Hello from Bedford!

Occasional newsletter - mainly for expats

On Thursday 6th it was announced that the Government has finally confirmed its decision on a major shake-up of local government in Bedfordshire.

The Department for Communities and Local Government announced that Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire District Councils will merge to form a new unitary authority for Central Bedfordshire and that Bedford Borough Council is set to become a unitary authority.

The move means Bedfordshire County Council will be abolished, with the two unitary authorities taking over its responsibilities.

Previously the Government had said it was "minded" to approve the Town Hall's bid in Bedford but had held back from confirming its new status.

Still pending, however, is the result of a judicial review, launched by County Hall and heard at the High Court in London last month.

The new unitary councils will officially come into being on April 1 2009. They inherit from County Hall responsibility for major services such as education, roads maintenance and social services to go alongside planning, waste collection, recycling and environmental health.

It is thought most existing staff will be kept in place under the new employers.

These include teachers, social workers, environmental health, housing and trading standards officers, museums, arts and library staff.

Mayor of Bedford Frank Branston said:

"This decision sees the final piece of the jigsaw for local government in Bedfordshire fall into place. We will now be able to focus on delivering the high levels of service that borough residents expect when the new authority is created in 2009.

"It's clear the Government have backed our proposals all along despite comments made by the county council. I hope staff and councillors across Bedfordshire will respect this decision and work with us in the interests of the people we represent."

Coun Nicky Attenborough, who holds the portfolio for unitary status at Bedford Borough Council, added:

"We can now move forward with plans that will put an end to two-tier government in Bedfordshire.

"It's high time we drew a line in the sand over unitary differences and welcome in a new era of increased savings, greater efficiency and a renewed focus on the needs of local residents."

Coun Madeline Russell, leader of Bedfordshire County Council, released a statement on its website. In it she claimed:

"We cannot accept that this decision is final.

"We are extremely disappointed with the Government decision and fear the damage that would result if the county and its services are split in two.

"The Government may have made its mind up but the courts have not.

"Our judicial review remains a legitimate legal challenge to the procedures used and the rationality and legality of the original 'minded to' decision. We expect a ruling in the next few weeks.

"We are upset, but not surprised, that the Secretary of State has ignored the fact that all the major stakeholders backed our case and, particularly, that she has ignored public opinion - in five short weeks, nearly 33,000 people signed our petition in support of a single council for Bedfordshire."

Mid Beds District Council leader Coun Tricia Turner said:

"This is excellent news and the real job starts now.

"We are clearly looking forward to a challenging year. Bringing together councils to create a single new Central Bedfordshire unitary authority will present both challenges and opportunities.

"Councillors and staff are prepared for these and look forward to delivering a successful outcome.

"For me, success will mean a smooth transition from Mid Beds to Central Beds, with the least disruption to service delivery for our residents.

"Success for the new council must mean that all involved have a total commitment to the new authority, and hold dear the values that matter most to us - delivering excellent services; providing value for money for our residents; working creatively and successfully with our partners; ensuring we continue to charge a low council tax; and remaining a council that listens to its residents and is prepared to consider the needs of the individual."

A minor fortune has been spent by the County Council, both in legal fees, and in the time taken by employees to fight the preliminary decision. As one of the many who had been approached with a view to signing the petition, I am not surprised that the government has ignored the petition, as doubtless many will have signed in good faith, based upon totally misleading information. We still of course have to await the decision of the court, but even were there to be a flaw in procedures, as claimed by the County, the final outcome must surely be that the government gets its own way.

Whilst congratulating the Borough for making the successful bid, both Frank Branston and Shaun Field are taking on a task which not many would relish. Given that the County Council, despite its promise to cooperate, has put every obstacle in the way and set back progress all over the county, one has not the highest hopes for a smoooth transition.

So where do things stand?

Those far away from Bedfordshire (and indeed many who live here!) can understandably be forgiven for not knowing what is going to happen:

1. Central Bedfordshire Council will be at the heart of the county, covering an area of 1,000 square kilometres.

It will stretch from Dunstable and Leighton Linslade in the west to Sandy and Arlesey in the east, with a population of almost 250,000.

Its headquarters will be at Chicksands and Dunstable, with four 'points of presence' in Ampthill, Biggleswade, Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade.

Elections for the new council are likely to be held in May 2009.

2. Bedford Borough Council covers 476 square kilometres in the north of the county, centred on the county town, and serves 153,000 people. Its borders will not change under the local government shake-up.

