Brickhill Liberal Democrats
Welcome to the website of Brickhill Liberal Democrats. We hope that these pages explain the work which we are doing to help our local community, as well as providing other helpful information. If there is something further which you would like to know, just contact us direct and we will be pleased to help in any way that we can. Contact information is shown below.
Tesco Update
Brickhill Parish Council has been asked to nominate good causes in Brickhill to receive grantsfrom Tesco. The Parish Council felt unable to make any recommendations given the lack of communications which had been received from Tesco. However a local community group would be advised to apply direct to Tesco if they wished.
The next matter of importance is the application by Tesco to sell alcohol from their store. As Borough Councillors we have made the following statement -
Objection to Tesco Stores Ltd, sale of alcohol Brickhill Drive
As Borough and Parish Councillors for Brickhill we wish to register our objection to the application made by Tesco Stores Ltd to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises between 6am and 11pm each day of the week.
We recognise that there are already two local stores selling alcohol on this small shopping parade and we believe that this is more than sufficient in this residential area of Bedford. The existing local shops provide perfectly for local needs and we do not believe there is any merit in additional facilities.
This application will increase the number of hours in which alcohol is available and potentially may provide lower prices on some alcoholic drink which would encourage the public nuisance of under age and binge drinking.
We have worked hard with the police and the local community to help tackle anti-social behaviour with some particular success in this area. However we are aware that increasing the availability of alcohol can only be detrimental to the good results which have been achieved and increase the potential for crime and disorder.
Brickhill is no different from any other area in experiencing anti-social behaviour and a great deal of effort has been taken to eradicate problems in this specific location. We have worked with police, residents and the local housing association to install gated access to flats where youths were gathering to consume alcohol and have casual sex, creating nuisance and disturbance to residents.
We are aware that serious traffic accidents in this vicinity have been attributed to drivers being under the influence of drink and drugs. It is important to us that nothing be done to prejudice the improvements in road safety which have taken place over the past few years.
The application by Tesco for this licence is entirely out of keeping in this residential area of Bedford. Moreover it is on a route used frequently by children to attend the local schools and therefore places them in unnecessary harm.
Granting the licence therefore has the potential to increase the problems of general safety and well being of residents in Brickhill. Since we believe that increasing availability of alcohol in this way is so detrimental to the well being of our community we request that the licence be refused in its entirety and no alcohol be allowed to be sold from these premises.
Borough Councillor Report February 2012
Read the latest information provided to the Brickhill Parish Council in our February 2012 Borough Councillors report.
Surgery dates
We look forward to meeting with you at our forthnightly surgeries, no need to book just turn up. We will be pleased to help with any matters of concern to you.
- 4 February Avon Drive shops
- 18 February Brickhill Drive shops
- 3 March Avon Drive Shops
- 17 March Brickhill Drive Shops
Download the 2012 Calendar
Important dates and telelphone numbers for your information. Handy to keep, click here
Tesco Update
The Borough Council were advised at the meeting on Wednesday 11 January that all Councillors had been given the opportunity for a full briefing of the legal issues involved in pursuing enforcement of the covenant imposed upon the original building of the Bird in Hand. Further questions had been put to Counsel since the last meeting and the advice remained the same as that issued by the Chief Executive.
This was that the covenant was not enforceable. This is therefore the position of the Borough Council and no Borough Councillors disagreed that this was the correct advice, however disappointed we all feel about the outcome.That all councillors have been fully persuaded should reassure residents that the Borough Council has no choice in this matter.
New Brickhill Bus
Thank you to all of those residents who have contacted us to express views on the bus services in Brickhill. We are aware that that bus services are very important to residents in Brickhill and are a vital to many elderly who depend upon them. We also appreciate how important the continued bus service along Larkway has been and it is important that we are able to establish a regular and reliable service. Some residents have asked us for additional buses and we are pleased to report that following our survey, Bedford Borough Council have agreed to provide an additional service which will be of direct benefit to people living in the vicinity of Larkway.
