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.

Ward-wide Issues.

Coronavirus Support for the elderly and vulnerable – The Borough Council and local volunteer groups are working hard to support residents who are in self-isolation with no family or friends to help. The Borough Council has set up a Community Hub to deliver basic food parcels, collect and deliver essential prescriptions and offer a friendly link with the outside world. If you have no family or friends to help and you need food or prescriptions, you can ask the Community Hub for help. If you and others in your household are healthy and you want to help us support residents who have no other support network, then we would love to hear from you. Either way, please register on here: https://bedford-self.achieveservice.com/service/Request_for_Help If your need is urgent, please call the Community Hub on 01234 718101. Local volunteer groups have also been set up in both Parishes. If you live in Stewartby or Kempston Hardwick, please ring 07407438829. If you live in Elstow, please ring 07401094371.

Do you have a Project that needs some financial help? – Thanks to Mayor Dave, the Borough Council continues to operate the Councillors Ward Fund. Each Borough Councillor has a budget of around £10,000 to spend on small Projects in their Ward. These Projects wouldn’t otherwise be done, as they aren’t a high enough priority for the Borough Council as a whole. Tim has around £450 left to spend on small Projects in his Ward in 2020/21. Are you involved in a Project that needs some financial help? If so, please let Tim know as soon as possible and he will be in touch.

Parish Issues.

Elstow.

75th Commemoration of VJ Day – In 2020, the nation will be asked to remember the impact that leaving, missing and returning home has on service men and women and their loved ones – then and now. The commemorations for both VE and VJ Day will be the central part of our national remembrance and will bring home the scale of service and sacrifice made by men and women of the Second World War generation. The Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire has asked the Reverend Paul Messam to organise a number of events in Elstow, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day locally. Details are still being put together and of course it depends on whether Coronavirus is still massively restricting social contact, but if it does go ahead, it should be a wonderful commemoration. Please put 15th August in your diary to join in the events.

Planning application on the Elstow Park and Ride Site – Some residents have raised their concerns with Tim regarding a planning application from the Enterprise Hire Car Company to take up some of the site of the Elstow Park and Ride site. He has sent some e-mails and found out the following: • There will be a loss of 60 parking spaces from the current 330 capacity, taking it down to 270. • The application in from Enterprise is to convert part of the building at the park and ride • There will still be an area remaining for people to wait for the bus • Most people don’t use the pavilion and prefer to sit in their cars when waiting for the bus • The Park and Ride is rarely used at its maximum capacity other than on a big event day, such as the River Festival. • Tim doesn’t have a date for when this application will be decided.

Increasing parking capacity for Bunyans Mead residents – Tim had a site meeting at Bunyan’s Mead, Elstow recently. This took place in the car park by no.59. Tim arranged it with Borough Highways, Parish Councillors, residents and a BPHA Officer. It discussed Tim’s ideas for increasing the number of parking bays by 3. This is needed as the number of car owners on the estate has greatly increased since it was first built. The 3 parking bays are much easier to install in that car park, rather than the first one, as the second one doesn’t involve BPHA having to buy any of the green space off the Borough and it doesn’t need a planning application for a change of use. Tim is hoping to progress this idea with BPHA over the coming months.

Wilstead Road Average Speed Cameras – Tim recently received the following e-mail from a Borough Highways Officer: “Good Morning Following the successful award of a new framework contract for the installation of average speed cameras I can now confirm that the proposed installation for Wilstead Road, Elstow has been submitted to the Supplier for final detail design. I am also happy to inform you that the installation is currently scheduled to begin week commencing 11th May. This is subject to a timely acceptance of the final design and the accommodation of utilities, in the event of any delays I will keep you informed. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.” Tim has expressed his concern about the date going back yet again, but is aware that many businesses, like the Average Speed Camera suppliers, have been negatively impacted by the Coronavirus in terms of the supply of materials and a reduced workforce.