The Town Hall is based in St Paul's Square, and, unlike the other authorities, it has been headed by a directly-elected Mayor since 2002.

Elections are also expected in Bedford Borough in May 2009.

3. Luton Borough Council was made the unitary authority for its area in 1997.

Frank Branston's blog should provide reassurance to those within the County Council structure who are concerned for their jobs:

No bloodbath at County Hall, not many going

"Since the news that the Government has made a firm decision on unitary, some people have approached me almost salivating over the prospect of a bloodbath at County Hall.

Here is an excerpt from one email I have received:

“I have mixed feelings over today’s announcement. Delight over the fact that
the County Council’s reign is coming to an end and that the Borough has
won. But also a measure of concern for you and Shaun Field, as you take
over such a motley crew.”

I have had other calls suggesting candidates for the boot.

Well, I am sorry, but it isn’t going to be like that. Staff are statutorily protected and will have to be taken on by the new authorities, but even if they were not, I don’t blame them for fighting for their organisation and their jobs. Most of them will adapt to the new situation and even grow to like it. They will prefer working for an organisation which knows its job and gets on with it to one that goes in for kite-flying and sloganeering.

When I was elected Mayor of Bedford, there were people anticipating that I would soon part company from chief executive Shaun Field and Labour leader Shan Hunt. We had been tearing lumps out of each other ending up in the courts not long before.

But the grass grows over the battlefield and Field and I were soon getting along famously and have done ever since. Shan became my deputy mayor, and very good she was too.

No doubt some senior officers at County Hall are already remodelling their career plans, but the bulk of the county’s staff will soon be doing the same jobs either for us or Central Bedfordshire and, initially at least, will scarcely notice the change. "

End of an era 1: Unipath to close its Bedford presence

Unipath announced on Thursday of last week that it is to close its Bedford facility, costing as many as 433 jobs.

The closure could happen as soon as the end of 2009.

Unipath, famous for its home pregnancy tests which sell all over the world, and founded in 1986 under the Unilever umbrella, was bought by Massachusetts-based Inverness Medical Innovations (IMI) in 2001.

IMI's intention is to transfer all of its Bedford manufacturing operations to its low-cost facilities which are mainly in China.

Kevin Steam, Unipath managing director, said: "Over the next 90 days we will be consulting with representatives of all our employees and other interested parties."

Unipath's head office at Priory Business Park, Bedford, is the centre of its worldwide network.

Its purpose-built facility opened there in 1996 and houses head office, research and development laboratories and manufacturing facilities.

The workforce is highly skilled, with more than 60 per cent of its 100 researchers having university degrees, and 24 per cent PHD doctorates.

Also manufactured in Bedford are a range of fertility monitors and ovulation test kits plus clinical diagnostic products for the healthcare industry.

Regional sales and distribution offices are located in the USA, Germany and Scandinavia.

Richard Lacy, chief executive of the Chamber, charged with business development in Bedfordshire, described the news as, "Firstly, extremely bad for Bedford, and the whole region. It is essential that we retain these high quality jobs.

"Now we need to concentrate on developments such as the expansion of Colmworth Science Park which will attract industry to the area that is able to utilise Bedford's skilled workforce, like those who currently work at Unipath."

He admitted however that the announcement of Unipath's closure had not totally surprised him.

"There is a growing trend in global industry to ship work out to China and India, where the labour is not only cheap but highly skilled," he added.

End of an era 2: Last day at Stewartby brickworks

At the end of last month the Stewartby brickworks ceased production. Workers queued outside Stewartby Brickworks to collect their redundancy pay as production at Bedfordshire's last brickyard ended.

More than 80 workers left the factory for the last time on Friday Feb 29, as a century of brickmaking tradition came to a halt.

Once part of the largest brickfields in the world, the fate of the county's last brickworks was sealed in November last year when Hanson Building Products announced it would be closing the factory because it could not meet the Government's strict emissions targets.

There's a video of the last day you can see here. There's also a history of the brickworks - click here.

And finally...

Occasionally old postcards of Bedfordshire appear on eBay, and unless they cost an arm and a leg, I'm often in the bidding. Sometimes eBayers can be a little cheeky: one picture of Bedford offered for sale had actually been ripped off this web site, if you please!

This one was posted to a Mrs. Paris in Ashted, Surrey. It is dated 11th August 1913, and reads: "Spending the day here. Love from Lawrena. " And in those days postage cost an old half penny!

More soon!

Kind regards

Robert