Sir - Thank you for holding your front page last week to get evidence that people power is alive and well in Mid Bedfordshire.
On Saturday September 20 a quiet village street in Marston Moretaine became the focus of everyday people from a number of local villages demanding to have their voice heard.
Well when I say a quiet village street I actually mean the A421.
Seven hundred people, a pony, wheelchairs, crutches, prams, dogs, balloons, whistles, drums, chants, placards, banners and Nadine Dorries MP – this was no ordinary Saturday morning! A huge thank you to everyone who turned out to march and to say to ‘Caroline Flint – Take the Hint” no Eco-town here – ever.
Special thanks to Bedfordshire police who instigated a range of rolling road blocks and temporary road closures to ensure our safety and allow this community to make its unambiguous opposition to the proposed Eco-town loud and clear.
Please visit our website for pictures and video of the event
Stewart Long
Secretary MMETAG
Stop talking rubbish
Sir - I don’t want to prolong the argument over orange bins.
But I believe it was disingenuous of Cllr Tom Wootton to try to blame the borough council for the current predicament he has caused over the late delivery of orange lidded bins.
It was his council’s choice, Bedfordshire County Council, to stop providing sacks for residents. Surely the simple decision would have been to continue to provide sacks until the bins arrived rather than rely on the borough having to step in and plug the gap.
Stewart Briggs
Head of Environment and Street Services, Bedford Borough Council
Blinkered borough
Sir - We read with interest about the closure of independent retailers in Bedford town centre.
Rising rent and the credit crunch are both hurting Bedford’s economy but the town has also suffered from the council’s short-sighted attitude to business for many years.
How many years ago was the Duck Mill Lane car park closed by the council to build flats? The effect this had on local firms, including Giorgio’s Hair Salon, was devastating.
Some lost about 50 per cent of their trade. Others closed down altogether.
St Mary’s Street was once a thriving area of Bedford but local businesses are being forced out.
There are days when it costs us more in parking fees than we make in profit by coming to work, which is why Giorgio’s too is looking at selling up.Mercifully, the post office has been spared by the Government otherwise there would be almost nothing left in this part of town.
It is all well and good to hope that the likes of Tesco and Starbucks will come to town.
But there are no guarantees that they are on their way, while local firms seem destined to go to the wall.
So it is time for the Town Hall to make a decision.
Do we want a thriving Bedford, with a mix of independent stores and national chains? Or do we want an identikit town that looks like everywhere else?
Giorgio Garofalo, Giorgio’s Hair Salon,
St Mary’s Street
Gonzalo Noboa, Riobella Restaurant,
St Mary’s Street
Robin Bezer, The Post Office,
St Mary’s Street
Sheila Hope, La Caffettiere,
St Mary’s Street
Brought to account
Sir - When Katrina hit New Orleans, the people did not blame the government for the hurricane, they blamed the government for their lack of preparation and for leaving them vulnerable.
So it is with the financial hurricane coming ashore here in England. The Labour Government is not fully to blame for the source of the problems – but they are solely to blame for the poor condition of the country’s finances in these tougher economic times.
The Labour Government is 100 per cent responsible for the failures in financial oversight; 100 per cent responsible for years of soaring public debt leaving little room now to help the most vulnerable; 100 per cent responsible for permitting mortgages to rise to five times earnings rather than the traditional three times earnings depressing the disposable income of the next generation of homeowners; and 100 per cent responsible for twiddling their thumbs while credit card debt was piled up particularly on the young and vulnerable.
Labour crowed about their economic prowess for a decade, but in truth it was largely smoke and mirrors.
The people will have to pay for this recklessness for many years.
Rather than flailing around and blaming others, the Government should own up to their failure and let the hard work of restoring the country’s finances begin in earnest.
Richard Fuller
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Bedford & Kempston
Council gatecrasher
Sir - It is quite clear from your article (‘Councillor chopped’) and his letter that Cllr Andrew McConnell, having been rejected by his party to stand in Brickhill Ward at the next local election, is making a desperate attempt to establish himself in Castle Ward.
The voters of Castle Ward have rejected party politics, of which Cllr McConnell’s sweeping and totally unsubstantiated attacks on the present councillors are a typical example.
The three Independent councillors for Castle have been working solidly with the Mayor and residents over recent years to make the town centre and other areas of the ward safe, enjoyable and attractive for residents and visitors alike.