On a Monday to Saturday there will be a Bedford Borough Council bus service to Bedford Town Centre, the vehicle can be accessed by passengers waiting at the current bus stops on Larkway or via a hail and ride service on Dove Road. There are two additional journeys to the town centre, Monday to Saturday at 09:57 and 12:02 and two journeys arranged back from the town centre at 11:30 and 14:15.
The first bus will leave Anjulita Court at 09:50, it will arrive in Dove Road at 09:55 (Dove Road will operate on a hail and ride basis, where passengers can simply flag down the bus anywhere along Dove Road), it will then proceed to Larkway at 09:57 where it will collect passengers from the current bus stops before turning right out of Larkway onto Brickhill Drive completing the rest of its journey arriving in Harpur Street at 10:15. The second journey will leave Anjulita Court at 11:55 arriving in Dove Road at 12:00, Larkway 12:02 and Harpur Street at 12:19.
The first return journey will Leave Harpur Street (opp The Bedford Central Club) at 11:30, arriving at Larkway at 11:45, Dove Road at 11:47 and finally Anjulita Court at 12:02, The second journey will Leave Harpur Street at 14:15 arriving at Larkway at 14:30, Dove Road at 14:32 and finally Anjulita Court at 14:37.
If you have any comments about this new bus service we would be delighted to hear from you and we will be monitoring this and the existing service to ensure that the best possible public transport provision is made for residents.
Full timetable details can be obtained here
Changes announced to Brickhill Bus Services
Thank you to all of those people who assisted us by completing our survey of bus users who will miss the Number 10 bus which will no longer come through Brickhill. It is clear that this was a very valuable service especially to some elderly residents for whom it was a real lifeline. We have been working with Bedford Borough Council and Grant Palmer Ltd and can now announce that there is agreement to route the number 28 bus into Larkway to assist Brickhill residents. The bus will come down Kimbolton Road and enter Larkway via Dove Road. The bus will then rejoin Brickhill Drive and return to Kimbolton Road.
The Service into Bedford will operate Monday to Friday at 8.45am, 10.30am, 11.45am,12.30pm, 1.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.45pm, 6.20pm and 6.45pm The Service from the Bus Station to Larkway will operate Monday to Friday at 9.00am, 10.15am, 11.00am, 12.15pm, 1.00pm, 3.15pm, 4.15pm and 5.45pm
There will be a Saturday service with the first bus starting at 10.30am into Bedford and the last bus back to Larkway leaving Bedford at 4.15pm. There will be no Sunday service.
Click here to see the 28 bus timetable
We are also discussing with Bedford Borough Council how Brickhill can access community transport for those who would benefit from increased services. More information will be available as soon as we have more details.
6 to Brickhill
This service will operate with departures from the bus station approximately every 12 minutes from 0530 to 1811. It will then operate every 20 minutes between 1811 and 1911 and then extend to operate hourly from 1941 until 2241. The final journey in to the bus station will arrive at 2251. Service 6 will operate via the Rail Station at peak times.
Service 6 will now serve the Woodlands development, replacing the existing service 10. As a result, it will operate in both directions on Tyne Crescent but will no longer serve the section of Tyne Crescent between Ashmead Road and Avon Drive.
Click here to see the Number 6 Timetable
http://www.bedford.gov.uk/transport_and_streets/public_transport.aspx
Street Light replacement programme
As part of our carbon reduction commitment we have a strategy for reducing the carbon emissions contributed by our street lighting lanterns. This strategy involves the replacement of depreciated, inefficient, high maintenance lanterns with new, energy efficient, low maintenance lanterns.
We are in the process of extending this strategy throughout the Borough and Brickhill is one of a number of areas that will see the existing orange glow (SOX) lights replaced with the new PL-L white light lanterns. The scheme will aim to reduce carbon emissions, energy costs and maintenance costs. As part of the works all columns will be renumbered with new Bedford Borough Council identification tags to ensure the data is seamless with our inventory records; these will display the unit number and the helpdesk contact details.Generally the lanterns being replaced are mercury and the replacements are to be fluorescent.
