Ward-wide Issues.

East West Rail – Route E is the chosen option – This is not only brilliant news for the Borough, it is also brilliant news for the residents of the Pear Tree View estate in Elstow and for all commuters who live in the south of the Borough. Route E doesn’t include a new rail track right next to Moss Lane, South Avenue and Lynn Close in Elstow and is good news for the Wixams Station plans. Three of the other Options did have a new rail track right next to the three roads and all three would have meant no station at Wixams.

Future of Link-a-Ride under threat – Tim is very disappointed that Central Bedfordshire Council is again targeting the vulnerable and less well-off in its efforts to cut its budget, due to its massive reduction in central government support grant. In a disputed tender process, Central Bedfordshire Council awarded the contact to another provider who are unable to operate to the same service level as Link a Ride. Unfortunately, hundreds of people with complex medical needs, elderly people, people reliant on transportation for everyday life and those who are simply lonely will now be stranded. These include many residents of Tim’s Ward, especially on the Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes estate in Stewartby. Link a Ride need somewhere in the region of £7500 per month to survive. Local campaigners want to raise enough money to keep them going until a solution to the funding dispute with Central Bedfordshire Council can be found.

Parish Issues.

Elstow.

Arson and other criminal behaviour at the Abbey Fields Shops – Following the arson incident behind the shops and other recent criminal incidents involving drugs, Tim contacted the police at a senior level calling for a HVP (High Visibility Policing) operation at Abbey Fields shops. Therefore, it was great to see the HVP operation at the shops on 3 Feb 20 and be informed by the police that 2 boys, aged 13 and 14, have been taken into custody. Tim hopes that the custody procedures are followed which aim to turn young lives away from such awful criminality. As he types this, Tim is really pleased that Bedfordshire Police are planning to hold a Community Engagement Event on Saturday 8th February at the Abbey Fields shops, at 3pm-4pm. Tim would like to place on public record, his sincere thanks for all the hard work that several Parish Councillors have also done on this extremely concerning issue.

Mud on A6 near landfill site – Tim had previously raised his concerns at the poor job the road washers were doing at clearing the humungous amounts of mud left on the road by the lorries working at the landfill site by the A6. Borough officers visited the site at the time and two sweepers were sweeping the A6. The road wasn’t ideal, so they instructed the contractor to stop tipping. The officers also agreed with the haulier to make a hardstanding with hard-core on site, so they can empty lorries in inclement weather, avoiding the lorries to go on softer muddy spots on site going forward. The haulier promised that the A6 would be kept clean. Unfortunately, this promise hasn’t been kept as recently, when Tim travelled along the A6, it was filthy with mud. Tim has raised the issue again with Borough officers and the issue seems to have now been resolved.

A6 diversion vandalised or blown down signs – Several signs relating to the A6 closure and diversions were either blown over in the recent bad weather or vandalised. Tim asked officers to get them put back up. Some have since been done, but they have come down again. Tim has now asked for them to be put back up.

Adoption of Abbey Fields Play Areas – Tim is really pleased to advise that after his and Mayor Dave’s pressure, the developers of the Abbey Fields estate late last year, finally agreed to pay the “adoption fee” to the Borough Council for the Play Areas on Abbey Fields. This is the fee any developers pay to cover the costs of any outstanding work that the Council need to do on the handing over of the maintenance responsibilities and the initial costs of any ongoing maintenance. This means that a resident can contact Tim should any Play Area on Abbey Fields need some care and attention, and the resident knows Tim can successfully get the Council to do the necessary work.

Parking restrictions – Tim chased up Borough Highways on when double yellows were going to be installed, following their recent public consultations, in the following areas: a) West End on south side at roundabout end, b) West End on both sides on and near the Red Lion corner, c) Bunyans Mead/High Street junction. Borough Highways have now advised that, weather permitting, they will be installed by the first week in March.

Status of streetlight in Croxden Way – Local residents have contacted Tim about the streetlight outside 22-24, Croxden Way. When last seen, this streetlight was covered in safety tape, but there is a new one right to it. Tim has asked Borough officers what the status of the streetlight covered in safety tape is.

Mobile Advice Surgery on Hillesden Avenue – Tim held another of his Mobile Advice Surgeries in his Council Ward. This one was near the junction of Belfry Close and Hillesden Avenue, Elstow at 12pm-12.30pm on Saturday 18th January 2020. Tim would like to thank the 5 residents who stopped to have a chat to raise their concerns with Tim, the 30 or so residents who said hi when they went past, and Chris and Rosa who made him a very welcome, hot cuppa !

Stewartby.

