Want to have your say about your local leisure centre or theatre? Then make a note in your diary of the following dates and make sure you get along to have your say:
Leisure Connections –
Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leighton Linslade, 14 September at 19.00 pm
Houghton Regis Leisure Centre, 22 September at 11.00 am
Dunstable Leisure Centre, 24 September at 13.00 pm
Grove Theatre, Dunstable, 29 September at 11.00 am
Stevenage Leisure sites -
Saxon Pool, Biggleswade, 13 October at 19.00 pm
Sandy Sport and Recreation Centre, 20 October at 19.00 pm
Flitwick Leisure Centre, 27 October at 19.00 pm
The Customer Forums are for Leisure Centre and The Grove Theatre users to be given an opportunity to raise issues of centre management with the contractors directly.
Can't go? Then please let me know your views and I'll pass them on and make sure they're heard.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
19 to 23 July Sharpenhoe Rd to close
The following order is being made by CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE COUNCIL
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1)
(SHARPENHOE ROAD, SHARPENHOE)
(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2010
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Central Bedfordshire Council have made an Order the effect of which will be to prohibit any vehicle, except a vehicle being used for fire, police or ambulance purposes in an emergency, from proceeding along that length of Sharpenhoe Road, Sharpenhoe which extends for 400 metres south from Barton Road.
This temporary closure is required to enable patching works to take place and shall apply to such extent as may from time to time be indicated by the appropriate traffic signs. Where possible access will be maintained to property and premises but may be restricted from time to time according to local signing.
It is expected that the works will take place DURING ONE WEEK from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd July 2010 between 7:30am and 6:00pm.
The alternative routes available for vehicles affected by the Order are:-
Proceed south on Sharpenhoe Road and then on Church Road to the junction with the A6 roundabout. Take the first exit from the roundabout and continue to the slip road off to Barton. Continue on the B655 Luton Road, Barton and then Bedford Road to the junction with Sharpenhoe Road, Barton and then Barton Road, Sharpenhoe to the junction with Sharpenhoe Road and site and vice versa.
The Order will come into operation on 19 July 2010 for a period of four months or until the proposed works have been completed, as detailed above, whichever is the earlier.
For further information please contact Central Bedfordshire Highways, Tel: 0300 300 8049
DATED 14 July 2010
Central Bedfordshire Council Basil Jackson
PO Box 1395 Assistant Director for Highways
Bedford MK42 5AN
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1)
(SHARPENHOE ROAD, SHARPENHOE)
(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2010
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Central Bedfordshire Council have made an Order the effect of which will be to prohibit any vehicle, except a vehicle being used for fire, police or ambulance purposes in an emergency, from proceeding along that length of Sharpenhoe Road, Sharpenhoe which extends for 400 metres south from Barton Road.
This temporary closure is required to enable patching works to take place and shall apply to such extent as may from time to time be indicated by the appropriate traffic signs. Where possible access will be maintained to property and premises but may be restricted from time to time according to local signing.
It is expected that the works will take place DURING ONE WEEK from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd July 2010 between 7:30am and 6:00pm.
The alternative routes available for vehicles affected by the Order are:-
Proceed south on Sharpenhoe Road and then on Church Road to the junction with the A6 roundabout. Take the first exit from the roundabout and continue to the slip road off to Barton. Continue on the B655 Luton Road, Barton and then Bedford Road to the junction with Sharpenhoe Road, Barton and then Barton Road, Sharpenhoe to the junction with Sharpenhoe Road and site and vice versa.
The Order will come into operation on 19 July 2010 for a period of four months or until the proposed works have been completed, as detailed above, whichever is the earlier.
For further information please contact Central Bedfordshire Highways, Tel: 0300 300 8049
DATED 14 July 2010
Central Bedfordshire Council Basil Jackson
PO Box 1395 Assistant Director for Highways
Bedford MK42 5AN
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
New Education Policies - short, easy to understand videos
Teachers TV are producing a series of short 10 minutes videos explaining the implications of the new coalition education policies. For those that don't care to wade through pages of explanation - you might like to take a look at the multimedia version. http://www.teachers.tv/videos/need-to-know-coalition-plans-for-education
Monday, 12 July 2010
Alumni of yesteryear can help today's students
I just attended my first school reunion on 10 July, well strictly speaking my sixth form college reunion, since my old grammar school in Eccles was rased to the ground some years ago to make way for a housing estate.
It was big fun and will be the start of an alumni network, thanks to the foresight of the principal, Dr Savvas, who wants to create a web of people of goodwill to help young students as they move beyond teenage life into adult life and careers.
Why did it take 38 years for a principal to do that? Why did it take us 38 years to get the Reunion going? Interesting questions, but the important thing is they're happening now.
Do our local schools in Central Beds have such networks? They should.
This county-part gave birth among others to Alan Bruce, who attended Arnold School for his secondary education and later sailed in the Whitbread Round the World race and now has his own yacht boat building company. How many people do you know who can sail single handed across the Atlantic, like falling off a log? The very idea is thrilling and that Alan came from this land-locked county is astounding.
Now let's see what can be done round here.
It was big fun and will be the start of an alumni network, thanks to the foresight of the principal, Dr Savvas, who wants to create a web of people of goodwill to help young students as they move beyond teenage life into adult life and careers.
Why did it take 38 years for a principal to do that? Why did it take us 38 years to get the Reunion going? Interesting questions, but the important thing is they're happening now.
Do our local schools in Central Beds have such networks? They should.
