Weekly news from Bedford, UK

Some weeks ago Bedfordshire County Council, dissatisfied with the service given by the Hyder Group, decided to end the contract taken out in the year 2001, even though there are eight years still to go. Now Beds. on Sunday leads with the report that council taxpayers could be forking out tens of millions as a result.

Bedfordshire County Council held a secret meeting on Friday to discuss the ending of its contract with HBS.

As reported in Bedfordshire on Sunday, the contract, signed in 2001 for 12 years and worth £267 million, was terminated by the county council two weeks ago over alleged breaches.

It is claimed that the cost of mediation and a rumoured payoff will run into millions - and more if legal action results.

This week, Bedfordshire County Council and HBS began negotiating the termination of their partnership contract, which involved the provision of services such as finance and communications.

A professional third party organisation, apparently appointed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), is acting as a go-between for the sparring partners.

The public were excluded from the Friday meeting and the curtains were drawn, preventing observers in the council's public gallery from peeping in.

Late last month, the council served notice on HBS after a string of alleged failures.

Each party to the £267m deal claims that the other is responsible for the collapse of the agreement. HBS has threatened to sue the council for breach of contract.

It has also threatened to sue council leader Madeline Russell and chief executive Andrea Hill for defamation, over allegedly libelous remarks broadcast on BBC Three Counties radio.

A spokesman for the ODPM refused to confirm or deny that it was involved in the mediation process.

A county council spokesman said they could not comment. Meanwhile a spokesman for HBS said:

"Commercial discussions between BCC and us are continuing and we have no further comment to make at this time."

(It is difficult to know what to make of all this. Many appear to feel that the Council was so keen to privatize services that it did not scrutinise carefully enough contingency arrangements. In addition to this, some people who previously worked for the Council were transferred on to the Hyder pay-roll, and that is another mess to clear up. What is irritating is the fact that the elected representatives at County level tend to come over as having such contempt for the people who put them in, that the ordinary rate-payer simply does not have much to go on. An attitude that "we know what is best for you and will keep negotiations private" only serves to cause more alienation.

In the last election a considerable number of people retired or did not seek election, with the result that we have a largely new set of councillors. The comment has been made (and I simply do not know whether it has any validity) is that some people saw the chickens coming home to roost, and got out in good time.

Whatever the truth is behind the issue, Bedfordshire people have been ill-served of late, first by services which in some areas are regarded as possibly the worst in the country, and now by the prospect of having to pay through the nose as a result of our councillors'; decisions. I would hope to think that the reported fortune we may have to pay is pure speculation. If it is not, there is a likelihood of an almighty row, with people demanding that our former councillors are called to account.

And why the secrecy? Unfortunately such decisions come over as having total disregard for the people they are supposed to serve.)

BoS reports that nurses are being asked to provide proof of UK residency after the recent London bombings.

In a letter this week to 'all staff', the Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust demanded to see documents from employees.

The move is understood to be part of a 'clean-up' operation to chase staff who have been slow in providing proof of identity.

Staff have to provide copies of their passports, birth certificates, visas and marriage certificates.

Their managers have to inspect the original of each document and countersign the photocopies.

Staff have been told that is they cannot supply any of this evidence, they must 'contact the Staff Bank Bureau as a matter of urgency'.

All NHS Trusts are obliged under the Asylum and Immigration Act (1996) to obtain documentary evidence of employees' rights to work in the UK.

Beds and Luton MHSC trust staff have until August 12 to comply.

A Trust spokesman said:

"The Trust and its line managers are responsible for ensuring copies of appropriate documentary evidence are obtained under this act and failure may result in a £5,000 fine.

"The Trust has reminded each line manager of their responsibility under the Act and has instructed them to ensure that every single employee, whether permanent or temporary, has copies of this evidence available in his or her personal file.

"As part of the checks taking place, a letter asking for staff to produce copies of appropriate documentary evidence has been sent to the home addresses of individuals employed by the Staff Bank Bureau, which provides temporary nursing staff to the Trust.

"The documents listed in this letter as acceptable forms of identification have been specified by the NHS Employers organisation.

"It is a top priority for the Trust to provide the highest quality care for service users and ensuring that its staff work in a safe and secure environment."

