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Local Democracy Reporter

Written by the BBC's Local Democracy Reporter named at the end of the article.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was created to help strengthen coverage of local public bodies and ensure communities have access to trusted, independent reporting on decisions made in their name.

Funded by the BBC and delivered in partnership with local news organisations, the scheme supports dedicated journalists to report on councils, public services and other democratic institutions. Their work helps residents better understand how decisions are made, how public money is spent and how those decisions affect everyday life.

For the Bedford Independent, the Local Democracy Reporting Service plays an important role in maintaining regular, detailed coverage of Bedford Borough Council and other local public bodies, supporting our wider commitment to public-interest journalism, transparency and accountability.

Covid cases rising ‘sharply’ in primary schools in the Borough

Covid cases in Bedford are rising ‘sharply’ – leading to staffing issues at primary schools and in early years education. And some members of staff have been forced...

Petition highlights concerns Bedford’s victims of domestic abuse will lose vital support

A petition presented to Bedford Borough Council’s full meeting yesterday (Wednesday, March 16) said that as of April 1, Bedford Women’s Centre will not be able to provide services for...

Former county council blamed for poor road safety in Wixams

The lack of road crossings in Wixams is due to decisions made by the former county council and is not down to Bedford Borough planners, a campaigner was told. In January...

Bedford Borough councillors ‘doing alright’ but Town and Parish Councillors get complaints

Two annual updates to a standards committee said that last year there were no formal complaints received against borough councillors, and there were no entries in the Gifts and Hospitality...

Bedford Borough ranked 322 out of the 333 local planning authorities.

Bedford Borough Council planners try to keep applicants up to date with decision delays, but if they updated them every day the planners wouldn’t have the time to do anything else...

Planning department relies on costly consultants to clear caseload backlog

Bedford Borough Council offers a “challenging but rewarding career” for planners, offers “almost everything” a planner is likely to experience, but the high caseload needs to be tackled...

Council discusses plans to “transform” Bedford Borough’s health and care services

A refreshed plan to improve health and care in Bedford Borough contains some “really, really, important stuff”, but it needs to be presented creatively to residents so they understand what...

Ambulances called out 3,000 times to deal with falls across Bedford Borough

Figures presented to Bedford Borough Council show that falls accounted for 3,000 ambulance call-outs in the borough last year, with 800 resulting in hospital admissions. As part of an...

One in five households in some parts of Bedford in fuel poverty

One in five households are parts of Bedford borough are below the official poverty line after paying for heating, a meeting was told. The Health and Wellbeing Board was given an overview of...

Social media helps Bedford police improve community support

Increasing officers’ social media presence has helped Bedfordshire Police community officers to better understand residents’ policing needs. Superintendent Jaki Whittred, from Bedfordshire...

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