News in brief
Occasional newsletter mainly for expats
25 January 2007
In the blue corner.....
It would seem that we are on a collision course as far as bids for power are concerned. For some time Bedford has been seeking to make the town a unitary authority. At the moment it is a two-tier authority, which means that the town hall is responsible for some local amenities, the county council will be responsible for others. The Borough has the responsibility for collecting the council tax each year, but in fact retains only 10% of this, the overwhelming majority going to the county. The county is responsible for education, social services, strategic planning, traffic signals, and other such things, which swallow up 75% of the tax. The rest goes to fire and police services.
All parties seem to agree that it is a rather messy system, for much of the decision-making in respect of the above impinges upon the town, but it is at the mercy of councillors who are responsible for a larger area within the county. It is also extremely wasteful. The county of Bedfordshire (excluding Luton which is already a Unitary authority) comprises no fewer than four councils: the Borough mid-Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire and of course the county. All of these have their own chief executives, deputies, directors, their deputies, and a huge retinue of staff. Understandably there are often conflicts between what the county wants and what the borough wants.
The suggested solutions, however, are (not surprisingly) very different! The county wants to incorporate all the four under one roof. That is the last thing the Borough would want! The Borough would much prefer to become a unitary authority in its own right, as indeed in Luton is, responsible for all the local services. This would make far better sense. Another possibility might be that mid-Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire combine to become a unitary Central Bedfordshire.
The county council has a pretty dismal record: it has been graded the worst shire county in the country with a third-highest shire council tax. In the past couple of years it has pulled up its socks somewhat, but is still classified as "weak". By contrast, Bedford has been classified as a good authority, with lower than average council tax, and scores highly at the top of the value for money league table.
The battle is shaping up. I understand that the county has spent approximately £100,000 (of our money) in its bid for this grand takeover- an indication, perhaps, that they appreciate that their raison d'etre is questionable. Unitary status of Bedford was recommended some 12 years ago, when Luton became a unitary authority, but for some reason this did not happen. We can only hope that the powers-that-be will recognize that the Borough has a very strong case.
Today marks the first flight for a business-class only airline linking Luton airport and the United States.
Return fares to New York Newark airport start at £999, undercutting some existing business-class transatlantic fares. Each Silverjet aircraft will have a hundred business class flat beds, with individual food service, and personal in-flight entertainment systems.
The claim is also made that the service will be "carbon neutral" - the latest buzz word!
With the London Olympics only five years away, Beds and Luton are busy making plans. On the 6th July 2005, the day London won the Olympic bid, Bedfordshire and Luton's Olympic opportunities group (BOOST for short) was founded. Contributions have been made by all the councils, the Harpur Trust, and the new University of Bedfordshire. Watch this space!
Some more good news about the town. Retail crime has dropped dramatically in Bedford Town Centre since the introduction of a dedicated team or police officers and new Police Community support Officers (PCOS).
Shoplifting, criminal or anti-social activity was down by nearly 25% last year and 40% the year before that - making the town centre a safer place to visit and do business, reported Chief Superintendent Andy Frost at the Park Inn Business Breakfast on Friday January 12th.
He told the audience of company directors and consultants that PCSOs were financed by a Central Government grant that required 25% was matched by a contribution from elsewhere.
In Bedford Town Centre that contribution came from the BedfordBID, the organisation which represents 800 businesses in the town who have funded four of the PCSOs.
In effect the BedfordBID contribution meant four extra CSPOs were on the beat. BedfordBID also finance a retail radio scheme linking police officers, PCSOs, CCTV operators, store detectives and shop managers.
The BID also employs Bedford Bluecaps who, as well as meeting and greeting visitors, work with the police to identify potential problems.
The presence of police officers and the Bluecaps certainly makes one feel more confident shopping in Bedford.
Students at Bedford College have benefited from a whole day of “positive thinking” training thanks to
professional Hypnotherapist Gary Foster, senior partner at The Bedford Hypnotherapy Clinic.
Gary, along with his Managing Partner Sue Wilson, took a large group of 16-18-year-olds through a
series of exercises designed to show them exactly why people do what they do and how to recognise specific behaviours that may trigger conflict and how to remedy them.
One of the key elements of the day was encouraging the students to step outside their normal 'comfort zone' to explore the possibilities of being the best they could be. They were shown how to build rapport with anyone they met and how to feel good in themselves regardless of the circumstances.
It sounds like a course many of us could profit from!