Police have charged a man with the robbery of three travel agents around the country.

Delroy Blackwood, 26, from Alfearn Road in Lower Clapton, London, has been charged with robbing Thomson's travel agents in Bedford on May 13, Going Places in Leeds on April 29 and Going Places in Hitchin on July 7. It is suspected that money gained from the three raids was in excess of £100,000.

Mr Blackwood has also been charged with the possession of a firearm and will appear at Bedford Magistrate Court on Monday.

Bedford Hospital has banned smoking completely from its premises, including car parks and out the back of doors, which is the custom of many offices these days.

The hospital press statement which announced the complete ban said: 'Since No Smoking Day 2005, Bedford Hospital has become a smoke free site. No smoking is permitted anywhere on the premises, either inside or outside.'

At the time chief executive Andrew Reed said:

"As a health-promoting organisation we believe the hospital should lead by example. We appreciate that for some the complete ban could be difficult and for this reason the hospital is doing all it can to support them."

BoS observes that it is not only travel companies who take advantage of summer holidays to fleece families.

Just when children have the opportunity to use the swimming pools, the council whacks up the prices.

With schools broken up and youngsters looking for something to do over the coming month, Bedford Borough Council has increased its prices at all pools.

Most of the pools have had a minor increase, but Oasis Beach pool has seen its adult entry rise from £3.10 in the day to £5.10 - a hike of more than 60 per cent.

The same percentage increase applies to children, entry going up from £2.60 to £4.10.

One disgruntled swimmer said:

"It's disgusting that there should be such a huge rise just when kids have broken up for the summer.

"It's hard enough for parents to be able to afford the latest fads but such a rise to go swimming is horrendous."

A spokesman for Bedford Borough Council said:

"It has been the policy since the Oasis Beach Pool opened in 1991 that adults and children pay peak prices at weekends and during the school holidays.

"Discounted rates are offered after 4.30pm during these peak periods.

"Admission charges for the council's leisure facilities were set on January 1 this year.

"Our leisure venues represent great value for money and, for this type of facility, are still among the cheapest in this region."

BoS reports that figures released from the Annual Report of the East of England Regional Assembly have revealed that more than £82,000 was spent on expenses alone.

The figures also show that Bedford Borough Council's two representatives, Cllr Shan Hunt and Cllr Apu Bagchi claimed more than £1,500 between them.

Cllr Bagchi sits on the full assembly as well as the European and International Affairs panel and has claimed £1,015.42 for travel and subsistence over the past year.

On these panels Cllr Bagchi has to attend six meetings a year, two of which are in Brussels.

Cllr Hunt claimed £649.99 for her work on the full assembly, regional planning panel and the asylum and refugee integration panel. She has to attend ten meetings over the year.

The EERA exists to promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of the region.

The full Assembly has 102 members and only meets twice a year. In addition, there are a number of specialist panels that meet more frequently to look at issues of regional strategic importance such as planning and housing.

Conservative councillor Andrew McConnell said:

"Local taxpayers already fund Bedford Borough Council's annual subscriptions to this talking shop at a cost of more than £12,000 per year. Latest figures show that the total costs of running the assembly is over £1.8 million.

"Bedford MP Patrick Hall claims he wants to abolish unnecessary tiers of government - a good place to start would be the expensive tiers of regional government.

"These bodies are unelected, unaccountable, and spending on them is wasteful and unnecessary. The sooner we say goodbye to these expensive talking shops the better."

Cllr Bagchi said:

"The Regional Assembly was set up by a Conservative Government and if you are not there you cannot have an influence on anything that happens.

"Members of the assembly are from all councils in the region and Conservatives have a majority.

"For them to complain about the cost is ridiculous. The money comes from the assembly and not the borough council."

Cllr Hunt added:

"This is clearly just Tory hype and propaganda. It was John Major who made a decision on regional assemblies through the Maastricht Treaty.

"Expenses are paid for when people have to attend meetings that require travel and any overnight accommodation.

"If we really want to make some cut backs then we should abolish the county council for a start."

(It needs pointing out that the money claimed is for expenses incurred, which seems a reasonable arrangement. Whether the body accomplishes anything is more questionable, but that cannot be the fault of the two councillors who attend the meetings.)

