Liberal Democrat Councilor Surgeries
with Charles and Wendy
Download our April report to Parish Council here
Brickhill Drive Shops Saturday 25 April10.00am
Avon Drive Shops Saturday 9 May 10.00am
You can also speak with us or another Lib Dem Councillor every Saturday morning 10.00am - 11.00 am at Bedford Central Library
No Confidence in the Mayor
In March we reported on the petition by Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green and Independent councillors expressing no confidence in Mayor Tom Wootton and calling for him to resign. We have received overwhelming support from residents who are appalled that the Mayor has publicly blamed the Chief Executive of the Borough Council for his catalogue of mistakes. We maintain that he should do the honourable thing and resign. This would allow councillors from across the political parties to work together to sort out the mess that he and his Conservative Executive have caused. Residents who wish to join us in signing the petition may do so here
(https://www.bedfordlibdems.org.uk/mayormustresign)
Telecare Tax
Vulnerable residents have received a letter telling them that Mayor Tom Wootton and his Conservative led Executive have decided to start charging residents who have a personal alarm. These alarms provide peace of mind for older people, those living alone and anyone with health concerns, enabling then to remain safely in their homes. From 1 April everybody will now have to pay £4.00 per week unless they have been assessed by Social Services as needing financial help. Once again, it is the most vulnerable in our community who are having to pay for the waste of this conservative administration.
Council Car Parking Extortion
The Mayor has cancelled free evening parking in car parks and Brickhill residents are being hit with a new flat rate fee added on top of the daytime charge. The moment the clock hits 6.00pm or 8.00pm in some car parks an additional charge is made. If someone parks at River Street at 5.45pm and leaves at 8.15pm, they now pay £5 for up to three hours plus an extra £4 overnight fee — £9 in total for an evening that would cost just £5 during the day. Even a few minutes past 8.00pm triggers the full £4 charge, which has shocked and angered many residents.
The new parking charges are outrageous. After a 25% increase over the last two years, the Conservatives are now slapping residents with extortionate overnight charges that will strangle our restaurants, venues and evening economy. People are battling rising bills, yet town centre visitors are being milked like a cash cow to paper over the Mayor’s financial mismanagement.
Electric Vehicle Charging
Since election nearly three years ago not a single new electric charging point has been installed by the council. We have complained about this failure which is more upsetting as under Mayor Dave Hodgson, funding was applied for under the government council Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme, which subsequently received £1,010,000. Alongside this capital funding, Bedford Borough Council has also been allocated £346,000 in LEVI capability funding to support planning, staffing, and procurement for EV infrastructure. There is no excuse for this debacle and the council must get moving. We have asked that locations suggested by the Parish Council be examined more closely. It is particularly important that support is provided for residents to access who do not have off-street parking.
The failure to allocate new charging is particularly upsetting as under Mayor Dave Hodgson, Bedford Borough Council was ahead of other councils in having installed so many public charging points.
Bedford Borough Council Bankruptcy
Under the Conservative led administration, Bedford Borough Council is stumbling from one financial crisis to another. The Mayor has now created a black hole of £55million as he cannot pay the bills. After only two years of spending more than he can afford, it is devastating to see our council bankrupt. The Mayor inherited a council with outstanding finances and he is now going to the government with a begging bowl. The worst news is that residents are going to have to pay it back with interest for many years, with maximum increases on their council tax.
Campaign Success - But worrying signs
Sale of Land on Ashmead Road Cancelled
Thank to the 574 residents who signed our petition to stop the sale of land off Ashmead Road. Charles Royden presented the petition to Full Council on 14 January and spoke about the importance of protecting this newly planted community green space. His motion to stop the sale of the land was supported by councillors and it was carried unanimously by councillors of all parties. Crucially it was also supported by the Mayor himself who originally made the decision with his Executive to sell the land in the first place!. The Mayor has the final decision on whether this land will be sold and so we welcome his change of mind following the outrage with which it was met in Brickhill. This is an amazing campaign success and gives us hope that we can protect this land for our community for years to come.
