The forward-looking leaders......

Occasional newsletter

Education

In close votes, the County Council has decided that the county's schools will stay three-tier (lower, middle and upper).

The council spent several months and thousands of pounds consulting with the public before deciding to switch county schools to two-tier (primary and secondary). Currently this county is the only one that has a three-iter system, which is blamed for mediocre results.

This is a disaster for education in Bedfordshire, myopic to the extreme.

Center Parc

Mid-Beds councillors have rejected plans for a holiday village near Ampthill.

Protesters, supporters and councillors went head-to-head over proposals to build a £160 million Center Parcs site at Warren Wood, Millbrook, at a Mid Beds District Council development committee meeting on Wednesday.

After a tense three-hour discussion – residents, councillors, officers and representatives from nearby parish councils anxiously held their breath as chairman Dennis Gale (Con, Flitwick West) gave the casting vote to back planning officers' recommendations to refuse plans in a ten for, to nine against, result.

Nirah

Mrs Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, has written to the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, Gillian Parker, seeking clarification on the legality of a plan by Nirah to ask individuals to make personal donations to further fund its concept.

At this weekend's Bedford River Festival, Nirah was available to accept public donations. Mrs Dorries is calling on the police to investigate the legality of Nirah's intentions on this matter. Nirah insists this is perfectly legal and says it cannot understand the MP's opposition.

At the same time Frank Branston, Mayor of Bedford, has stated he will match any pledges or donations pound for pound up to £50,000.

Earlier this week Nirah was offered an additional £300,000 by Bedfordshire County Council, on top of the £3 million of taxpayers' money it has already received – but refused to accept the funding due to the conditions set by the council.

Among the conditions was an intention for Nirah to submit an outline planning application to the county council by the end of August 2006. Other conditions included moving the date forward when the £3 million is to be paid back and changing the business plan.

Nirah is still not allowed to see the allegedly negative report of accountants Price Waterhouse Cooper, commissioned by the county council. Bedfordshire on Sunday has asked to see the report under the Freedom of Information Act.

Mrs Dorries said: “It is reasonable to ask Nirah, if it is seeking donations from members of the public, is it a registered charity? Who are the appointed auditors? Will the public have full access to the business plan prior to making any donations? Will the accounts be open so they can subject to full public scrutiny?

“I am concerned that thus far the Nirah concept has already consumed £3 million of taxpayers' money, and yet a planning application has still not been submitted.

“Nirah is a £400 million project, so where are the rest of the funds coming from? After the Bedford River Festival, will it be an on-going tour of fetes, summer fairs and bring and buys with the Nirah begging bowl?"

So there we are!

  • The education proposal was an honest attempt to ensure coordination, but now that the proposal has received the thumbs down, we must look to other ways to achieve this.
  • Center Parcs, well, there are two sides to the issue, but CenterParc have a good track record and this enterprise would have brought in many job opportunities.
  • As far as Nirah is concerned, this was a wonderful opportunity to put Bedfordshire on the map, but it seems that vision is lacking. Somehow, while I hope I'm wrong, I have an awful feeling that not enough money will be forthcoming, and that this brilliant innovation that could have made such a difference to Bedfordshire may die. I really do hope that I am proved wrong!

Have a good week!

 

Robert