SIR - I was pleased to read that Bedfordshire Police will respect the needs of all faiths when entering properties.

So as a Christian I do hope you pass on the requirements of our community.

1. No raids on Sundays.

2. Bring a copy of the bible with you.

3. Please do not touch the crucifix.

4. Please book an appointment after 10pm.

5. No dogs please, they chew the scriptures.

6. Donate generously to the collection box.

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• SIR - This is great. I'm so excited.

I'm a drug dealer, init, and all I gotta do now is stash the scag inside the mosque-shaped alarm clock next to my bed, keep my sister and wife in the house at all times (in their underwear of course), build a little shrine to hide the Crack in, stick a No Dogs Allowed sign on the door (not that it's necessary) and the Old Bill can't touch me, init.

Praise Allah for the stupidity of the British police.

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• SIR - Once again I see the Muslim community is going to get better treatment than the rest of us, if the police think there is a reason to raid their homes.

I, too, as a Christian, do not want a rapid entry in my home. I would need time to hide my dirty cups and plates etc.

Also, for reasons of dignity, I would expect no officer to enter my bedroom if I was still in bed, as it is very bad manners in Christian society.

I most definitely do not want sniffer dogs being brought in upsetting my Jack Russell, and leaving hairs all over my shag pile.

As for the use of cameras and camcorders, nobody is allowed to photograph me until I have dressed and combed my hair, and put my teeth in.

Also, as anybody of any religion, who had a policeman knocking at their door and asking if they could come in and have a look around, in the occupant's own time of course, would find this behaviour very upsetting. I would certainly need to ask God to help me and keep me safe and would expect no interruptions.

If I did not get all of these considerations, including shoes taken off at my doorstep, I would have to sue the police for racial discrimination.

Mind you, being a pensioner and never having had so much as a parking ticket I do not suppose it is likely to happen, but just in case.

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• SIR - Should not the guidelines you have quoted for entering Muslim houses apply to all houses and all people?

There are people of many races and many religions in Bedford.

Surely Buddhists, Christians, Hindu and Jews to name some, would like to be treated with dignity?

All these people pray and all should be treated with equal courtesy and with their dignity as humans beings respected.

It is not only Muslim ladies who would not like to be seen unclothed and very few people would like anyone to rush in on them, while in their bathroom.

Surely all prisoners should be given the chance to dress and assemble a basic change of clothing etc, before being taken to the police station.

How do the police know the house is a Muslim house?

I live in a Muslim area but I am English, white and a Catholic.

There are families nearby who are Asian but Christian.

There are people of all races in our church as in many other places of worship.

If the police want to find a particular suspect and think he is in a definite address they should surround the house and then knock and ask for the person.

If he tries to run away, they can then catch him easily without invading the privacy of the other household members.

Of course when they do find a suspect they do need to search the house but by that time the other people in the house will have time to be decently clad, or to finish their prayers.

I hope the Beds Police will keep the faith of all our citizens, not just the Muslims.

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• SIR - After reading Beds on Sunday's headline, 'Cops keep the faith', I must confess to being enraged by this ridiculous piece of PC introduced by the chief constable of Bedfordshire Police.

This is further evidence that England puts PC and Human Rights before national security.

Can you imagine if the Metropolitan Police had followed the same guidelines when capturing the suspects for the failed bombers in London?

The world would have seen officers knocking on the door and calling out, 'If you are not at prayer, may we come in?'

Dogs would have been secured to the railings, the police would have gently laid down their weapons to take off their boots.

The world watching would have thought we had gone mad.

Now Bedfordshire drug dealers can hide their spoils in 'holy' places.

Women can find reasons to delay police while drugs are flushed down the lavatory, and suicide bombers will have all the time in the world to detonate their bombs.

If the police have reasons to raid any house, Christian or Muslim, then for their safety they should be allowed to act swiftly without the fear of offending the criminals inside.

Following the publication of these guidelines it would not surprise me if other Bedfordshire drug dealers convert to Islam.

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• SIR - I could not believe what I was reading. What are the police thinking about?

The guidelines issued should concentrate on ensuring that Muslim homes are not invaded without good cause, apart from that we have to get a bit real.