This county-part gave birth among others to Alan Bruce, who attended Arnold School for his secondary education and later sailed in the Whitbread Round the World race and now has his own yacht boat building company. How many people do you know who can sail single handed across the Atlantic, like falling off a log? The very idea is thrilling and that Alan came from this land-locked county is astounding.
Now let's see what can be done round here.
Monday, 28 June 2010
Would you buy CBC's News Central if it weren't free?
The Guardian newspaper ran a piece this last week criticising local authority publications as being propaganda organs for the incumbent party running the local council, which also take valued revenue away from local papers.
They are quite right of course. That said, I'd feel more sympathetic to local papers if ever they were to field a reporter to attend the odd Council meeting or some Overview and Scrutiny ones. There's never been one at the press desk in my year in office, which is a pity as there have been a couple of humdingers this year.
Firstly, when we Liberal Democrats voted against the Tory proposals to freeze Councillor allowances, as we wanted to support the recommendation of the independent panel for a cut, and secondly, only last week when a number of Tories broke ranks to vote against the Council proposals on a number of proposals including proposed boundary changes.
The News Central issue was taken up by Beds on Sunday, although the CBC answers were less than fulsome, for while publication costs are now covered by News Central taking ads, overheads including staff time apparently are not.
When asked, constituents say they appreciate News Central, but that is not the way to get at the truth of how much people value it, of course. A much better test would be to make it available to buy at cost.
Would you buy CBC's News Central if it weren't free? Do share your views.
In case you missed it, here is the exchange between CBC and Beds on Sunday:
Bedfordshire on Sunday, Can I have a break down on how much News Central Costs please?
Cllr Richard Stay, Deputy Leader at Central Bedfordshire Council said: "Making sure our residents are fully informed about the services the Council provides and the way we spend their money is vitally important and News Central magazine is a convenient and very cost effective way of doing this. There was a set up cost for News Central in the first year, but this publication now carries no financial burden to the tax payer as costs are offset by advertising."
Figures:
Costs for April 2009/April 2010: £220,000
For April 2010/11: The first edition cost £14,000 but this cost is now offset by advertising and so the rest of the editions will be cost neutral.
They are quite right of course. That said, I'd feel more sympathetic to local papers if ever they were to field a reporter to attend the odd Council meeting or some Overview and Scrutiny ones. There's never been one at the press desk in my year in office, which is a pity as there have been a couple of humdingers this year.
Firstly, when we Liberal Democrats voted against the Tory proposals to freeze Councillor allowances, as we wanted to support the recommendation of the independent panel for a cut, and secondly, only last week when a number of Tories broke ranks to vote against the Council proposals on a number of proposals including proposed boundary changes.
The News Central issue was taken up by Beds on Sunday, although the CBC answers were less than fulsome, for while publication costs are now covered by News Central taking ads, overheads including staff time apparently are not.
When asked, constituents say they appreciate News Central, but that is not the way to get at the truth of how much people value it, of course. A much better test would be to make it available to buy at cost.
Would you buy CBC's News Central if it weren't free? Do share your views.
In case you missed it, here is the exchange between CBC and Beds on Sunday:
Bedfordshire on Sunday, Can I have a break down on how much News Central Costs please?
Cllr Richard Stay, Deputy Leader at Central Bedfordshire Council said: "Making sure our residents are fully informed about the services the Council provides and the way we spend their money is vitally important and News Central magazine is a convenient and very cost effective way of doing this. There was a set up cost for News Central in the first year, but this publication now carries no financial burden to the tax payer as costs are offset by advertising."
Figures:
Costs for April 2009/April 2010: £220,000
For April 2010/11: The first edition cost £14,000 but this cost is now offset by advertising and so the rest of the editions will be cost neutral.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Enjoy our outdoor water
We do live in a lovely part of the country, with a fair smattering of outdoor water to enjoy sports such as rowing (two rowing clubs on the river Ouse at Bedford), kayaking (one club on the Ouse at Bedford), windsurfing (on the lake towards Wootton), the lido at Hitchin. And I just recently learned of a lake near Clophill where people go on a hot summer day to swim: fantastic.
Now Bedford is hosting a consultation for building around Willington lake just outside Bedford to enable use and enjoyment by a wide range of activities and people (care homes, sports groups, hotel and leisure complexes). But the one aspect I'm not convinced about is the 'science and technology park'.
Too often, this is a blueprint for the busy-ness of cars and office workers, barren wastes of buildings not used outside of Monday-Friday office hours, all taking up space that would be more 24x7 appreciated by green space fans. Visit http://www.bedford-rowing-lake.com/ to say what you think.
It's your county, your lake.
Now Bedford is hosting a consultation for building around Willington lake just outside Bedford to enable use and enjoyment by a wide range of activities and people (care homes, sports groups, hotel and leisure complexes). But the one aspect I'm not convinced about is the 'science and technology park'.
Too often, this is a blueprint for the busy-ness of cars and office workers, barren wastes of buildings not used outside of Monday-Friday office hours, all taking up space that would be more 24x7 appreciated by green space fans. Visit http://www.bedford-rowing-lake.com/ to say what you think.
It's your county, your lake.
Thank you Focus from Linda Jack
A big thank you to the kind helpers who deliver Focus leaflets for us (more always welcome!). We've recently been busy on these lovely summer nights delivering a thank you Focus from Linda Jack, another nice touch from a woman of high emotional intelligence.
Linda may not have won, but she takes the time to thank people.
Don't worry folks, Bedfordshire Mid may have got it wrong overall this time, but we can get it right next time.
Linda may not have won, but she takes the time to thank people.
Don't worry folks, Bedfordshire Mid may have got it wrong overall this time, but we can get it right next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
