Petitions

32

6 May 2025

S Mal

55

16 March 2025

I Nicholls

Harpur and Queens Park Wards:

Cllrs Atkins, Layne, Akhtar, Masud, Mahboob Din

178

19 March 2025

Cllr C Royden

62

18 Feb 2025

Cllr Valentine

Full Council resolved 19 March 2025:

This Council notes:

Young people in Bedford Borough face significant challenges in accessing transport, which restricts their ability to travel for education, employment, and social opportunities.

One of the primary barriers is the high cost of bus fares. While the previous £2 national fare cap provided some relief, this has now increased to £3 as of 1 January 2025, making regular travel even more expensive. 

Although some bus companies offer annual tickets, these are often unaffordable for many families and unsuitable for young people who only need transport for part of the week or year.

Most young people have limited financial resources and are largely supported by their families, the rising costs place an additional strain on household budgets.

This Council believes:

Introducing a subsidised £1 flat fare for children and young people under the age of 19 would bring significant benefits to both individuals and the wider community. 

Affordable transport would improve access to education and employment, particularly for those who do not qualify for existing transport subsidies and rely on buses to reach school, college, or part-time jobs. 

It would also promote social inclusion and mobility, ensuring that financial constraints do not limit young people's ability to participate fully in society.

Beyond the immediate financial relief for families, a £1 fare scheme would encourage sustainable travel habits, reducing car dependency and contributing to climate change goals by increasing public transport use.

It would also support young people’s mental health and wellbeing by fostering independence and reducing the stress associated with transport costs. 

This initiative could play a vital role in recovering and boosting bus industry patronage, which remains below pre-pandemic levels.

 This Council resolves:

To explore the introduction of a £1 flat bus fare for young people under 19. This scheme should be designed based on successful models recently introduced in Central Bedfordshire and the Cambridge/Peterborough Combined Authority. 

To ask the portfolio holder to commission a report on the feasibility of this initiative and to present findings at the Full Council meeting on 2 July 2025 or sooner, if possible, with an aim to introduce the scheme prior to the new school/college year in September.

129

Cllr Towler

22 Jan 2025

Resolved 5 February 2025:

This Council notes:

Slurry movements within Thurleigh have caused increasing stress and inconvenience for the residents through increased air and noise pollution. 

The frequency, size and speed of these vehicles can potentially cause damage to properties, highway infrastructure and pavements.

The vehicles proximity near a local primary school poses a danger to school children alongside wider safety concerns. 

This Council believes:

The movement of slurry tankers through Thurleigh has become a significant concern for residents due to their size, frequency, and speed, particularly near the primary school and key junctions such as the S-bend.

A petition with 134 signatures, along with supporting evidence, has been submitted by residents, highlighting the impact on daily life, safety concerns, and potential damage to property and infrastructure.

Several near-miss incidents have been reported involving pedestrians and other vehicles.

The Council shares residents’ concerns regarding if the business responsible holds the proper waste license, and concerns about the environmental impact of these operations.

The Council resolves:

Formally engage with the Environment Agency (EA) and relevant authorities, including submitting a formal request for updates on the investigation and potential enforcement actions.

Work with the relevant Council officers to assess the feasibility of traffic calming measures and other solution to the issue of slurry movements within Thurleigh. 

Investigate the legality of the operations.

48

Mr I Nicholls

15 Feb 2025

Resolved 5 February 2025:

That as part of the statutory consultation, the Council implores East West Rail Company to restore the area left as a country park for the benefit of the residents of Bedford.

300+

Ms M Vissian

15 Jan 2025

Resolved 26 February 2025:

The Council recognises that a proportion of residents do not have the necessary technology, skills or provisions to conduct transactions with the council online, and that a more comprehensive equality impact assessment could have been conducted prior to the introduction of electronic parking permits. 

The Council recognises the importance of the full range of council services being available to residents who cannot practically go online. 

The Council recognises the importance of employing enough enforcement officers to ensure parking rules are enforced. 

The Council recognises the importance to local residents that enforcement deters people from parking who do not pay and do not have a permit to park. 

The Council recognises the relevance to council revenue of sufficient enforcement of parking restrictions. 