If a Muslim home needs to be searched in connection with potential terrorist or drug activities then that home and its occupants should have no more consideration than would be given to any other home.

We are giving a section of our community the right to hide behind a religious convention that currently stands open to question.

For too long our Government and the leaders of the Muslim community have closed their eyes and ears to what has been happening in the Mosques and on visits to Muslim communities abroad.

Sedition has been preached under our noses and we are supposed to make allowance for a faith that allows this.

The Muslim community needs to wake up and realise it needs to prove to our nation that it is putting its house in order.

So far we have had lots of empty rhetoric.

I could better accept the issue of the Iraq war if the same people would condemn the 'brothers killing brothers' that is happening currently in Iraq.

The police need to realise that the tolerance of the British that makes us the easy touch of Europe has worn thin and the cry of religious or racial intolerance will fall on deaf ears.

I am all for live and let live but I cannot countenance the content of these guidelines.

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• SIR - Your front page article on police guidance is admirable if these restrictions apply to all creeds and not just to 'Muslims who are suspected of terrorist or drugs offences'.

Just imagine police removing their shoes while Bin Laden escapes through the back door.

I do not want dirty big boots on my carpets either, and I do not want dogs in my home or my wife photographed in her nightdress.

This is blatant discrimination and may be admissible for normal policing but not, as you say, when hunting terrorists who have no such scruples.

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SIR - Not for the first time, and probably not the last, Michael Headley is bleating that I stopped spending money on one of his pet subjects while failing to mention the reason.

We stopped the two play schemes he refers to because one had attracted only four takers; the other attracted none despite extensive advertising and attempts to recruit.

Count them, Michael, that is none, as in zilch, a duck, nil, nul point.

Only Cllr Headley and his uncritical acolytes could complain about shutting a play scheme nobody wanted.

As I have observed before, Michael Headley cannot pass a drain without wanting to throw taxpayers' money down it.

Frank Branston

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SIR - I can mention other things done by the Mayor to add to Cllr Chiswell's list.

He reacted immediately to concerns about the potential effect of the town centre redevelopment on people in this area, causing the developers to adapt their plans; the efforts by him and his law and order portfolio holder, Cllr Margaret Davey, to get more police foot patrols in the town centre are much appreciated, which is not to say we would not like more down Midland Road, and his successful contribution to the Bedford Improvement District is also noted.

Perhaps most of all, we were grateful for the trenchant way he demanded that this area should suffer no more as a dumping ground of Bedford's problems when the wet centre was on the cards.

I have heard many people in this area say they have never seen their borough or county councillors but they have noted the Mayor taking an interest in this community.

Gypsies, BoS reports, have returned to a site just a month after plans were rejected to combat the problem of illegal encampments.

As reported in Bedfordshire on Sunday in July, Bedford Borough Council's Executive committee was given a report that offered a number of options for introducing features that would deter travellers from setting up camp on the open fields.

The committee decided not to consider the options as councillors felt it would be unfair for just Hillgrounds (pictured above) to be targeted as illegal settlements are a problem throughout the borough.

The report also documented that it costs the tax payer approximately £5,750 every time that Bedford Borough Council has to move travellers on from the site.

The latest batch of travellers arrived overnight on Monday at Hillgrounds Road, Kempston and have been on the recreation ground since.

Councillor Nicky Attenborough said:

"This just isn't good enough. I was very angry that the opportunity to take measures slipped away and now we have to wait until mid September to do something about it.

"These features could have been in place and this wouldn't have happened.

"The residents of Hillgrounds have had to put up with these encampments for a long time. They are tax payers who deserve to be protected, but instead they are being fleeced by a Government who are doing nothing for them."

A Bedford Borough Council spokesman said:

"All of the legal proceedings have taken place and we hope to have a hearing commencing early this week to ensure the travellers removal."

BoS reports that at last the rowing lake looks as though it is to become a reality after years of bickering and delays.

The planned rowing lake at Willington is held up at the moment because the county council says the planning applicants have not yet answered a series of questions.

The answers are on the way though and the path is now being cleared for a decision by the county council this autumn.

There have been plans to build a world class rowing lake and country park at Willington for several years.

It will be at little or no cost as La farge is currently excavating gravel at the site and has agreed to join up the holes rather than fill them in.

