15 Most Recent Stories From Bedford Liberal Democrats News Stories

Fri 12th Mar 2010:

Lib Dems Demand End to Incinerator as Covanta Concerns Increase.

Dramatic news has emerged which has raised hopes that plans for a giant incinerator at Stewartby will be . It is reported that Buckinghamshire County Council is restarting its waste tendering process again after legal restraints were found to affect the land upon which US waste management giant Covanta planned to locate a 600,000 tonne incinerator.

Fri 5th Mar 2010:

Further Details of Toxic Tory Legacy Revealed: Cost of Restoring Elstow Landfill Site Could be up to £10 million.

Further details of the damaging financial legacy left to local taxpayers by the Conservative County Council have been exposed with the revelation that the cost of restoring a landfill site at Elstow, which had been neglected by the now defunct authority, could be as much as up to £10 million. The County Council, which ignored repeated warnings from the Environment Agency to take action and start work on the restoration of the site to comply with statutory requirements, had allocated just £4.3 million in their spending programme to 'cap' the site. Preliminary estimates by experts suggest that the work could cost local taxpayers up to £10 million.

Tue 2nd Mar 2010:

Statement on Yarl's Wood legal challenge.

Henry Vann has backed calls for a judicial review into the incarceration of innocent people in Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre.

Sun 28th Feb 2010:

Children's Commissioner reports on Yarl's Wood.

The Children's Commissioner has published a report highlighting ongoing concerns and maintaining the view that 'the detention of children for immigration control should cease'.

Thu 25th Feb 2010:

New Recycling Bins an Immediate Hit with Town Centre Shoppers.

New recycling bins in Bedford Town Centre introduced by Liberal Democrat Mayor Dave Hodgson have seen just over ½ tonne of plastic bottles and drink cans collected in less than two months. The new recycling bins, which have been called for by Liberal Democrats on the Council for many years, were introduced following Dave Hodgson's election as Mayor. They are already helping to save local taxpayers money by reducing landfill costs and are enabling residents to recycle 'on-the-go' in the town centre for the first time.

Sat 20th Feb 2010:

Police authority merger 'likely to cost £20m'.

Henry Vann has uncovered figures in a recent parliamentary report suggesting that the proposed merger of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police Authority is 'likely to cost £20m'.

Wed 17th Feb 2010:

Over a Quarter of a Million Pounds Granted to Bedford Borough's Voluntary Sector.

Bedford Borough Council's Grants Committee, chaired by Mayor Dave Hodgson, met last week and allocated £276,000 to voluntary sector groups carrying out a wide range of extremely important functions within the Borough. Grants were made to a variety of groups such as BECHAR, which provides vital services to the homeless and rootless, the Citizen's Advice Bureau, Bedford Women's Refuge and Victim Support.

Sun 14th Feb 2010:

Police authority move confirms proposals to merge with Hertfordshire.

Local fears that Bedfordshire Police is set to be merged with the Hertfordshire Force have increased after Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Bedford and Kempston Henry Vann uncovered a bid for £500,000 of funding from the Government's 'Merger Exploration Fund.'

Thu 11th Feb 2010:

Borough Budget Protects Frontline Services and Keeps Council Tax Bills Down.

Bedford Borough Council's approved budget has brought down the Council Tax increase for residents from a forecast 11.5% before Mayor Dave Hodgson's election in October to a below-inflation 2.3% after £9 million of savings were identified. The budget includes £5.9 million for road and pavement maintenance, as the Liberal Democrats continue the fightback against the former Tory County Council's massive backlog of repairs, and extra funding for a range of green initiatives including recycling in both the urban and rural areas and the Mayor's Climate Change Fund.

Mon 1st Feb 2010:

Vann slams Labour under investment in Education in Bedfordshire.

Government education funding second worst in region last year.

Sun 31st Jan 2010:

Dave Hodgson Marks 100 Days as Mayor.

Dave Hodgson was elected Mayor of Bedford Borough in October last year, and took office 100 days ago this week. Despite this short timeframe and a toxic financial inheritance from the Conservative County Council, a review of the first months of Dave Hodgson's period in office shows that he is getting things done for local residents and is working with his Liberal Democrat colleagues to make Bedford Borough a great place to live, work and do business.

Thu 28th Jan 2010:

Mayor Dave Hodgson Welcomes new Sainsbury's Distribution Centre.

Mayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson has welcomed the news that Sainsbury's will open a major regional distribution centre at Marsh Leys Industrial Park in Kempston. In a major boost for the local economy, around 300 new jobs will be created at the centre, which sees Sainsbury's occupy the site vacated by Woolworths last year.

Mon 25th Jan 2010:

Almost 2,500 people in Bedford and Kempston missing out on Cold Weather Payments.

Henry Vann, who is standing as the next MP for Bedford for the Liberal Democrats, says pensioners are missing out on Cold Weather Payments due to a ridiculously complicated central government system for making claims.

Sun 24th Jan 2010:

Council Payments to be Published Online as Drive to Open up the Council Continues .

As part of the Liberal Democrats' ongoing drive to open up Bedford Borough Council since the election of Mayor Dave Hodgson, Council payments greater than £1,000 will be published online. The announcement was made last night at a meeting of the Council's Executive by Liberal Democrat Finance Portfolio Holder Cllr Michael Headley, as he presented the Council's proposed budget for the coming year.

Thu 21st Jan 2010:

Mayor Gets on his Bike for Safer Cycling in De Parys.

Pedal power was on show in abundance in De Parys on Sunday when Mayor Dave Hodgson joined a Safer Cycling event organised by Liberal Democrat Ward Councillor David Sawyer.

Earlier Stories

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