At Thursday's meeting of CBC Full Council, the long awaited Local Plan was adopted by the Council. For residents of Leighton Buzzard and Linslade, and the surrounding villages, it is largely good news. The plan identifies several small sites in and around the town, but it will stop any further development on the scale we … Continue reading Why we should all welcome the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan
Freedom Day ?
Tomorrow is ‘freedom day’. The day when we can more or less abandon our face masks, stop social distancing and return to normal. Pubs, sports venues, night clubs – all can move closer to ‘business as usual’. It marks an end to almost 500 days of lockdowns and restrictions. We can meet our friends and … Continue reading Freedom Day ?
How you can help looked after children
Before explaining my role as the Co-Chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel, I probably need to explain what a ‘Corporate Parent’ is. All Councillors and employees of Central Bedfordshire Council are a ‘Corporate Parent’. They share a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children and young adults in the … Continue reading How you can help looked after children
Our looked after children and young people …
When one thinks about the Council’s responsibilities, you probably think about roads, leisure centres, rubbish collection, schools and housing. And of course, planning and development. These are the issues that affect us all. Increasingly, Adult Social Care – and in particular care for the elderly – is something that attracts headlines, and this is the … Continue reading Our looked after children and young people …
Online abuse and Cyberbullying
Over the past week or so I have been accused of being the “local Freemasons’ dogs-body” and “subservient to other councillors” and it has been suggested I should stop posting on social media. More generally, local councillors have been referred to as “rogue individuals”, “like a cancer”, “corrupt crooks who are abusing the public”, and … Continue reading Online abuse and Cyberbullying
Accidents do happen …
I remember a time – not so many years ago – when an accident was just that. An accident. Nobody was at fault. There was no malice. There was no question of someone acting irresponsibly or recklessly. It was quite simply an accident. And there were no ‘lessons to be learned’. No retraining. No ‘root … Continue reading Accidents do happen …
Planning and local development
Every now and again, we see the same misleading commentary on local social media regarding planning decisions, development and infrastructure around Leighton Buzzard and Linslade. Few, if any, local Councillors would support the level of development we have seen and continue to see if there was a choice. If there was anything that could be … Continue reading Planning and local development
Traffic matters
This week’s meeting of the Traffic Management Committee at CBC has two items on the agenda for Leighton Buzzard. Hockliffe Road crossing The first is to consider a petition for an additional crossing on Hockliffe Road. The petition has received 109 signatures, and calls for for the Council to implement an additional around the junction … Continue reading Traffic matters
The end of lockdown
Tomorrow – May 17th – we reach the next major milestone in the easing of Covid restrictions. We will be able to meet with friends and family indoors, larger numbers will be able to attend weddings and funerals, and many indoor entertainment venues – cinemas, play areas and the like – will re-open. And if … Continue reading The end of lockdown
South of the High Street and free parking …
A few weeks ago I wrote on my blog about the land south of LB High Street. In that post, I made what I considered to be a realistic assessment of the likely future use of the site and the timescales. At the same time, I urged residents to be wary of promises of community … Continue reading South of the High Street and free parking …