Important Update At the latest full council meeting on 4 February, the Conservatives used the sale of Jackman’s Farm as a threat to demand support for their budget, despite having promised that it would not be sold at the previous meeting. This was in spite of councillors from all other parties, including independent councillors, condemning the Conservative budget as a complete failure and refusing to support it.
Gritting Campaign Success
Plans were made by the Mayor and his Conservative led Executive to remove 141 roads from the winter road gritting schedule. Liberal Democrat Councillors successfully campaigned to have these routes reinstated. However we have since spotted that some roads previously threatened with being cut from gritting routes had been missed, despite the cut being previously rejected. Examples included Arundel Drive in Putnoe, Lovell Road in Kingsbrook, and the Black Tom area of Bedford. Following demands from the Liberal Democrats these routes will now be properly treated. Cllr Henry Vann said, 'We have now had to step in twice to save these roads from being axed from vital gritting routes. It was obvious at the start of this week that roads that should have been gritted were being missed right across Bedford Borough and we challenged this straight away.
We are very grateful for the hard work of the gritting crews at anti-social hours and to officers who quickly responded to our concerns. However, residents have been let down by the routes being wrongly changed and many roads being excluded. The root of this problem was the original plan from the Conservatives to cut the 141 roads and then the bodged reinstatement of the previous routes.
Blink and it Broke
The new surface on Avon Drive has potholes already. Samples have been taken of the existing material for analysis to determine the failure of the new resurfacing. Residents have told us they are shocked by the rapid deterioration of the new resurfacing. Charles and Wendy reported this to the council soon after the work took place and Charles said ‘this is the worst resurfacing I have seen and I was portfolio holder for roads for 14 years’. It should be said that in this case the council is not to blame and we know that they are as dismayed as we are. Clearly poor material has been supplied and possibly the entire surface will have to be done again by the contractor. We will of course ensure that the council has this put right at no expense to our taxpayers.
Car Crime in Brickhill
There is a crime wave with thefts from vehicles in a wide area stretching from Windrush Avenue across to Tyne Crescent, including Torridge Rise, Wansbeck Road, Hawk Drive. We have asked the police and Borough Council for support in catching the offenders with increased police attention and CCTV. Please do all you can to protect your vehicle by ensuring that it is locked and all valuables are removed.
Another Vanity Project is a Bridge Too Far
Liberal Democrat’s were appalled at the decision by Mayor Wootton and his executive to spend millions of pounds raising a river bridge in Kempston to enable bigger boats to go further up the river. This was agreed by the Mayor and his Executive on 19 November 2025. At a time when the council has been made bankrupt this proposal is beyond contempt. The following evening Charles attended the council Environment Committee and pointed out to Executive members that the £4 million pounds to be spent on Kempston Mill Bridges was more than the council would spend on roads and pavements for a whole year. Thankfully following our opposition this outrageous decision has now been cancelled. You can read the Mayor’s original decision on the agenda papers at 12:5 here in full:
Kempston Mill Bridges – (Gross £4.000 million, Net £0.000 million) – This scheme is for the replacement and improvement of Kempston Mill Bridge. The replacement will include lifting the structure to ensure that the waterway underneath can be used in the future as a navigational route by larger watercraft. (Extract from Executive Agenda 12 (5) 19 November 2025)
The decision was made at a meeting of the Executive of Mayor Tom Wootton on 29 September 2025. Under item 6 (d)
Authorise the marketing of land and property assets identified as surplus, detailed at Appendix G, acknowledging that
the final disposal terms will be reported back to Executive for approval.
Jackmans Farm is itemised on page 6 (38) of Apprendix G
Click on this this link
To download a map of the areas off Ashmead Road
which are being sold off.
The image is supplied by Ordnance Survey election map service. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (c) Crown copyright and database right 2023
Interpretation Board Woodlands Park
Following a request from a resident in Woodlands Park, Charles and Wendy have funded a new Interpretaton board for the country park. Now that the design has been agreed we hope that this will be installed soon.