I have mentioned in previous newsletters the success of Nirah in reaching the submission of outline planning stage. This would not have been possible without the support of local people, and thanks to their efforts Nirah at a critical time has helped to move this project one step closer to becoming a reality in Bedfordshire by 2012.
Interestingly enough, NIRAH is one of the reasons why one ought to consider moving to Bedford, according to an article in yesterday's Independent newspaper.
The article reads:
Bedford's population grew rapidly after the Second World War, when bricks were in high demand, and the town's clay-pits provided the raw materials. It is home, too, to a substantial Italian population. Now, the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) wants to transform the pits into a gigantic aquarium.
"This will be big, like the Eden Project in Cornwall. There are also new homes being built. New people will bring new blood into town."
Council Tax
The county is to raise its rate by 4.3 per cent – but says that is a good deal for residents.
It announced this week it intends to jack up its slice of the charge by 4.33 per cent from April, following a 4.88 per cent rise in 2006-07.
County council cabinet member for finance, Counciillor Richard Stay, said the authority had done well to keep the hike to below retail price inflation given the "appalling" handout it got from the Government.
He said: "The most significant factor in our spending plans and council tax is always the Government's grant. We were expecting to be at the bottom of the heap for funding again this year and so it has proved. Last year we got peanuts – this year we got the empty packet.
"With that in mind we've done our level best to keep the increase down and we have been able to limit the pain more than we thought we would.
"But we know that council tax is still too high in Bedfordshire."
The council says it is putting £1 million into schemes to tackle the fear of crime, £2 million into a project for refurbishing care homes, and an extra £4.3 million into roads.
It hopes to scale back the increase in its share of the tax to below four per cent in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Councillor Stay said: "We know the council tax is too high for particular people on fixed incomes, like the elderly. But when the Government is piling obligations on top of us and reducing the grant it gives us, do we cut the services that people need and use, or put the council tax up?"
(It's always the government's fault, of course!)
Where in the Bible does an apostle have a drink of beer? (Old schoolboy joke - a quotation from Acts chapter 28- where it says that Paul "thanked God and took Courage." )
Brewer Charles Wells made an eight-figure toast this week, after being involved in a £10million purchase of the historic Courage line of ales.
Charles Wells is one of two brewers which joined forces back in October to create the Wells & Young's Brewing Company.
And that joint venture this week purchased the rights to produce, market and sell Courage's ale range, including Courage Best, Courage Dark Mild and Courage Light Ale.
Nigel McNally, managing director of Wells & Young's, said: "This is a significant first major acquisition for Wells & Young's and firmly cements our commitment to brew and develop specialty cask ale.
Paula Radcliffe, darling of all athletics fanatics, has become a mum. The baby girl has yet to be named. Paula, who has won the London Marathon no fewer than three times, is hoping to return to serious competition as early as August, when she will contest either the 10,000m or the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Japan.
Book up for the Olympics in twenty years' time!
Campaigners can today celebrate victory after news bus routes across Bedfordshire are to be saved.
Several communities were due to be left with little or no services after operator Stagecoach announced it was cutting key routes. That prompted the Save Our Buses campaign, run by the Times & Citizen and sister paper, the Biggleswade Chronicle.
Hundreds sent letters, emails and texts and signed a petition. Public meetings were also held in Potton and Langford.
The action has resulted in County Hall stepping in with a rescue package to ensure most towns and villages in Mid Beds will still have a bus service.
Bosses at Beds County Council has now confirmed that of those places affected, the majority will still have buses after Stagecoach withdraws services on February 18.
Withdrawn services included the service from Gamlingay to Bedford, the service from Potton to Maulden, the service from Flitwick to Luton and the Jupiter service from Flitwick to Dunstable.
Tom Wootton, Beds County Council member for transport, said:
"I am delighted to announce that, in a very short space of time, we've managed to introduce interim bus services to the towns and villages that would have been most affected.
"I'm also pleased that the new services will not cost the taxpayer any extra money and can be supplied by other bus operators, and within our limited budget for bus transport which is £2.5 million."
County Hall stressed these are interim plans. A major county-wide review of bus services will begin next month, which will look at making transport more efficient.
But.... meanwhile am innovative bus service is facing extinction.
The Bedford Dart service is set to be axed, just a month after the East Bedfordshire Dart service was condemned to closure.
Ending the service will save Bedfordshire County Council an estimated £1,000 every day.
The county’s four Dart services are buses that can be ordered to private addresses, like a taxi.