The Council recognises that there was no public consultation in advance of the introduction of electronic parking permits and that many residents are finding the change difficult. 

The Council asks the Executive to conduct a further information campaign to help residents and their visitors make the transition and understand the new permits, how to apply for them and how to use them (including their limitations). The Council believes such an information campaign has to include a significant amount of offline communication. 

The Council asks the Executive to conduct a targeted information campaign, that should include writing to those residents in the CPZ areas who have not yet applied for online parking permits, offering them a chance to attend at the Borough Hub in Horne Lane, and assuring them that the council can and will help, even if they don’t have or can’t use technology to apply for permits online. 

The Council asks the Executive to ensure that when residents in the CPZ areas attend at the Borough Hub, all those who don’t have or can’t use technology to apply for permits online are offered scratchcard permits, such as those that have been in use in the CPZ areas since the introduction of the CPZ. 

The Council asks the Executive to ensure staffing levels for parking enforcement are not allowed to fall significantly below the current fully-staffed level of 25 unless there is clear evidence that levels of compliance with parking restrictions are so high that such staffing levels are no longer needed. 

The Council asks the Executive to report back to full council at its meeting on 2 July about staffing levels for parking enforcement, progress of information campaigns, the numbers of residents who have been offered scratchcard permits, a projection of how long council stocks of scratchcard permits will last for each CPZ area, and longer-term plans if it appears stocks in any area will not meet need into the foreseeable future.

5

Mr D Hodrien 

6 Dec 2024

31

Mr G Smith

27 Nov 2024

Brickhill: Cllrs 

C Royden and Rider

Resolved 15 January 2025: 

This Council notes on 8 June 2022 the Executive took the decision to apply for powers to enforce against moving traffic offenses as part of the Traffic Management Act. These powers are granted by the Department of Transport and funds are allocated to force against such offenses as banned left and right turns, u-turns, no vehicle entry points, stopping in yellow boxes at junctions, and driving on school streets.

This Council believes that these powers provide the opportunity to make our roads safer and the Council resolves to progress with provision for enforcement without delay and to introduce ANPR cameras in Kennett Rise as a matter of urgency.

64

Mrs J Birch

27 Nov 2024

Resolved 15 January 2025: 

That the Portfolio Holder be asked to ensure measures are put in place as soon as possible to remedy the dangerous parking situation in Jowitt Avenue.

238

Cllr Vann

9 Oct 2024

Resolved 27 November 2024: 

That Full Council requests that the Executive permanently drop plans to charge for access to Telecare services.

40

20 March 2024

A Anand

Full Council debate 10 July 2024 resolved:

1. That Full Council asks the Executive to approve the implementation of a speed survey as outlined at C2 in not just Victoria Road, but also Aspley Road, Ombersley Road and Edward Road as outlined in Appendix C and the introduction of a 20mph zone if found appropriate.

2. That Full Council asks the Executive to approve the implementation of the survey outlined at C7 Appendix C over the next 3 months to determine the number of spaces that are available overnight in not just Victoria Road but also Aspley Road, Ombersley Road and Edward Road and changes to the CPZ times extending them to midnight depending on the results of this.

54

14 March 2024

B Jesus

Full Council debate 10 July 2024 Resolved: 

1. That Full Council calls on the Executive to support and action suggested repairs to Jubilee Skatepark as outlined in Appendix D of the report.

2. That Full Council to support and action resurfacing of the MUGA and basketball areas in Jubilee Park considering the use of Section 106 monies as referred to in the report.

63

28 February 2024

C Colwell and Cllr Headley

Full Council resolved: That Full Council calls on the Executive to:

1. Introduce a new funded programme of speed cameras in the Capital Programme.

2. Move forward the existing unparished CIL scheme to fund additional cameras in unparished areas.

3. Recognise the issues in Arundel Drive, particularly that it is an alternative route off of the existing Putnoe Street scheme and it is used as a drop off for Putnoe Primary School, and develop and implement a speed camera scheme for Arundel Drive.