Major vehicle incident at 1-13 Abbey Fields – There was a really serious vehicle incident at 2.30am on Saturday 21st March 2020 outside 1-13, Abbey Fields, Elstow. A BMW travelling at speed smashed into 4 or 5 cars outside the 1-13 houses, before coming to rest on the pavement. Police – Incident number BP-210032020-0046 – and the Fire Service attended. 4 cars were very badly damaged. The police dog unit tracked down the driver who had abandoned his car. If you are aware of any fact that may help the police with the prosecution, please let the police know, even if doesn’t seem relevant. Tim has sent an e-mail to senior Police and Borough Council Officers, asking if the: a) Police could consider doing some speed gun activity on Friday and Saturday nights. b) Police could look at what other more long term measures might reduce the incidence of speeding along Abbey Fields, Elstow. After all, speeding is a criminal activity as I understand it. c) Borough Council could review the position of Abbey Fields in the Average Speed Cameras Programme. The response from the police has been slightly disappointing, but they are snowed under with issues relating to the Coronavirus. Tim is also aware that Borough Hall is only running a skeleton staff for the same reason.

Stewartby.

Damaged Street Name Plates – Tim had reported to Borough Highways the damaged street name plates on Stewartby Way and Churchill Close. The Stewartby Way one is between the railway bridge and the Parish sign. The Churchill Close one is to the right of the Village Hall as you look at the Village Hall entrance. Both have now been replaced with new street name plates.

Double Glazing at Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes – Tim is asking for and is receiving continuous updates on this issue. Tim said: “What has been done so far is terrific after all the campaigning, lobbying and pressure I and the Trust have done to get to this point. From the road, where UPVC windows are being installed, you wouldn’t know if they are wood or UPVC. For the safety of residents, it was good to read that work has been suspended due to the Coronavirus.”

Potholes in Green Lane – Tim has reported to Borough Highways for repair, several potholes in the entrance to the Shanks Waste Site in and on Green Lane, Stewartby. He hopes they are all in Bedford Borough as that means they will be done more promptly.

Dangerous and inconsiderate parking by Village Hall event attendees – Tim is working with the Parish Council, the Village Hall Trust and other adversely affected residents to resolve the serious issue of dangerous and inconsiderate parking by a minority of Village Hall event attendees. This parking sometimes makes it difficult to get in and out of Churchill Close, is blocking residents in on their driveways in parts of Stewartby Way and Churchill Close, and is causing extensive ruts on the grass verges. At the suggestion of the Borough’s Chief Conservation Officer and once the Coronavirus is over, Tim will be arranging a site meeting with Borough Officers, Parish Councillors and Village Hall Trustees to try and seek agreement on how best to stop the dangerous and inconsiderate parking, and what options there are to fund solutions to this difficult and sometimes fraught issue.

Stewartby Way Average Speed Cameras – Residents will know Tim ran a very successful campaign to get Average Speed Cameras installed in Stewartby Way. The costs were jointly funded by Bedford Borough Council, Tim’s Councillor’s Ward Fund and Stewartby Parish Council. This followed years of absolutely, bonkers speeding along Stewartby Way. One-off speed gun checks done by the police showed around 300 offenders a month breaking the speed limit with many going over 60mph! Tim gets a monthly report on the speeding statistics in Stewartby Way. He is very pleased to advise that in the period July 2019-January 2020, the reports show an average of only 36 offenders a month. A massive drop since the bonkers days.

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 was planned to be held on 16th March 2020 at The Chequers. However, Tim postponed the meeting following the Prime Minister’s announcements on restrictions on social gatherings.

Marsh Leys lay-by court injunction – Tim is really pleased to report that the Marsh Leys lay-by now has a Court Injunction on it. This Court Injunction prohibits the setting up of an unauthorised encampment on the lay-by. The parking of caravans, mobile homes, tents or any other form of residential accommodation isn’t permitted on the lay-by. It also means that, unlike when it was designated as Highways land, any travellers can be removed very quickly.

Greenlakes Rise road widening overnight noise – Tim has been working with the local Parish Cllr Lee Melville, on the roadworks causing unacceptable levels of neighbourhood noise nuisance, especially at night. Where the traffic lights were, the residents had persistent noise from revving engines and wheel spins, thudding of loud music and persistent nuisance noise late into the night. Tim and Lee successfully got the north traffic lights location moved farther north so the noise nuisance is much reduced. Tim is also pressing Central Beds Council to ensure the road is properly resurfaced before the contractors finally leave the site.

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