This will provide the western end of the lake. The eastern end contains 'fill material' and is ideal for the creation of golf courses.

As luck would have it a golf course is going to be built over the road, which will save the course builders' time and money and provide the other half of the lake.

Such a lake would make it much more likely that Bedford would be able to attract Olympic teams to the area for the 2012 games, to be held in London.

If it gets the go-ahead, it will take five years to build, which will be in time for Olympic rowing teams to train in Bedford.

There is,however, still opposition from supporters of the east-west rail link, which would take the route across where part of the lake would be.

Andy Rowe, spokesman for the applicants Bedford Rowing Lake Ltd, said: "It finally looks as though all the pieces are coming together. We must keep up the pressure though, as any delays could mean us missing the Olympic boat."

Mayor Frank Branston is inviting the first group of people to join the Bedford Olympic advisory board.

Dubbed BOOST (Bedford's Overall Olympic Steering Team), the board will consist of Olympians and MPs plus representatives from De Montfort University, business, key local authorities and regional sports bodies.

Frank said:

"Our target is to become an official host town and training camp. We will be competing against the rest of the UK.

"There is conflicting information as to whether bids are sought on a regional or town basis and we need to be ready whichever way it goes.

"We are already able to offer quite a lot - a good athletics track, probably an Olympic rowing lake if all involved get their act together. If money is available from the Olympic pot, Robinson Pool could be extended to competition standards. We need to be making sure we are in the right game."

Informed sources say the allocation of official host town status will also depend upon factors other than sports facilities - such as availability of accommodation to athletes and their support camp. De Montfort University is about to undergo a major campus improvement which will mean it will have 500 en-suite rooms available in plenty of time for 2012. It will also have state-of-the-art sports performance science equipment vital to modern day athletes.

Other factors will include the ability of a town to support and welcome a foreign visiting squad - this is where cultural support and diversity come into play. With its cosmopolitan population, Bedford is well placed to make all visitors feel at home.

"Even without host town status there are many ways Bedford can benefit from the Olympics," Mr Branston added.

"We will be setting up a series of task forces to report into the BOOST board to cover specifics such as tourism, transport, marketing and more."Business will be given an enormous boost by the Olympics which will benefit the whole town. From construction to caterers, and from IT to international translators - there will be thousands of new jobs created in the years building up to and including the Games.

Training providers - such as Bedford College - are already gearing themselves up for the demand for skilled staff which will be required."

Now is the time for Bedford to pull together. If anyone wants to help or has expertise to offer, please contact me at the Town Hall."

The Times&Citizen reports:

A football hooligan who last week was banned from attending matches for two years has now been barred from coaching a Bedford youth side.

Middlesbrough fan Lawrence Newton, 42, of Merlin Gardens, Brickhill, who was caught on police camera fighting during a UEFA Cup match in Slovakia last year, helped train Brickhill Wanderers' U13 side last season.

But the club announced yesterday that Newton has agreed to step down.

Brickhill Wanderers chairman Simon Stafford said:

"We wish to announce that after discussions, both Mr Newton and the club's executive committee have concluded it would be inappropriate for him to continue in his role.

"Consequently we wish to advise that Mr Newton is no longer associated with this football club in any official or coaching capacity."

The Football Association in London this week confirmed Newton could also be banned from working with all youth sides.

One of our closest friends, a member of our church, is a frequent visitor to Bedford Prison, seeking to advise prisoners who would value the services of a Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer.

Prison Service report highlights high performance in last 12 months. Bedford Prison has been hailed as the number one jail in the UK and given a high performance award for its work in the last year.

The facility was named the best of 135 prisons in a report released this week.

Governor Guy Baulf said:

"This award is about seeing what a good job our staff have done and recognising that we have come top in the country.

"The staff have worked incredibly hard to take very damaged people off the streets who have been brought into prison to look after them humanly and with care."

The former deputy at Lewes Prison in Sussex, who took over in February 2003, added:

"With drug and health problems, inmates are at high risk of self-harming themselves, so we are very conscientious about safety for all.

"If I cannot get them back on the streets or have some hope for them, then we have not done our jobs properly.

