Liberal Democrat Councilor Surgeries
with Charles and Wendy
Brickhill Drive Shops - Saturday 2 November 10.00am
Avon Drive Shops - Saturday 16 November 10.00am
Brickhill Drive Shops - Saturday 30 November 10.00am
Avon Drive Shops - Saturday 14 December 10.00am
Brickhill Drive Shops - Saturday 28 December 10.00am
Avon Drive Shops - Saturday 11 January 10.00am
Brickhill Drive Shops - Saturday 25 January 10.00am
You can also speak with us or another Lib Dem Councillor every Saturday morning 10.00am - 11am at Bedford Central Library
Footpath/Cycle Way Construction
We have been asked by local residents what is happening with the the ongoing footpath works from Kimbolton Road to Hawk Drive and when will the work be finished. Communication from the council has been poor and signage out of date etc. We have requested better updates for residents. Apparently the project has been delayed by poor weather and the poor ground conditions found in some areas have also required some changes to the design which have resulted in further delays to the original completion date. The remaining works are now programmed as follows:
- 7th-18th October – Mowsbury Walk, between Calder Rise and the Mowsbury Walk play area
- 21st-25th October – Calder Rise
- 28th October-8th November – Mowsbury Walk / Tyne Crescent junction and subway approaches
We will make sure any changes to this are put on our website www.puttingbrickhillfirst.com
This work is being completed using Town Deal funding from government which is restricted in use, hence why it cannot be allocated for resurfacing our much needed roads and pavements. We are disappointed that the Mayor and his new Executive have not allocated funding for any new road surfacing in Brickhill in the carriageway improvement programme for 2024/2025.
Brickhill Flooding
We have received requests from residents for advice following flooding issues in Brickhill. The Borough Council has extensive information on its website which advises residents of what to do and who to contact if they are concerned about flooding. Please visit
https://www.bedford.gov.uk/environmental-issues/emergencies/emergency-flooding
The exceptional rainfall has meant that areas previously unaffected have seen surface water issues. The map provides details of long term flood risk and it can accessed on the government website.
https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk
Avon Drive Shops Lighting
Residents have told us of how concerned they were over the broken lights at Avon Drive shops. This presented serious safety concerns and especially by the cash machine. After many months of campaigning we have finally managed to get the council to fix these lights. We asked for them not only to be fixed but also upgraded to LED which gives a better light and uses less electricity, saving money and better for the environment. This has now taken place and the result is a dramatic improvement.
BPHA Brickhill Flat Refurbishment
In January of last year, bpha received planning approval to refurbish the five high-rise blocks in Brickhill, these being Frampton, Upton, Evesham, Leighton, and Westbury Court on Avon Drive/Severn Way. Residents have already received copies of drawings and confirmation of the scope of works which we hope will be from January 2025. We look forward to these major improvements.
Stop Telecare Charges
Thank you to all of those residents who supported our campaign to stop the telecare charges which had been proposed by the Mayor and his Executive. The proposal would have seen residents charged for their emergency personal alarm systems. The Mayor and his conservative executive had planned to charge over 2,000 vulnerable residents over £200 a year for the vital emergency helpline telecare service. Up to now it has been free for everyone to help support people to stay safe at home.
Telecare is a service that helps support people to live independently. Offering service users and their carers access to emergency help, should they need it, 24 hours a day. It is a vital service provided for some of the most vulnerable in our community. Lib Dems stopped the decision and raised a petition which received public support and sent a message to Mayor Wootton that this is not acceptable.
Avon Drive Roundabout Planting
Thank you to those residents who have been in touch to say how much they have appreciated the planting on the roundabout.
We have allocated ward funding for additional summer planting and we think it is money well spent in Brickhill.
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Brickhill Buses
The conservatives have botched up the bus provision for Brickhill again. Having already lost one Grant Palmer Bus to Woodlands Park they have now made last minute changes to the contracts which has meant Grant Palmer will not longer be operating at all. Stagecaoch are supposed to take up the routes instead and we have a copy of the new timetable which you can see by clicking here.
Anti Social Behaviour
- Please continue to make us aware of any issues. We are always grateful to receive reports from residents and we will always respond to your concerns. If you are worried just call us and we will come and visit you. Our contact details are shown below, you can email, telephone or speak to us directly at our surgeries. You can also use the contact form on our website www.puttingbrickhillfirst.com. We always respond quickly - so phone us if there is any delay when using emails as they can go astray!
- Please will you also report incidents directly to the police. It is vital that these reports are made by you directly as this is the way to get the police to allocate resources. Residents have complained to us about long wait times when calling 101. We would recommend using the online reporting link below
https://www.beds.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/
When reporting dates, times and descriptions of vehicle/persons are most helpful as the police are often unable to attend the location immediately but can take action against the registered owners of the vehicles. Thank you for your assistance and please be assured that we will work with you and we will not allow our neighbourhood to become a place where this behaviour is tolerated. You are not alone and when we have become involved in other roads we have always manged to work with residents to bring problems to an end.
Littering on Sports Pitches Ashmead Road
This picture is typical of the litter being discarded following organised football on the sports pitches.
We have asked the council to clamp down on this and issues fines or exclude clubs who do not clean up after games
Please help us by reporting any litter you see on the council website
Report by clicking here
How to make reports to Bedford Borough Council
We are often asked how residents can make reports to the council about things like flytipping, potholes or missed bin collections. We have provided a page with some of the most frequently need contacts.
