Bedfordshire

An empty Bedford office block is being transformed into 26 luxury apartments to house the influx of professionals working on the new Universal Studios theme park. The impending...

We're calling for urgent government investment in local roads john.day Wed 07/10/2026 3:51pm

7 October 2026

Transport, roads and parking

We've written to the government calling for significant investment in the local road network, highlighting the importance of roads to residents, businesses and communities across the area.

We've written to the government calling for significant investment in the local road network, highlighting the importance of roads to residents, businesses and communities across the area.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, we're seeking a one-off investment of approximately £30 million to help halt the continued deterioration of roads across Central Bedfordshire and address the impact of years of national underinvestment in highway infrastructure.

Roads remain one of the issues residents contact us about most frequently. They are essential for helping people get to work, school, healthcare appointments and local services, while also supporting economic growth and connecting communities across the area.

Despite increased investment from our own budget in recent years, the scale of the challenge means that significant additional funding is needed to tackle long-term deterioration and improve the condition of the network.

Councillor Adam Zerny, Leader of the Council, said:

The condition of our roads is a major concern for residents and businesses. Reliable, well-maintained roads are vital for everyday life and are critical to supporting our local economy.

The council has increased its investment in highways, alongside government, but the reality is the current funding levels only allow us to focus on keeping the roads safe and operational and are insufficient to address the historic maintenance backlog that has built up over many years.

That is why we have written to government calling for additional investment. An estimated £30 million is needed to halt further deterioration of our highway network and protect this vital infrastructure for the future.

We currently invest around £16 million each year in highways maintenance, with additional government funding bringing the total highways budget to around £30 million. This funding supports not only road repairs but also the maintenance of footpaths, bridges, drainage systems, street signage, traffic signals and cycle infrastructure.

Severe weather places further pressure on the network, with significantly higher numbers of potholes reported and repaired following periods of heavy rainfall, freezing temperatures and prolonged dry weather.

We will continue to invest in highways maintenance and is preparing for the challenges that winter weather can bring. At the same time, we're urging the government to recognise the importance of local roads and provide the funding needed to improve conditions for residents and businesses.

Councillor Adam Zerny added:

Our roads matter to residents. They are essential for daily life, access to services and the prosperity of our communities. We will continue to do everything we can within the resources available, but meaningful long-term improvement will require additional government investment.

Executive approves vehicle nuisance PSPO following strong public support john.day Wed 07/10/2026 11:27am

7 October 2026

Anti-social behaviour

Our Executive has approved plans for a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle vehicle-related anti-social behaviour across the area.

The decision follows a public consultation which received strong support from residents, with 94% of respondents backing the proposal.

The PSPO will provide additional powers to help tackle behaviours such as street racing, car cruising, excessive engine revving, drifting and other vehicle-related activities that cause nuisance, alarm or distress to local communities, in partnership with Bedfordshire Police.

Councillor Liz Childs, our Executive Member for Communities, said:

Residents have been clear that vehicle-related anti-social behaviour is having a significant impact on communities across Central Bedfordshire, and the overwhelming support shown during the consultation demonstrates the need for action.

This PSPO will provide an additional tool to help tackle behaviour that causes disruption and distress, helping to make our public spaces safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

If agreed, and the budget agreed, signage would be implemented in spring 2027 enabling the police to enforce from summer 2027.

Residents are encouraged to continue reporting vehicle-related anti-social behaviour to Bedfordshire Police, either online through the Bedfordshire Police ASB Reporting Tool or by calling 101 for non-emergencies. Reports help inform enforcement activity and build a clearer picture of issues across the area.

Once in force, the PSPO will apply across the whole of Central Bedfordshire for an initial period of 3 years.

Bedfordshire Police are appealing for your help to find Malgorzata.

Sometimes the biggest issues in local government are the simplest. If you take your children to the park, walk the dog, go for a run, or spend a few hours enjoying the outdoors, you should...

Ivel Valley School expansion approved to create more specialist SEND places oliver.drackford Tue 06/10/2026 4:57pm

6 October 2026

Children and young people Schools and education

Plans to significantly expand Ivel Valley School have been approved by Central Bedfordshire Council, creating more specialist places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The expansion will increase capacity across Ivel Valley School to 330 places and provide 20 new classrooms, alongside the remodelling of 12 existing classrooms to create six larger, improved learning spaces. Additional parking will also be provided as part of the scheme.