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How to make reports to Bedford Borough Council
We are often asked how residents can make reports to the council about things like flytipping, potholes or missed bin collections.
We have provided a page with some of the most frequently need contacts.
Click here for contacts to report to Bedford Borough Council
Campaign Priorities
Fighting Back Liberal Democrats have had some success already this year in stopping cuts to our services.
· We stopped proposals to close multi-storey car parks from 10.00pm—6.00am
· We stopped cuts to tree maintenance
· We stopped cuts to winter gritting of roads
· We stopped cuts in grass cutting
· We stopped cuts to street cleansing
For the last two years our warnings to the Mayor about overspending on his vanity projects have been ignored. We are currently spending £450,000 a year to maintain the Debenhams building which has no external tenants. The council is now bankrupt and the Mayor will need to go ‘cap in hand’ to the government for a bailout. We are worried that as well as the 'fire sale' of our green fields there will be more cuts. Already we have seen future proposals including
· Increased parking charges
· Increased council tax
· Cuts to libraries
· Cuts to grass cutting and maintenance
· Removal of public toilets
Most people are extremely pleased at the prospect of the opportunities which Universal will bring to Bedford. Mayor Dave Hodgson met with them some years ago and encouraged them to consider Bedford as the location for their investment. We met with Universal recently and one of the things which came out of the discussion was the employment opportunities. There will be as many as 28,000 jobs and 80% will be filled locally. You can register your interest here now for jobs already with Universal online.
Brickhill Roads and pavements
Need Investment - Now
Last year, not a single road in Brickhill was resurfaced. Apart from resurfacing on Avon Drive from the roundabout, yet again not a single residential road will be resurfaced during 2025/2026.
This brings to an end years of investment and resurfacing by Liberal Democrats. It leaves residents in roads such as Moriston Road, Humber Avenue, Ryton Close and Rhineland Way with no hope for the foreseeable future. Not a single pavement will be resurfaced in Brickhill in the coming year and only eight will be resurfaced in the entire Borough. We will continue to campaign for adequate funding to match the urgent needs of our road and pavement network.
Veteran Neil Kinselly has called for more investement
in our worn out pavements
The conservatives have botched up the bus provision for Brickhill again. Having already lost one Grant Palmer Bus to Woodlands Park they have now made last minute changes to the contracts which has meant Grant Palmer will not longer be operating at all. Stagecaoch are supposed to take up the routes instead and we have a copy of the new timetable which you can see by clicking here. We have suffered the decline in the number 6 bus serving Brickhill which was once every 12 minutes but now only once every 20 minutes and 30 minutes on a Saturday. We have also lost a service to Woodlands Park altogether. We are concerned that the Conservative Mayor and the Conservative and Labour councillors that supported his budget are not doing enough to protect vital bus services for residents. They voted against ensuring expanded bus provision but millions are being spent on vanity projects.
Keeping Brickhill Tidy
We are grateful to volunteers who help with things like litter picking in Brickhill. Please let us know if you would like to help and we will get equipment for you.
We have asked the council to attend to street and pavement sweeping in Brickhill as many areas have still not had any sweeping of the leaves cleared from Autumn.
Brickhill Flooding
Flooding is now a frequent problem for many roads in Brickhill and we received requests from residents for advice. The Borough Council has extensive information on its website which advises residents of what to do and who to contact if they are concerned about flooding. Please visit
https://www.bedford.gov.uk/environmental-issues/emergencies/emergency-flooding
Exceptional rainfall has meant that areas previously unaffected have seen surface water issues. The map provides details of long term flood risk and it can accessed on the government website.
https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk
Check out the national Flood Map
BPHA Brickhill Flat Refurbishment
In January of last year, bpha received planning approval to refurbish the five high-rise blocks in Brickhill, these being Frampton, Upton, Evesham, Leighton, and Westbury Court on Avon Drive/Severn Way. Residents have already received copies of drawings and confirmation of the scope of works which we hope will start soon. We look forward to these major improvements.
