report that the motion was passed overwhelmingly with all the Liberal Democrat group supporting it, all the Tories supporting it and a couple of courageous Independents supporting it as well.

The Labour Group all abstained. This is better than voting against but it does betray the liberal instincts I know some of the Labour Councillors have.

What greatly dissapointed me was that the Mayor left before the debate even started. This is a shame as the motion calls upon him and his Executive to take some actions in support of the Council’s view if they so choose.

But then he copped out of attending 2-tier/3-tier school consultation meetings even though it’s him who’s pushing for the change.

The phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” doesn’t come to mind.

There is a Full Council meeting of Bedford Borough Council tonight.

The last item on the Agenda is a motion I am proposing that calls on the Council to advise the Mayor’s Executive that it does not wish to take part in any trial on ID Cards if asked to do so by the Government.

I will be saying:
- The proposals are not just for a card. The card is the least of it…
- There is no evidence the system will produce the stated benefits.
- Less liberty does not imply greater security.
- The Card and Register will be using overcomplicated, unproven technology.
- Identity Cards will cost over £10m, money that could be better spent elsewhere.
- The proposals mean unchecked executive powers.
- The National Identity Register creates specific new threats to individuals.
- People should not have to justify their identity to the state when going about their business.

Several local residents have been in touch with me to raise their concern about the number of cars who speed along Church Road, Wootton. 

Just to let you know that I am in contact with the Bedfordshire & Luton Casualty Reduction Partnership. I have asked them to investigate to see what can be done to provide a permanent solution to this long-running issue.

I have pointed out that I suspect a number of the speeding cars come from the nearby Wootton Upper School.

The first budget of the unitary Bedford Borough Council is set to include a raft of proposals to meet residents’ priorities, including an additional £1 million for road and footpath repairs and a freeze on short-stay car park charges, thanks to the Liberal Democrats.

The Borough’s council tax increase will be remain at the proposed low level of 0.9%, with our package of vital initiatives and funding boosts for essential services to be paid for by cutting back spending on council PR and ceremonial events and releasing unused council reserves.

The only opposition to the plans came from the Tories, who voted against the package which in addition, includes more funding for protecting green spaces from unauthorised camps, activities for young people in the borough and tackling climate change.

After years of chronic under-funding, an additional £1 million investment for roads and footpaths will enable the vital task of tackling the severe backlog of repairs. Roads and footpath maintenance is just one area where residents have been sorely let down, and we are delighted that thanks to our proposals the budget will address real concerns of local people.

The Tories by voting against measures such as extra road repairs and protection of land from unauthorised camps were simply adding further insult to the injury caused by their long record of misrule at County Hall. It is that record that the Borough unitary authority must turn around, and our budget proposals should form part of the first step in that direction.

Our proposals, which will now go forward as part of the budget for approval by the Full Council, include:

·         An extra £1million for roads and paths repairs.

·         £40,000 to tackle the problems of verge parking.

·         £35,000 to protect open spaces from unauthorised traveller encampments.

·         A total of over £100,000 added into the budget for children and young people to enhance youth services, boost holiday ‘play schemes and ’street schemes’ and provide facilities for young people.

·         £20,000 for action on climate change and cutting council energy bills.

·         £12,000 for the repair, replacement or provision of new bus shelters.

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.

I’ve posted several articles about the cruising cars causing problems to local residents near the lay by outside

We’ve launched some new ideas on tackling youth crime that call for sensible action rather than try to talk tough. The ideas outlined in the document A Life Away From Crime also highlight how to stop children who have been found guilty of minor offences from committing more serious crimes.  The main proposals include: 

-          Making young people pay back the damage caused to communities without involving the criminal justice system

-          The formation of a Youth Volunteer Force to engage young people in activities that benefit local people

-          Running nationwide restorative justice programmes, with a particular emphasis on early intervention in schools and care homes

-          Creating a dedicated PCSO youth officer in every area to work with teenagers most at risk of offending

-          Targeting guns and knives through intelligence-led stop and search, hot-spot policing and action in schools 

If we want to tackle the problem of youth crime, we need to take action early to stop kids from embarking on a life of crime before it’s too late.  

The old parties are falling over each other trying to be tough on crime, but nothing is being done do stop young people getting sucked in to a cycle of crime.  Ministers know that programmes to divert kids away from crime work, and are even happy to promote such projects. However, they have failed to fund them properly in favour of punitive policies that grab headlines but achieve little. 

It is time for a new approach to youth justice which both prevents crime and confronts young people with their actions if they do break the law.

Details of the proposed post office closures have been announced. This will be followed by a six week period of consultation with the local community.

The loss of the post office will hit Stewartby hard. It is a vital asset for many local people and closing it will cause many difficulties for older people and others with mobility problems, in particular.

Despite the decision of Labour MP’s to help the Government press ahead with closures, Liberal Democrats are continuing to fight the demolition of the post office network.

Our plan would give a real investment of £2 billion in the post office, would increase the services offered at local post office branches and improve the network so that every community that needs a post office gets one.

We are the only party with a fully-funded plan to save the post office, give it a long-term future and not just manage its decline.

Our plan would see:
· £2 billion invested in post office network;
· New branches opening where needed;
· Government services continuing to be available at the Post Office;
· The Post Office freed from Royal Mail restrictions to let it develop new business;
· A new legal requirement for the Government to maintain the local Post Office network.

We will keep you posted

Local residents have been in touch with the Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team over the past couple of years expressing their concern about cars speeding along Stewartby Way. The Tory-controlled County Council has said several times to us that any measures to control traffic speed along Stewartby Way are not a high priority for them. Spending nearly £600,000 of council taxpayers’ money on their doomed bid to save the County Council seemed obviously a higher priority for them!  However, I am pleased to report that the Stewartby Police Constable has now been trained on the use of speed guns. He will be using his new gun regularly on Stewartby WayAlso, Stewartby Parish Council and the Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team are continuing to work hard to address this urgent issue. I have proposed that the Parish Council should formally invite an officer from the County Council to attend its May 08 meeting to lobby him/her for any measures to control traffic speed along Stewartby Way to be done.