56

28 February 2024

S Guri

Full Council resolved:

That the Council Notes:

Following a petition to introduce a 20mph restriction zone in Biddenham and having now established that Biddenham Parish Council shares the concerns of the petitioner in the petition presented at the Full Council meeting on 28 February 2024. The Parish Council would support a feasibility study into a 20mph zone within Biddenham and would also be interested in discussing other potential solutions the Borough Council may have to tackle speeding. 

This Council Resolves:

To assess by way of a feasibility study the suitability and practicality of introducing a 20mph speed limit zone in the Parish. This will be programmed to take place as soon as practically possible. The results, design, and any potential solutions to tackle speeding will be discussed with the Parish Council, noting that the police will not support average speed cameras in a 20mph limit. Therefore, the Parish Council will need to take a view on whether the speed limit will need to be 20mph or 30mph.

44

13 February 2024

O Quailey

Full Council debate 10.7.24 resolved:

1. That the Council notes that the petition presented for the consideration of an additional crossing on High Road, Cotton End has been submitted due to a perceived need for an additional safe crossing to and from the Forest School. The Council further notes that there is already in place a signalised crossing outside of the former school site and this could be used for those walking to the school from Shortstown and a signalised crossing 45 metres south of Wood Lane which provides a crossing point from Cotton End. There is also an uncontrolled crossing point, with a centre island, just before the mini roundabout at the school entrance.

2. That the Council resolves that the Council’s Engineering Services Team will carry out an assessment of the request, which will look at the road classification, road type, speed limit, and whether it is on a specific desire line for children walking, cycle routes or other crossing facilities, within 200 meters of the requested site, also the number of houses within 300 meters of the site, and accidents, to come up with a prioritisation score, and it will then be added to a list of similar requests from across the Borough.

Full Council debate: 28 February 2024

That Council notes:

• The Lawn Tennis Association funding for improved tennis courts in Bedford Park.

•The petitioners concerns about the potential loss of free, turn-up-and-play provision at Bedford Park, and concerns echoed elsewhere,

• That current plans propose to replace nine, free, turn-up-and-play courts with three paid-for-access courts with some unspecified “free sessions”.

• That a provider has not yet been announced, and that work begun on Monday 19 February, 12 days after a petition was submitted and 9 days before this submitted petition was due to be debated.

The Council:

•  Welcomes the investment in Bedford Park’s Tennis Courts and in courts across the Borough made possible by grants previously secured.

Council therefore calls on the Executive to:

• Ensure the protection of turn-up-and-play courts at Bedford Park tennis courts.

•  Ensure Linden Road courts remain free turn-up-and-play courts at all times

• Ensure the protection of free turn-up-and-play options at other courts throughout the Borough, as has been achieved at Mowsbury Park Courts, and

• Consult with Ward Councillors before making any changes to tennis court provision in their Wards.

Full Council debate: 7 February 2024 Resolved:

That the Council's Executive instruct Officers to investigate best practice ideas and case studies in other local authorities, and investigate likely cost savings with a view to setting up some form of re-use shop or depot at Barkers Lane HWRC.

Full Council debate: 7 February 2024 - Resolved:

That that the Council acts without delay to:

a. Collaborate with National Highways if required and install a safe pedestrian crossing on the A421 exit slip road.

b. Prioritise the upgrading of the Old Harrowden and “Bumpy Lane” route with suitable paving, adequate lighting, efficient drainage, and the installation of CCTV.

Full Council debate: 7 Feb 2024 - Resolved

That Council notes:

• Funding had been allocated for a new GP surgery in Wixams and plans were in place to deliver the project.

• Funding for the GP surgery, as well as for a number of other NHS projects in the Borough, was scrapped in January 2023. 

The joint Liberal Democrat and Labour amendment to the Capital Programme on 18th December 2023 reinstated £9 million for Primary Care Estate Provision including for Wixams, Wootton, Kempston Hub and Great Barford. Council requests that the Mayor and the Executive:

•  Prioritise the building of the new premises in Wixams, Wootton, Kempston Hub and Great Barford.

•  Work with the BLMK ICB to ensure that there are GPs ready to move into the new premises.

•  Write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to request investment and adequate capital funding plus revenue resources are given to BLMK ICB to develop new GP Buildings.