Stop Telecare Charges
Thank you to all of those residents who supported our campaign to stop the telecare charges which had been proposed by the Mayor and his Executive. The proposal would have seen residents charged for their emergency personal alarm systems. The Mayor and his conservative executive had planned to charge over 2,000 vulnerable residents over £200 a year for the vital emergency helpline telecare service. Up to now it has been free for everyone to help support people to stay safe at home.
Telecare is a service that helps support people to live independently. Offering service users and their carers access to emergency help, should they need it, 24 hours a day. It is a vital service provided for some of the most vulnerable in our community. Lib Dems stopped the decision and raised a petition which received public support and sent a message to Mayor Wootton that this is not acceptable.
Avon Drive Roundabout Planting
Thank you to those residents who have been in touch to say how much they have appreciated the planting on the roundabout.
We have allocated ward funding for additional summer planting and we think it is money well spent in Brickhill.
Anti Social Behaviour
- Please continue to make us aware of any issues. We are always grateful to receive reports from residents and we will always respond to your concerns. If you are worried just call us and we will come and visit you. Our contact details are shown below, you can email, telephone or speak to us directly at our surgeries. You can also use the contact form on our website www.puttingbrickhillfirst.com. We always respond quickly - so phone us if there is any delay when using emails as they can go astray!
- Please will you also report incidents directly to the police. It is vital that these reports are made by you directly as this is the way to get the police to allocate resources. Residents have complained to us about long wait times when calling 101. We would recommend using the online reporting link below
https://www.beds.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/
When reporting dates, times and descriptions of vehicle/persons are most helpful as the police are often unable to attend the location immediately but can take action against the registered owners of the vehicles. Thank you for your assistance and please be assured that we will work with you and we will not allow our neighbourhood to become a place where this behaviour is tolerated. You are not alone and when we have become involved in other roads we have always manged to work with residents to bring problems to an end.
Parking Problems
Bedford Borough Council will issue fines (penalty charge notice or PCNs) for the following types of illegal parking:
- parking on yellow lines
- not displaying a valid parking ticket
- parking on pavements or verges where a restriction is in place
- parking across driveways
They will not get involved with neighbourly disputes or inconsiderate parking. If you think a vehicle is abandoned, please report it here.
To report an illegally parked vehicle, please contact the Enforcement Team on enforcement.team@bedford.gov.uk or 01234 718359. Or text only enforcement requests to 07553895403. An enforcement officer will respond to your request as soon as possible, but they may not be able to do so immediately if they are patrolling elsewhere in the Borough. Please note you won't get a reply about the outcome of an enforcement officer visit.
Pavement Repairs
Brickhill pavements are badly in need of resurfacing and repair. We have received some alarming photographs of injuries caused requiring hospital treatment. Please support us in or campaign and report any bad areas like this one in Tyne Crescent. Please report online as this adds weight to our campaign.
Click here to report pavement repairs to
Bedford Borough Council online
Adoption of Roads on Woodlands Park
Charles and Wendy are working with council officers to bring forward the adoption of roads in Woodlands Park from the developers. This is important in order to ensure that proper maintenance is taken over by the council. Click on the map opposite to download. If you would like an update on your road contact us direct using the contact form at the bottom of this page. Some roads are now just awaiting legal process others require additional works.
Trees
Due to council cuts there will be no tree planting after this current season. If you know of any locations where trees are needed please do let us know.
If you have suffered damage from a council tree then you can request compensation. There is no information on this on the council website which we find quite odd, but you can outline your complaint in an email to InsuranceandRiskSection@bedford.gov.uk
Let us know if you have a problem!
Council Meetings
If you have an opportunity to watch the meetings of the full council you can do so
online Home - Bedford Borough Council streaming (public-i.tv)
Sadly the council is now led entirely by a Conservative Mayor and Conservative Executive,
with all other parties excluded and it is something of a shambles, which we fear will only get worse.
