In an interview with the LDRS, Bedford Borough mayor Tom Wootton has described his first two years in office as “incredible”. Reflecting on the demanding nature of the role, he remarked, “Most days are like harvest where there’s a huge amount of work it’s got to be done.
“A huge amount of stuff is going on all at the same time and you’ve got to try and keep all these plates spinning in the air.”
The Conservative mayor emphasised the distinct focus of local leadership, and said the council is about the Borough, and not national issues. “It’s not about people coming across in boats and everything else,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“We can’t affect that, what we can affect is what’s here. If the council doesn’t get the stuff done no one else will.”
Highlighting specific examples of the council’s work, mayor Wootton addressed the town centre development. “We bought [Debenhams] because it was difficult, we bought it because no developers wanted it,” he said.
He anticipates that this project, which will include “shops, retail, and homes in the town centre,” will be “our crowning achievement.”
He also spoke passionately about Rivertree, the new special school, describing it as “the best school”, adding: “one of the largest special schools in the country, and it’s going be a beacon of excellence.”
The mayor recounted the decision to proceed with the school’s construction even without initial government funding: “I said, look, I want you to go out and we’ll borrow the money and we’re going to build that school.”
He expressed immense satisfaction with the outcome.
“And it’s going to be 200 – 250 children who are now being educated in an incredible environment.”
While Rivertree Free School opened in February 2025, the project was first put to the public under the previous administration (Liberal Democrats) in February 2022. Permission was granted in October 2022. Mayor Tom Wotton was elected as Mayor on 4 May 2023.
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Borrowing criticism
Despite facing political challenges over council borrowing, he affirmed its long-term value, adding, “It was worth getting roasted… “That school is going to be there for the foreseeable future and it’s really going to be a beacon of excellence.”
Read: Bedford Borough Council accused of hiding debt rise as finance chief calls £5m loan ‘sound practice’
The mayor also highlighted ongoing changes within the council to make it “more approachable”.
“We are making it more human, we are making it more understanding for people and hopefully we’re doing a good job, ” he said.
He tied these efforts back to his core mission, “The whole point of this organisation is to look after the vulnerable, to look after the disadvantaged, to make sure people are getting good education, that people are happy, that people are well looked after.”
Concluding his reflections, the mayor reiterated his commitment to making a tangible difference for the local community.
“I’m doing it to get people to think about their local area and to make it better,” he said.
He added that he believes the council is at a point where “we are trying to do some stuff and we are starting to make a difference.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
Additional reporting Paul Hutchinson
Bedford Independent
Update: This article was updated at 18:29 on 1o June 2025 to add clarification on Rivertree School’s timeline, which spanned over two council administrations.
