Dear editor,
There is an old and famous Greek proverb, “A community grows great when people plant trees in whose shade they may never sit.”
That simple idea captures what public service should be about – the idea that we have a responsibility to those who come after us, which motivated me to become a councillor.
Decisions should not only be for the next few months or the next election. We should also think about the Bedford Borough our children and grandchildren will inherit.
That is how I view the Council’s decision to purchase the former Debenhams building.
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Why Debenhams?
For more than 60 years I have I have watched the Town Centre change from behind my own shop windows.
In that time, I have seen shopping habits change, and many familiar stores closed; however, one lesson has become clear: we cannot stand still.
That is why securing such an important site in the heart of the town centre mattered.
The purchase of the former Debenhams building was not intended to provide a quick or easy answer.
It was about giving Bedford the opportunity to shape the future of a key part of the town, rather than leaving that future entirely to chance.
Regeneration takes time; it will take patience and courage because decisions we make today may not produce their full benefits for 10 or even 15 years, but that does not make them any less important.
The value of this decision should not be measured only by the building as it stands today. It should also be measured by what the wider regeneration could help create.
For those who come after
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Anyone who has raised a family or built a business understands the principle behind long-term investment.
Sometimes you accept difficulty and risk today because you are trying to create a better future for those who come after you.
A family may take on a mortgage to provide a secure home. Someone may invest their savings and years of hard work into building a business that they hope their children will one day benefit from.
They do not do these things because the rewards are immediate or guaranteed. They do them because worthwhile futures have to be built.
That is the responsibility we carry as councillors. We are only temporary custodians of Bedford Borough; many of us may not be councillors or even still be around before the full benefits of this regeneration are realised.
Our task is to leave the town stronger, more prosperous and more hopeful than we found it.
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In that spirit, restoring the Debenhams building is our way of planting a tree for Bedford’s future – ensuring that long after the building works are complete, our children, local business owners, and future residents will enjoy the economic shade it provides.
Finally, I’m sure our forebears had the same arguments about Bedford Park, the Embankment and the Corn Exchange when they were mooted. They are now loved and cherished parts of the Town.
Councillor Robert Rigby
(Conservative/Bromham Ward)