The expansion is part of the Council's work to ensure sufficient and suitable specialist school places are available to meet growing demand for SEND provision across Central Bedfordshire.

The Council's approved 2026 to 2027 capital programme includes £42.2 million provision for the scheme, with the project remaining subject to detailed design and cost refinement.

The decision follows a statutory consultation held this summer in which 58 per cent of respondents supported the proposal.

Councillor Gareth Mackey, our Executive Member for Children and Families, said: 

We take our responsibility to our Children with SEND and their families very seriously and are committed to giving them the very best facilities we can afford.

The expansion of Ivel Valley School will provide much-needed additional places while also creating modern, purpose-designed learning spaces that better reflect the needs of the children and young people who use them.

The feedback we have received from stakeholders, especially Ivel Valley School and our SEND community, has been intrinsic to how we have decided to move forward. The concerns on disruption to pupils during construction, the bridleway, parking, access have been heard loud and clear. I am committed to working closely with the school and wider community during the design, planning and build to ensure that we meet our commitment to mitigating these concerns.

This is a significant investment of over £40m in specialist education provision in Central Bedfordshire and represents a major part of our commitment to our SEND community. I am delighted that we can finally bring this project to fruition.

The proposal will provide predominantly new-build specialist spaces, alongside improvements to existing classrooms. The new facilities are intended to provide improved accessibility, enhanced therapeutic provision and a learning environment designed to meet current and forecast SEND needs.

The detailed design and configuration of the expansion, plus concerns of safeguarding, traffic and parking, access and minimising disruption to pupils will be developed collaboratively with the school, subject to relevant planning, highways, procurement and other approval processes before construction can begin.

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Residents to help shape new plan for Bedfordshire’s building materials and waste oliver.drackford Mon 05/10/2026 4:32pm

5 October 2026

Minerals and waste

Where does the sand, gravel and other materials used to build homes and roads come from? And what happens to waste after it is collected?

These are some of the questions a new plan for Bedfordshire will help address over the coming years.

Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council and Luton Borough Council are starting work on a new Bedfordshire Minerals and Waste Plan, looking ahead to 2050.

Although the name sounds technical, the plan deals with things that are part of everyday life. Materials such as sand and gravel are needed to build homes, roads and other infrastructure, while facilities are also needed to process, store and manage those materials and the waste produced by homes and businesses.

For minerals, this can include places such as quarries and sand and gravel pits, as well as sites where materials are stored or processed. The plan will look at what Bedfordshire is likely to need in the future and where different types of minerals and waste development may be needed.

The new plan will help identify what Bedfordshire is likely to need in the future, where this type of development could be located and the policies that future proposals will need to meet.

It will also help the councils consider the potential impact of this type of development on local communities, roads, the environment and Bedfordshire’s towns and countryside.

The three councils have now published a formal notice confirming that work on the plan is beginning, together with a timetable setting out how it will be developed.

This is only the start of the process and no decisions have been made about where future sites should go.

The new plan will eventually replace Bedfordshire’s existing minerals and waste planning policies, which were adopted in 2005 and 2014.

Residents, businesses, community groups and other organisations will have opportunities to help shape the plan as it develops.

The first will be a scoping consultation from 12 October 2026.

Rather than asking people to comment on a finished plan, this early consultation will ask what issues the new plan should consider as Bedfordshire plans for its future minerals and waste needs up to 2050.

This could include views on the issues that matter to local communities and what should be taken into account when planning for future mineral extraction and waste facilities.

Councillor Adam Zerny, Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council said:

This plan is about looking ahead and making sure Bedfordshire is prepared for what communities will need in the future.

Such decisions can often feel far removed from everyday life, but they really do have an impact on local communities, roads and the environment.

That is why it is important to plan ahead and involve people from the beginning. No decisions have been made about where future sites should go, and the public consultations will be about understanding what people think the new plan should look like.

Further information, including the timetable and formal notice for the Minerals and Waste plan, is available on this web page.

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