Full Council debate: 29 November 2023 - Resolved: 

That Full Council calls on Executive to accept the petitioner's request by confirming that the pavements in Wood End are part of the work programme, ensuring that the proposed works accept the petitioner’s request for a level pavement and possibly an extension along Tithe Road and also to work with internet providers to look at solutions to provide an improved digital connectivity at the same time as repairs. Measures to prevent parking on pavements would also go some way to helping residents move along those pavements and to review the street lighting in the area also as there are very few streetlights that are on that road.

Harpur

Cllrs Atkins and Layne

Wixams and Wilstead

Cllrs Coombes, Frost and Spice

1 M. Lawrenson

1 August 203

Wixams and Wilstead

Cllrs Coombes, Frost and Spice

98 G. Singh

12 July 2023

Director of Environment

74 E. Thomas

9 July 2023

Wixams and Wilstead

Cllrs Coombes, Frost and Spice

Full Council debate: 10 January 2024 Resolved: 

That the Portfolio Holder meet with the concerned resident of Abbeyfields, to walk with them to check the areas of concern with Officers and Ward Councillors and to do this as quickly as possible.

Full Council debate 12 July 2023 Resolved.

That this Council notes:

• Wootton Parish Council has raised concerns made by residents regarding areas of road safety.
• The Parish Council is asking that Bedford Borough Council implement road safety measures in Mepham Road, Wootton to avoid the potential for vehicle collisions at the first 100 yards at its junction with Bedford Road.

The Council resolves:

• To contact Wootton Parish Councillors the week commencing 17 July and agree on dates to meet on the site of Mepham Road.
• That a meeting be held between Parish Councillors, the Portfolio Holder, and a Highways Officer and discuss and illustrate areas where proposed safety improvements could be made.
•  Following onsite discussions with Wootton Parish Council any agreed measures to be added to the Highways work programme in this Financial Year.

Full Council debate: 29 November 2023 Resolved: 

That the Environment Team be asked to provide a response as to what action could be taken to protect designated county wildlife sites (such as ‘Butterfly Field”) in the Borough.

Full Council debate 12 July 2023 Resolved:

That this Council notes:

• Turvey residents’ have registered their concerns about the poor condition of Turvey's roads and footpaths and highlight them as a potential danger to residents, visitors, and those passing through.
• The roads and footways are listed as High Street Turvey, Newton Lane, Carlton Road, Grove Road, and May Road.
• The roads and footways highlighted in the petition have been scheduled for attention in the current financial year.

The Council resolves that it has Confirmed dates for works in and around Turvey for this Financial Year as follows:

• A428 Bridge Street drainage works – 18 September to 20 October
•  High Street Carriageway resurfacing A428 from Borough border to Jack’s Lane – 23 October to 10 November (note this is currently being agreed with Streetworks so may change)
• Footway resurfacing Grove Road – 16 October to 31 October
• The following are going through the design process and are being programmed, likely to be completed in Q4:
• Footway resurfacing Carlton Road (to be combined with carriageway works)
• Carriageway resurfacing Carlton Road

Future programmes in Turvey:

• Newton Lane will fall into the programme of assessment for the next financial year 2024/25.

Full Council debate: 28 February 2023

Council notes:

• The lack of powers it has on this issue and the need for national action soon, as recognised by local MPs recently.
• That there is no word as to when the redress scheme or further legislation will be forthcoming from the government, despite an initial promise back in 2017 to resolve this.
• The calls of local residents at this meeting regarding the issue.

Council resolves:

•  To push Government to take action to enable residents to seek redress and give local authorities powers to support residents in taking control of management companies.

This includes a letter from the Mayor to the relevant Secretary of State, but also to encourage all Councillors particularly those whose party is in government to help us lobby the government to take action.

Full Council debate: 28 February 2023.

The Council recognises that new school uniforms can be a significant cost for families and welcomes the schemes that many schools have in place to support families accessing school uniforms.

The Council notes the existing policy to support families on the lowest incomes with the whole range of costs that they face not just for specific items, particularly through the 100% Council Tax reduction scheme that is worth around £300-£400 a year compared with typical councils and more financial support is available through the Household Support fund and Free School Meal holiday supermarket vouchers.