As a result, we have seen the development of Castle Mound, Castle Lane, the St Cuthbert’s Church roundabout and refurbishment of the Bedford Gallery.
We regret the delay in the proposed development of the bus station and adjoining areas of the town centre for reasons that must be obvious even to Cllr McConnell. We cannot be held responsible for the downturn in the national economy.
The council does however provide rent grants for local businesses and offer advantageous relocation to alternative sites in the town centre.
We have also introduced the i-kan centre in Mill Street to encourage business start-ups.
Crime has reduced by 20 per cent in the ward and continues to drop. This has been achieved by the council working closely with the police and partner agencies to implement effective initiatives such as Bed:Safe which has brought about a much safer night-time economy.
Unlike the ‘Johnny-come-lately’ brigade, we have been working for residents over many years. We remain totally dedicated to making Castle Ward as a whole a pleasant place to live and work.
Cllr Apu Bagchi
Cllr Peter Chiswell
Cllr Margaret Davey
Independents, Castle Ward
Call yourself Christians
Sir - When I read of the appalling increase in rents planned by a group with formerly Christian principles I felt that I could keep quiet no longer.
Today some people are just so greedy that they would rather cause shops to close and people to be homeless than be fair and decent.
I have long argued that ‘market rents’ are often just plain evil, and the term is often a euphemism for ‘I just want to be greedy’.
Rents for private houses and shops should be controlled and I think that Wesleyan Mutual Assurance should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
Martin J Shelbourn
Top End, Renhold
■ Sir - Both you and Mr Barratt from Cranfield, author of your lead letter last Sunday, have been seriously misled about the reason for Clayton’s desire to move and in turn you have misled the public.
Clayton’s problems have nothing to do with the rates, and business rates have nothing to do with the borough council.
Clayton is moving because of a large rent increase imposed by the landlord who is not Bedford Borough.
Business rates are imposed by the Government which reallocates the money according to its own wishes, mostly to deprived areas of the country.
My proposal to help small town centre businesses hit by big rent increases stems from a desire to maintain a varied High Street for the people of Bedford.
Frank Branston
Mayor
Trouble and strife
Sir - I refer to your article about my former husband becoming Lord Mayor of the City of London but not being made an Honorary Alderman of Bedford Borough Council.
Although your article seems well considered it is only partly true. At the time of the first vote (I was not present) I think that some councillors of all political parties were influenced by Ian’s sudden desertion of the children and myself and his all too public behaviour surrounding that event.
At the time of the second vote, instigated by Frank Branston some years later, I was no longer a member of the council but the vote ended in the same result.
When voting, councillors would more likely have in mind Ian’s record as a councillor.
The sudden manner of his resignation meant that a by-election had to be held only a few months before the regular May elections were due to take place.
Having already won his election in the City and become a member of the Court of Common Council he could have resigned his seat honourably with a proper explanation to his loyal electorate and the by-election could have been held along with others in May. This he did not do.
The fact is that being given the Office of Honorary Alderman of Bedford Borough Council is a privilege.
It is not just a matter of length of service or of achievements.
Liz Luder
Address supplied
Crime against history
Sir - The official excuses for the disappearance from Bedford Museum of the ancient window which was once part of 42-44 High Street,Bedford, are (to coin a phrase) economical with the actualite.
There was nothing ‘fragile’ about the window, which had been set on a concrete base after its rescue from the demolition men in 1964, by my old teacher and friend the late Bill (‘Klick’) Kuhlicke, who was the first Director of Bedford Museum, situated at that time on The Embankment.
The window had been used as a display case for old glass bottles and as such it was certainly transferred to the present museum building in the early 1980s.
My information is that the window was later taken away to be conserved but there was no proper paperwork done at the time and it was never returned.
Klick, who died in 1979, was horrified by the wanton destruction of 42- 44 High Street and of other historic buildings in Bedford, and it would have broken his heart to know that the window has been lost to the Bedford public, who own it.
Even now it should not be beyond the means of the borough council to track it down, if they are interested.
By the way, 42-44 High Street was never ‘used as a court house’, which derives from a misreading of sources.
From 1681 to 1780, a Market House, in which a minor court was probably held on market days, stood in the middle of the High Street, opposite 42-44, and the 17th Century windows could have been ‘recycled’ and placed on 42-44, a much older building, when the Market House was demolished.