Click here for contacts to report to Bedford Borough Council
Green Wheel Brickhill Project
Following on from an initial phase of works at Rhineland Way before Christmas, footway works to the Green Wheel are to recommence shortly. This work is part of the Town Deal Green Wheel project made possible by funding secured by Mayor Dave Hodgson. There are maps and additional information which you can download here. The works consist of pedestrian and cycling improvements on the internal footways between Hawk Drive and Kimbolton Road.
The works have been programmed by Breheny Civil Engineering Ltd and are planned to start on 29 April and are expected to take 22 weeks to complete. This letter will be issued to affected residents informing them of the works and access arrangements during the work.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further details relating to this project and we will be pleased to help. Alternatively you can telephone the Highways Helpdesk on 01234 718003 or via email at highways.helpdesk@bedford.gov.uk.
Download Town Deal Green Wheel Plans Here
6. Rhineland Way 7. Avon Walk 8. Tyne Crescent 9. Jackmans Walk
Brickhill Homeless
We have received more reports of rough sleeping and begging in Brickhill. Official figures show that in just one year under the Conservatives the number of people sleeping rough in Bedford has increased from 2 to 18. This is since the Conservatives took over the Council and changed the services available. This is a shocking statistic and we are working on the council to force the Conservatives to reinstate the essential services which keep people safe and off our streets. Having a place of safety with a roof over your head is a most basic human need and it is shameful that all the good work locally over so many years is being undone.
Commercial Vehicles
We have been asked if anything can be done to tackle the large number of commercial vehicles parked on residential roads in Brickhill. Thse can cause difficulties when they deprive parking spaces for parents collecting children near schools, or vistore to Waveney Green.
The police and council officers have investigated many vehicles to establish that they have all necessary road tax, insurance and MOT. In almost all cases there is nothing which can be done to prevent lawful parking and the only alternative is to introduce parking restrictions. We are currently in discussions with council officers to determine the best way forward as these measures will deprive others of parking and potentially move the problem onto other resdiential roads.
Brickhill Drive Shops
We have expressed our dismay at the length of time it is taking to complete the repairs to the paving at Brickhill Drive shops. The work has not even started and it has been months awaiting action. We will continue to pursue action with the council until it is completed. We are also awaiting an update regarding our request to fix and upgrade the lighting on both shopping parades.
Caron Road Waste Collections
We are in dialogue with the council over issue relating to litter and waste on Carron Road. Refuse bags are sometimes not collected, occasionally the wrong waste is put out and sometimes waste blows or animals open the bags etc. There is also ongoing fly tipping which we have reported.
Download the latest Bus Timetables - Click here
Our thanks to Cllr Peter Blakeman
At the previous Full Council, the Conservatives’ Capital Programme was sent back to them to think again through the Council’s usual conflict resolution procedure. Full Council deemed the extra millions of borrowing to fund projects such as a Mayor’s new leisure village to be excessive. Charles and Wendy were shocked that the all Tory Executive proposed spending millions of pounds of borrowed money without even producing a business case on any of their proposals. Charles and Wendy consider the Conservative Mayor and his colleagues to be making incompetent proposals which threaten the very financial stability of the council. It would cost council taxpayers £5 million every year to pay for the costs of the extra borrowing which they wish to introduce. The Liberal Democrat finance portfolio holder previously reduced the council debt by over £30m from over £90m handed down by the last conservative council, helping to keep Bedford Borough council tax bills down. It would be a tragedy if the Conservatives once again indulged in reckless spending to be handed on to future generations.
Parking Problems
Bedford Borough Council will issue fines (penalty charge notice or PCNs) for the following types of illegal parking:
- parking on yellow lines
- not displaying a valid parking ticket
- parking on pavements or verges where a restriction is in place
- parking across driveways
They will not get involved with neighbourly disputes or inconsiderate parking. If you think a vehicle is abandoned, please report it here.
To report an illegally parked vehicle, please contact the Enforcement Team on enforcement.team@bedford.gov.uk or 01234 718359. Or text only enforcement requests to 07553895403. An enforcement officer will respond to your request as soon as possible, but they may not be able to do so immediately if they are patrolling elsewhere in the Borough. Please note you won't get a reply about the outcome of an enforcement officer visit.
Pavement Repairs
Brickhill pavements are badly in need of resurfacing and repair. We have received some alarming photographs of injuries caused requiring hospital treatment. Please support us in or campaign and report any bad areas like this one in Tyne Crescent. Please report online as this adds weight to our campaign.
Click here to report pavement repairs to
Bedford Borough Council online
Adoption of Roads on Woodlands Park
Charles and Wendy are working with council officers to bring forward the adoption of roads in Woodlands Park from the developers. This is important in order to ensure that proper maintenance is taken over by the council. Click on the map opposite to download. If you would like an update on your road contact us direct using the contact form at the bottom of this page. Some roads are now just awaiting legal process others require additional works.
Tree Planting in Brickhill
We have asked for over 30 trees to be planted in Brickhill in this planting season and this has started. Some of these will replace diseased trees or ones which were removed because they were the wrong tree for the location and caused damage. If you have a request for a tree to be planted for next year ie 2025 please get in touch. If you have suffered damage from a council tree then you can request compensation. There is no information on this on the council website which we find quite odd, but you can outline your complaint in an email to InsuranceandRiskSection@bedford.gov.uk
Let us know if you have a problem!
Council Meetings
If you have an opportunity to watch the meetings of the full council you can do so
online Home - Bedford Borough Council streaming (public-i.tv)
Sadly the council is now led entirely by a Conservative Mayor and Conservative Executive,
with all other parties excluded and it is something of a shambles, which we fear will only get worse.