Conservative support continues for over-development of brickworks site – Many residents will know that Tim is the current Speaker of Bedford Borough Council and has been a Bedford Borough Councillor for Stewartby village for nearly 13 years now. Over the years, he has heard some pretty shocking proposals from Conservative Councillors that would adversely affect his Ward, but one Conservative Borough Councillor’s suggestion at the Full Council meeting on 5 Feb 20, would really take some beating. When asking questions of Mayor Dave on planning matters, the Conservative Councillor for Harrold Ward, Councillor Alison Foster, the Conservative Group’s Planning Spokesperson, said the following: “So my next question is, please, what about the Brickworks site that is capable of taking up to 12,000 homes?” * The above quote is taken from a transcript of the meeting provided by a Borough Officer and it was originally said in the presence of over 65 people, including the 35 other Councillors present, several Borough Council Officers and around 30 members of the public.

C94 Potholes – The C94 between the Green Lane junction and the Manor Road junction is now in an absolutely appalling state. Tim has reported several of the potholes previously, but nothing has been done. He went along the road recently and counted something in the region of 48 potholes. This included several in the stretch between the Green Lane junction and the Broadmead Road junction that are at least 30cm in diameter and 10cm or more, deep. Tim has asked to meet an officer on site sometime soon to go through the whole stretch and agree when the problems will be investigated and resolved.

Ditch near Stewartby with a heavy smell of diesel – A resident of Stewartby contacted Tim to raise concerns about a ditch near Stewartby that had a heavy smell of diesel. The ditch is just north of the B530 junction with Stewartby Way. The resident said he couldn’t see any diesel film on the water, but it smelt heavily of diesel. Tim contacted the Environment Agency to successfully request the ditch be checked and cleared of diesel.

Mud on Green Lane – Residents contacted Tim to complain about the very muddy condition of Green Lane due to lorries from the Landfill Site. Tim immediately contacted the relevant Council Officer to raise these concerns and asked for prompt an effective action. It turned out that the on-site wheel wash had blocked jet nozzles. The Site Manager had called an engineer and ordered an additional road sweeper. It was obvious that even another road sweeper would not be able to get on top of the problem, whilst there were still lorries exiting the site with muddy wheels. The Site Manager therefore closed the site and they started turning lorries away immediately. The Officer had a meeting with more senior managers in FCC w/c 6 Jan 20. Tim asked him to raise the seemingly ongoing problems at Stewartby Landfill Site. Unfortunately, residents have again raised their concerns with Tim about the massive amount of mud on Green Lane due to the Landfill Site lorries. Tim again immediately contacted the relevant Council Officer to raise these concerns and again asked for prompt an effective action this time.

Resurfacing The Crescent footpath – Tim has been pressing the Council to resurface the footpath outside some of the bungalows in the Crescent. He is very pleased to advise the Council will be resurfacing the southern-most part of the footpath in February. This is expected to be done at 08:00-18:00 hours from 17th February 2020 to 21st February 2020. That stretch of the road will be closed during that time.

Cash Machine at Hansons Reach Co Op – Following this issue being raised with him by residents, Tim has asked his contact at the retail developers whether the Hansons Reach Co-Op will have a cash machine. His contact has confirmed a cash machine will be positioned outside the store.

Double yellow lines at back of Broadmead Lower School – The area of the Hanson’s Reach development, that is behind the Broadmead Lower School site, has a planning condition in its planning permission relating to the installation of double yellow lines. Planners were concerned to ensure that: i) Parents taking their children to Broadmead Lower by car, wouldn’t clog up the area at school times. ii) Large vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, will be able to access the whole area. The developers have planned and built the estate in a way that doesn’t enable emergency vehicle access in some areas if cars are parked on the road. Residents were recently advised by Borough Highways that the formal process has now started to install the double yellow lines and some residents have expressed their concerns at the proposals. It seems that just like the Covanta Incinerator not showing up in some Hanson’s Reach searches during a house purchase, these proposals also didn’t appear in some searches during a house purchase. Tim says the search process is no longer fit for purpose. Tim asked whether the restrictions could be enforced only at school drop-off and pick-up times, but he has been told the planning condition is that the restrictions should be in place 24/7.

Wires not mounted properly on Green Lane – Some traffic monitoring wires have been laid on Green Lane, about 40m west of the Landfill Site entrance. Residents have advised Tim that the wires on the north side of Green Lane, haven’t been mounted properly. They are too far into the main highway and the mounting could cause damage to a vehicle’s tyres. Tim has asked Central Bedfordshire Council to get those responsible to re-install them in a safer way.

Retail Units “To Let” Sign – Tim has asked the retail developers of the shops on Hanson’s Reach, to remove the giant “Retail Units To Let” sign on the land behind the block of flats in Brick Crescent. It seems to have been just ripped out of the ground and left there.

Pothole 79 to 86 Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes – Tim has reported to Borough Highways for repair, the massive pothole at the entrance to 79 to 86 Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes.

Kempston Hardwick. Residents Meeting – Every so often, Tim hosts a Kempston Hardwick Residents Meeting so that local people can raise issues of concern and receive feedback from him, the Parish Chair and Borough Officers and hopefully police officers on issues affecting local people. This is because they are living in a very rural area. This year’s one will be held at 6pm on 16th March 2020 at The Chequers. 6pm will of course be quite difficult for everyone, but it is relatively early so we can get Borough Officers along (and maybe a police officer).

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