Waveney Green
Brickhill Parish Council has taken a 99 year lease on Waveney Green. This is because we all want to make sure that it stays green and is not used for further development. Call us suspicious, but when dropped kerbs are left at the end of roads leading onto green areas - we think further development is being considered. Look what happend in Westrope Way and Tyne Crescent !We have already seen the green built on in the last 15 years - we don't want any more To read more click here
Call your Liberal Democrat Councillors for help and advice
Borough Councillor Charles Royden The Vicarage, Calder Rise, Brickhill. MK41 7UY
Tel: 01234 309175 Email: charlesroyden@gmail.com
Borough Councillor Wendy Rider 23 Orwell Close, Brickhill. MK41 7BQ Tel: 01234 303254 Email: wendyrider41@gmail.com
Click here for details of all Brickhill Lib Dem Councillors
Making Brickhill’s roads safer
Speeding traffic remains a problem in many parts of Brickhill. Traffic
congestion near schools is a long-running problem. We continue to work
with all the local schools, to make travel to school safer.
The new CCTV enforcement car in Dove Road with Wendy Rider,
Borough Parking Officer, Charles Royden and Mark Fitzpatrick
With Mayor Dave Hodgson, the Borough Council and the Police we have taken
enforcement action against illegal parking outside schools; we found that
the deterrent only works when the Police and parking enforcement staff are
present. A new initiative from the Liberal Democrat-led Borough Council is
the introduction of a special vehicle that will record the number plates
of cars parked illegally, which will result in fines being issued. We hope
this initiative to have a big impact, making it safer for children to get
to and from school.
Again working with Mayor Dave Hodgson, we are also tackling the backlog of
maintenance of our local roads. Where possible we are getting roads
resurfaced. If we can’t get them resurfaced we are aiming to get them
patched to a much better quality than ever before.
We hope the above notes give you some idea of the practical measures we
are taking to make Brickhill safer for all its residents.
Clapham Park Wood
We have asked for work to beging in haste to progress the nature reserve and planting of trees across the North of Brickhill. Plasn ahave been prepared for this work which should be completed as a part of the S106 agreement from planning. You may view copies of the plans here - please note this is a very large file and will take time to download. You may also see copies at St Mark's Church Community Centre.
Read the Latest FOCUS
Read the latest Focus Special
Council Tax Bands
Council Tax Re-Banding- Shouldn’t Cost A Penny
We have been made aware of a number of residents being contacted by companies who are offering to look at their Council Tax band for a fee and save them money by lowering the band. A large number of people have been contacted in Brickhill, especially in the Tyne Crescent area. This is a serious concern for us as your local ward Councillors and we would like to let you know that it shouldn’t cost you a penny. The Valuation Office Agency(VOA) set the rates for all properties, valued by the VOA based on their open market value as at 1 April 1991.
The best way to get your Council Tax banding reviewed FOR FREE is to contact the VOA direct. This can be done via their website: www.voa.gov.uk or by telephone on: 0845 602 1507
We are also aware that some residents have been very disappointed after a review has taken place, exercise caution as the tax band can go up as well as down! We would also advise that you should have good reason to give money away to a company that promises something you can get yourself for free.
If you have had any experience on this matter recently then we would be interested to hear from you, please tell us using the contact details below. For more information visit our website www.puttingbrickhillfirst.com.
If you have any questions or concerns about this or any other issue, then please feel free to contact, or speak with us at our regular surgeries
Great News on Preserving our Green Spaces
Play facilities Brickhill Green
The new play facilities have now opened on the green along Avon Drive outside Brickhill Lower School. We are delighted with these new facilities for Brickhill. They have resulted in close co-operation between Borough, Brickhill Parish Council and Groundwork. We are delighted with the results and a large crowd came to the official opening on 21 May
No More Bricks in Brickhill Success
We greatly appreciate the efforts of our Mayor Dave Hodgson, as none of the green spaces in Brickhill have been agreed for additional housing development. Not only has the Mayor removed Mowsbury Park from the plans for development, we have also seen Freemans Common and Jackmans Farm taken out. This is exciting news for Brickhill and a vindication of our 'No More Bricks in Brickhill Campaign'
What is that smell?