No picture of the Market House is known to exist.
The only lorry involved in the destruction of 42-44 was one to which a cable was attached to help pull down the timber-framed structure, which the magistrates had been bamboozled into pronouncing ‘dangerous’.
It took six weeks to demolish the building, and a rather shorter time to fill with liquid cement the medieval cellar which was discovered beneath it.
The borough council of the day supported the destruction of 42-44 High Street, and I think Klick intended the window to be a permanent reproach to them for their complicity in this crime against Bedford’s history. Sadly, it was not to be the last one.
Richard Wildman
Chairman Bedford Architectural, Archeological and Local History Society
Post offices: Tory chickens come home to roost
Sir – Is the Steve Collins of St Matthew’s Close,Kempston the same Steve Collins who had an identical letter published in the Times and Citizen 18/09/08 with an address of Kempston South?
(This rather implies that he sees himself as a Kempston South Councillor in waiting.) Is this also the same Steve Collins who in 2006 accused Cllr Meader of only promoting himself through the local media when an election was imminent? If Mr Collins did his homework he would be aware that the demise of our Post Offices started as far back as 1990 when the Giro Bank was purchased from the Tory government by the Alliance and Leicester.
Is it not, undeniably, a philosophy held by the Conservative Party that if something is no longer profitable it should be sold off? Logically they should be applauding the Post Office’s decision to close branches that are no longer costeffective to run.
The fact of the matter is that use of the Post Office is declining. More and more people are using online services to purchase TV licences and road fund licences and it is this that has hammered the final nail in the coffin for our local Post Office.
It is absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Patrick Hall had to leave a meeting early or that Dave Lewis got the name of a Post Office branch wrong or that Carl Meader is still trying to retrieve his horse!
Mrs A Meehan
Kempston
Last post for communities
Sir – Shame on the Labour Government for its mass closure of Post Offices.
This savage cull has now claimed the branch at 193 Goldington Road (junction with Newnham/Polhill Avenue) among its latest victims.
This branch is essential to the surrounding community.
The cost of its closure to local residents will be far greater than any short-term financial gain by the Government.
Cllr David Sawyer Liberal Democrat, De Parys Ward
■ Sir – The closure of Elstow Road Post Office is a bitter blow for the many residents in Kingsbrook and Cauldwell who depend upon it.
Those who will be hardest hit include some of the most vulnerable people in the local community who rely on local, accessible post offices.
Many people will have great difficulty in travelling longer distances to access vital services.
To many people the services offered by the Post Office and general store, and the support of its staff, represent a lifeline.
The loss of these will leave people feeling isolated.
Cllr Anita Gerard
Liberal Democrat, Kingsbrook Ward
Travellers get off scot free
Sir – In reference to James Saunders’ letter. If you or I get caught fly tipping we end up in court.
But a traveller who illegally parks on land, even council land, is free from dumping rubbish and during their stay, if the place ends up like a tip they get away with it scott free!
If the police need someone to witness this act and report it to them then why can’t the council get one of their officials out of their office down there, see the incident and then report it to the police? Surely this would be a better way of spending tax payers money, and cheaper, than having to clean up after them?
Paul Sleigh
Mepham Road, Wootton
■ Sir – I attended the public meeting on Thursday, September 11 regarding the problem of illegally parked travellers within Bedford and Kempston during the past two years.
I run the Warren Childcare Centre and the travellers were parked on the Southfields Site from mid July until mid September, barring about three days when they moved out and then quickly back again.
This severely interfered with the running of our summer holiday club as parents were reluctant to leave their children whilst the travellers were in such close proximity.
Their horses were not tethered and allowed to roam around the fields. We twice had to call out the dog warden as their dogs were also running wild and chasing and barking at parents and children attempting to access the club.
They also entered the play area and garden of our playgroup and picked all the fruit and vegetables from the children’s garden. We actually lost approximately £600 in takings which we can ill afford.
I have written to Bedford Borough Council and Beds County Council seeking compensation for this but have been told this is not possible.
Travellers should not be able to negatively disrupt the community in this way and there seems to be no agreement on a solution that will stop the same disruption occuring in the future.
Janie Ashwell
Warren Childcare Centre, Kempston