"We don't lock them up all day, as it is not like the 1800s. This is due to a combination of following change and cultures that come in. There are activities, courses and signs of respect for both prisoners and staff."

The St Loyes Street prison was named the third worst in the country as recently as 2003 before the turnaround began under former governor Andrew Cross.

Mr Cross removed prevailing Victorian values and conditions were improved to provide a decent regime for prisoners and better working climates for staff.

Overcrowding, bad food and locking up inmates for 20 hours a day were some of the main problems the prison encountered.

Phil Wheatley, director general of the prison service, said: "I am proud to celebrate the achievements of best establishments.

"High performing status is about more than meeting targets. As well as providing high levels of safety and security, the level of care and support provided by staff to prisoners in these prisons sets a benchmark for other establishments to aim for."

Mr Wheatley added: "The significant process made by the establishments considered for these awards highlights the commitment and enthusiasm of staff all around the Prison Service."

The four other prisons awarded were HMP Frankland, Usk/Prescoed, Wayland and Whatton.

Dumped!

I have just received a (to be fair, very very courteous) letter from the Bedfordshire Local Authority, but nonetheless one advising me that I have not been reappointed as a governor at Biddenham Upper School.

There was a time when few wanted to be governors of what was then a failing school. Now it is an outstanding success, all appear to want to get in on the act.

Of course, the Authority has every right to invite whoever they wish to act as their representative. But what sticks in the throat is the fact that in all the years I have served, no-one from the Authority has ever bothered to ask how I was getting on in this task, or sought to ask me to account for what I have done. Yet I remained a "representative" of the Local Authority.

As someone who has a great affection for the school, its lovely young people and super staff, I will miss this task considerably. But I am left wondering what on earth being a representative of the Local Authority means!

Pay, let me assure you, is not the issue! One does not receive anything - not even traveling expenses! In fact, as far as I can ascertain, the school governing body is the only statutory body that remains an entirely voluntary effort, unlike other statutory bodies, where there seems sometimes to be an indecent scramble to join, because of the money that people receive for their membership! At the end of a long spell as a very loyal and dedicated governor, all I will be able to wave is a letter from someone I had not heard of, thanking me for my services. Why the rejection will probably remain a total mystery. No prizes for guessing what I think of the Bedfordshire County Council at this moment.

It's nothing to do with Bedford, but just a comment on the passage of time...

Some years ago there was a TV advert for Yellow pages depicting an elderly man trying to find a book called "Fly Fishing" by J R Hartley. At the end he is rewarded in his efforts, and then one learns that the inquirer is J R Hartley himself!

I was reminded of this when one of the items offered for sale was a book called "Photography in school" by Robert Leggat!

Indeed, I wrote this book in 1975, and it was subsequently translated into Italian. The sad news was that there were no bids for this book! I'd have been quite surprised had there been any bids, given that with the decline of conventional photography much of the book is now totally out of date!

Another work I had published in 1972 (a booklet for teachers) was called "Lights please! - using projectors in schools. Thirty years later only one of the projectors can be seen in a classroom; that is an overhead projector - and even those are being replaced by more modern gadgetry.

Tempus fugit!

I learned this week that following the success in Birmingham, the Steel pans band at Biddenham Upper School have been invited to perform at the Schools Music Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on 8th November. We had known a little time ago that the band's performance had been outstanding, but invitation to the Albert Hall is not a formality, so the school is understandably delighted.

Finally, we are at the stage where the same people are wheeled out to declare that with increasing successes at "A" level, standards are slipping. This kind of statement, uttered every year, must be most disappointing to young people who have worked very hard, to have to put up with.

I must be one of a declining number who remembers the excitement when Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile in 1954. This event was talked about for weeks.

Now, hundreds of people have accomplished the same - and better.

There can be only one inescapable conclusion:

The mile is getting shorter.

The annual snakes and wrigglies day at the Bedford Museum is always a hugely popular event. Strategically placed in three venues within the Museum, the snakes and other wrigglies were available, most of them to handle.

It was encouraging to note that such an event brings in others who might not otherwise have been to a museum, and one question I heard from a child who had been to the Natural History section was "Why didn't you tell me, Mummy, about this place before?"

Wishing you a good week ahead

Week ending 13 August 2005