The Council asks the Chief Education officer to write to all schools to thank them for the work they are already doing to support families at this time and to ask them to do whatever they can to support families for whom the cost of the school uniform is unaffordable.

e-petition to 1 April 2022.

The petition did not receive any support, however the Council’s relevant Directorate, the Mayor and Ward Councillor were made aware of the concerns expressed.

Directorate response on 6 October 2021: thank you for your petition and time you have taken to highlight this to the Council.
The Council currently collects glass for recycling by means of a network of almost 50 glass recycling banks located across the district which collect the glass colour separated to ensure that high quality recycling is achieved. Glass is a unique material which I am sure you will know which can be recycled indefinitely with no loss of quality and without requiring the addition of extra raw material. As the Councils glass is collected in separate streams per colour it is currently able to be sent for remelt and made into new glass bottles and jars. It is harder to recycle glass collected as a single mixed colour stream and often such glass is sent to be reused as road surfacing instead of being recycled.

The tonnage of glass collected via the Council’s network of banks has increased steadily each year, 3,465 tonnes of glass was collected via the banks in 2020/21. A significant increase in tonnage was seen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic driven by the closure of pubs and restaurants during lockdowns.

The last few years have seen a major update of Central Government waste policy. The Government’s aims and commitments have been outlined in the Resources and Waste Strategy 2018 and the forthcoming Environment Bill. However, there remains a considerable amount of uncertainty over exactly how those aims will be delivered by local authorities in practice. At the time of writing the government has recently ended three consultation exercises which may have a direct and considerable impact on the types and quantities of waste the Council is required to manage in the future, as well as how all that activity is funded.

The Government is committed to introduce packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) following a further consultation. This consultation focused on specific policy proposals for its introduction, including the scope of full net costs, producer obligations, scheme governance, regulation of the scheme, and packaging waste recycling targets. The proposals set out in the consultation document aim to ensure that the producers pay the full net cost of managing this packaging once it becomes waste. This is in line with the polluter-pays principle. The mechanism for how revenue generated from EPR levies gets back to local authorities, who incur the cost of collecting and treating such waste, has yet to be decided.

Moving towards a more circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible and waste is minimised, and ensuring the UK is a world leader in resource efficiency and resource productivity is a priority for Government. Across the UK, consumers go through an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles, 9 billion drinks cans and 5 billion glass bottles a year. The UK Government made commitments to develop policy which works towards achieving these aims, not least through the development of producer responsibility proposals. Introducing a deposit return scheme forms a key part of these proposals, and has recently been consulted upon. Issues also consulted upon included which material streams will be targeted; how and who collects returned waste and methods for funding the scheme and collection costs.

Increasing consistency in recycling will reduce confusion in the materials that can be collected for recycling at the kerbside. The recent UK Government consultation detailed specific policy proposals for increasing consistency in recycling collected from households, businesses and other organisations. Issues consulted upon included the materials included in each recyclable waste stream, exemptions, statutory guidance and transition timelines for local authorities and businesses. Significantly, there has been limited information as to how such changes will be funded to enable recycling consistency to be implemented successfully.

Collection of glass should ideally be undertaken in vehicles with compartments to keep the glass separated by colour. Glass is an abrasive material once broken and vehicles often have shorter operational lives due to the higher wear and tear as well as requiring more frequent servicing requirements. Due to the weight of the material and payloads of vehicles, the number of properties that may be served by a glass collection vehicle is smaller than for other waste types which may be compacted leading to a higher number of vehicles being required to service all eligible properties. The type of collection container also required careful consideration, manual handling guidelines preclude certain types of containers and collection methods being used to reduce musculoskeletal injuries to collection operatives.

At this moment in time, there is significant uncertainty regarding government waste policy on packaging EPR, deposit return schemes and kerbside recycling. Given the high additional cost of operating such schemes, and the associated increase in carbon emissions for Council operations inherent in the introduction of such a service, it would be most unwise to introduce such a service at this very time.

The Council, however notes the support for a kerbside glass collections scheme, and will continue to explore and investigate any opportunities that may arise for the introduction of such a scheme as government policy develops.