We have been asked by residents to investigate the smell which is powerfully affecting homes in Brickhill at the moment. We have been working with Borough Council officers and can confirm that it is pig muck spreading, the latest case being on fields north of Milton Ernest. We have been told by residents that it is coming from Biogen and we can confirm that this is not the case. Biogen are regulated by the Environment Agency.
There are issues relating to the spreading of manure like this and the operator has to show that they are conforming to 'Best Practicable Means,' in the code of practice issued by Defra. We are informed that there is no reason to suspect at present that this is not the case. We are continuing to investigate and will keep you posted on progress.
Helpful documents relating to this issue
Street lights and bollards.
We have recently managed to have the bollards illuminated at the entrance to the Woodland Estate. This was in the hands of the builidng contractors and not the Borough Council, which caused a long delay. However we did eventually manage to get them connected. We are now trying to make sure every street light and traffic light in brickhill is illuminated at night and not during the day! Please help us by telling us of any lights near you which are not working.
Parking on verges
We have been contacted by many residents concerned about cars parking on verges. Residents are concerned to know about the legality of cars parking on verges and what action the Borough Council can take to prevent damage to grass verges.
Parking on grass verges has emerged as a persistent problem across the Borough Council, with complaints about the unsightly state of verges, and severe damage which often results in safety issues. Often these complaints are associated with requests for the erection of posts or repair to the verges. Verge parking can also create a hazard to other motorists, especially if the vehicle is parked on a bend, narrow road or junction. People often park on verges because there are insufficient safe and convenient parking spaces available off-street and on the road. However, grass verges are not robust enough to support the weight of cars. Not only will the movement of vehicles cause unsightly ruts and mud, but vehicles may also damage underground pipes or cables. Parking on verges may also reduce access for street cleansing; impede maintenance works; obstruct road users from entering and leaving properties; and increase costs to the council if we need to carryout repairs or other measures deemed necessary to prevent verge parking.
Verge Parking Order The Borough Council now has a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in place to prohibit the parking on verges and enabling the Parking Shop to take enforcement action. However, the TRO is only enacted when signs are erected. These signs can be erected where there is a persistent problem with verge parking. The TRO comes into effect immediately, once we have erected signs. The Parking Shop can then take enforcement action and issue fixed penalty notices. Following many complaints to us from residents, we are now seeking the views of all residents in affected areas as to whether you would like us to erect verge parking signs in your road. Once erected it will be illegal for any person to park on the grass verge and owners of cars which do so will be issued with fixed penalty tickets. We believe that we need a clear consensus from residents to take this forward and it is important that we hear your views.
Please take the time to advise us of any issues of concern to you, your family or anybody else who might visit your home and consider parking on the verge. If residents ask for the implementation of this specific parking restriction, then we will seek to have it implemented immediately and enforced.
Dangerous parking outside Schools
Thank you to those residents who have contacted us to report concerns about the dangerous parking in Dove Road. On Wednesday 10 February Mayor Dave Hodgson joined a co-ordinated operation with police and traffic wardens in Dove Road, Brickhill. The problem of dangerous parking was highlighted in the recent Community Safety Forum as one of the top issues of concern for residents. The week previously a child from St Thomas More had been hit by a car outside the school, where vehicles had been parked unlawfully. Mayor Dave Hodgson said,
'This is not just about illegal parking this is anti social behaviour of the most serious kind because it places the lives of our children in danger.’
Read more news about issues affecting Brickhill
If you have any comments please email us
Liberal Democrat Councillor Surgery. Bedford Central Library,
every Saturday, 2pm-3:30pm. All welcome, just turn up.