Any journey on the Dart service costs £1.20, and it can be ordered on 30 minutes notice.
Running the services is dependent on large grants from central Government. The subsidies were for a limited period of time each, after which the council itself would have to take up the funding. It has declined to do so, so the services are being dropped.
Cllr Tom Wootton said:
“This service is so important to so many people, but it is not sustainable for much longer as the council’s budget for subsidising buses is very limited and extremely stretched at the moment.
“The county council is very concerned at this situation, but hopefully the Government will give us the necessary financial support to keep the Bedford Dart going.
“Patrick Hall MP and I are going to Westminster on February 1 and I hope we will have some good news for the many Bedford Dart users after that meeting.”
(Am I missing something? Whenever I have seen a Dart bus, it has been almost empty!)
A community website worth looking at:
Community & Voluntary Service - Mid & North Bedfordshire (CVS - Mid & North Beds) is a umbrella organisation that supports and represents the interests of voluntary organisations, community groups and charities in Mid & North Bedfordshire.
Services include:
- Support, advice and training opportunities for new and existing groups to help them sustain and develop healthy organisations
- Funding advice to identify and approach the right funders with the right activities
- Practical support in the form of cheap meeting/training rooms, equipment hire and photocopying
- Information and networking opportunities through mailings, events and meetings throughout the year
- CVS also represents the sector at a wide range of meetings, and encourages partnership working.
Passersby who spotted a group of firemen forcing their way into a superloo could be forgiven for thinking one of them was desperate. But the emergency crew who set about the public toilet at The Broadway, Bedford, at lunchtime on Thursday were actually doing their best to help a female member of the public who had got stuck inside.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “One pump went out from Bedford at around 12.15pm on Thursday.
A woman was released and we were happy to help to spare her blushes.”
A major clear-up was under way at the end of the week after the county was battered by high winds and heavy rain.
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Gales that have been battering Bedfordshire in recent weeks have blown in new business for one local company at least. Greenday Landscapes have never been busier - fixing fences and attending to damaged or fallen trees across the county.
"It's been a dreadful time for many home owners - but at least we have been able to provide professional help," explained owner Keith Ward. "Some were really stuck for what to do if a tree had fallen in their garden - or looked as it if might fall. And broken fences have left people without a secure perimeter to their property - so we have been rushing around getting them repaired."
Business has trebled in the last few weeks compared to the same time in 2006 - and with more winter weather approaching, Keith. Paul and Neil are preparing for more emergency calls.
I know that as Bedfordians we're envious, but it would be churlish not to wish Milton Keynes a happy anniversary, as this week it celebrates forty years of existence! The BBC has gone to town on this (click here) and has published forty facts about Milton Keynes (click here) some of which may surprise you!
For many years I have been a governor at Biddenham Upper School. In fact, I was there when it was founded, following the crass abolition of Pilgrim School in the Brickhill area not so many years ago. It has had its bad times - it was nearly closed some years ago, but today is oversubscribed and going from strength to strength.
Early this week a CD was launched by the school, featuring the singing of "Soulful Voices" under the leadership of Daniel Brown, a member of staff. The CD can be obtained from the school for £5 plus postage - and the singing cannot fail to cheer one up! Congratulations to the Soulful Voices, and also to Daniel Brown for his infectious enthusiasm!
Another success. Out of the many sixth formers who have secured University places are three who have gained a place at Oxbridge.
Emma Priddin (left), has been offered a place at Trinity College, Oxford to read theology.
Alec Medaney (centre) has been offered a place to read languages at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Clare Anderson (right), will study medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Well done to them, as also to the dedicated teachers who helped them on their way.
Finally...
I used, once, to run courses on how to set up pages for the Web, and recall how often I used to say that unless the news is updated regularly, it is a "killer" as far as readership is concerned!
As regular readers know, from 1997 until last year I used to compile a newsletter every week, and from the responses it became clear that the pages were useful. At that time approximately a thousand people used to read them each week.
However, a weekly newsletter was taxing me too much, I then felt it necessary to stop and since then have been sending occasional newsletters only. And the question I keep asking myself is whether people are reading them! (I should have listened to the advice I so freely offered to others about regular postings!)
I would be ever so grateful if readers were able to spend a moment sending me an e-mail simply saying whether the newsletters are worth continuing, so that I can get some idea as to the take-up. You are all busy people, so a simple "yes" or "no" would be enough. The address is bedsnews@rleggat.com. Thanks ever so much!
More soon!
Robert