I would like to wish every single resident of our Council Ward, a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I will be lucky enough to be spending my Christmas with my fiancée and our family in our family home together for the first time. I very much hope you have the opportunity to have a great time with family and friends. Especially if the weather turns bad, please look out for your elderly relatives and neighbours.

A Christmas present
If, like me, you’re of a certain age, this will bring a smile to your face. It does for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQP8WGeGuk

Do you need more recycling bags for Christmas?
If you think you might run out of recycling bags over the Christmas period, you can pick up some more from our local libraries.
All Bedford Borough Libraries will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve each library will open as follows:
Bedford Central Library will open with staff from 11am – 3pm then remain open in LibraryPlus until 6pm.
Kempston Library will not open.
Wootton Library will be in LibraryPlus from 9am – 5pm.
Normal hours resume from Wednesday the 2nd January.

Ill health
I want to thank all the local residents who sent me their kind wishes for a speedy recovery from my recent bout of ill-health in November. I suffered multiple fractures in my left wrist after tripping over a paving slab on a private garden whilst delivering leaflets on the Abbey Fields estate. I then suffered an allergic reaction to the latex splint I was given after the plaster cast was taken off. I do want to put on public record, my grateful thanks to all the South Wing staff involved in getting my left wrist back up to delivery capability….

Local Issues: 
Since my last Elstow, Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick Echo, here are some of the local issues I have progressed, in some cases with the valued help and support of the relevant Parish Council.

I have arranged meetings for the Parish Chair and me with the landowners to view what they are proposing and to discuss how our local communities might benefit from these developments. We have got the developers to agree to hold an Exhibition on their proposals at Stewartby Village Hall at 12pm-9pm on 11th January 2019. Please come along to see the proposals in detail and ask your questions. As this Exhibition isn’t being held until 11th January, I have got Borough Planners to extend the original deadline for comments of 31st December to 23rd January.

Litter picks on the main roads
Recently, the Borough grass-cutting teams had done an excellent job of cutting the verges on the C94, the B530 and the Elstow Road. The unfortunate downside of this work is that it revealed a lot of litter that had got caught up in the overgrown grass. I asked for the litter to be picked promptly and it was done.

Pruning of trees on Bunyans Mead pedestrianised area
Several trees in Bunyans Mead were far too overgrown. One large branch had actually snapped and fallen onto a resident’s home. I contacted BPHA and they employed contractors to prune and lop several of the trees.

Maintenance of roundabouts on Abbey Fields
I have helped set up an Abbey Fields Roundabouts Group. Our aim is to see the roundabouts in Abbey Fields brought back to life. If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to hear from you. No previous gardening experience is necessary and tools will be provided. Contact volunteering@bedford.gov.uk to register an interest in joining. This will ensure you are notified of task days and kept up to date on the group’s progress.

School Lane
I am working with residents and landowners to see what can be done to improve the road surface on the track from 1-2 School Lane to 3 School Lane.

Improving safety on Stewartby Way
Residents of the Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes in Stewartby have raised some concerns with me regarding the shrubbery and bushes on the Montgomery Way/The Crescent/Stewartby Way roundabout. They have told me that the extensive shrubbery and bushes are restricting their view when they are trying to cross the road to go to the bus stop. This makes it unsafe to cross the road. I have asked Borough officers and the Parish Council to see what can be done to improve the safety, whilst maintaining the extensive greenery. The Parish Council have kindly already done some work and I want to see whether that is enough for the residents who raised the issue with me.

Network Rail wanted to extinguish Public Right Of Way Stewartby FP5A
As part of its bid for the local works required for the East West Rail electrification scheme, Network Rail wanted to extinguish Public Right Of Way Stewartby FP5A. I spoke at the recent Full Council meeting in support of the Council’s Holding Objection to the bid. I pointed out that with the 1,000 houses development on the brickwork site will inevitably mean significant demand for the use of the surrounding public rights of way network, and there will be an obvious need to cross the railway to reach the rest of Stewartby village. I also said Network Rail claim Stewartby FP5A isn’t well used, but this just isn’t true.

Mud on Ampthill Road between new roundabout and Railway Bridge
Greenlakes Rise residents raised their concerns with me about the amount of mud on the road from nearby newer developments. I raised these concerns directly with the street cleaners and they have advised that as the weather deteriorates, they have increased the twice a week visits to at least three and more if necessary. They have also asked Abbey and Morris to stop the mud at source and to not drag it out onto the on-site roads in the first place.

Councillor Tim Hill
Liberal Democrat Focus Team
Bedford Borough Councillor for Elstow, Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick

Tel: 07907 150923
Email: tim.hill@bedford.gov.uk
Website: bedfordlibdems.org.uk/en/page/elstow-and-stewartby
Facebook: facebook.com/ElstowandStewartbyLD/

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