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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.

Bedford’s Crematorium chief hopes Captain Tom funeral publicity will encourage others to choose Crem

Bedford’s Crematorium chief is hoping that the positive publicity generated by the funeral of Captain Sir Tom Moore will generate more sales at the council facility...

Food strategy created to help Bedford tackle ‘urgent’ obesity issues

Residents could be encouraged to grow and cook their own food to help Bedford borough reduce obesity. Councillors fear that the coronavirus pandemic has only made matters...

Council’s £10m to buy properties to house the homeless defended as councillor queries location

Councillors rounded on one of their colleagues when he queried how the council chooses which properties to buy to house the homeless. Bedford Council has £10million set aside to buy 80 properties to provide temporary accommodation...

Faith settings to be advised on how to reopen safely in Bedford borough as vaccination slows

Churches, mosques and temples can expect to receive a letter from Bedford Council soon with advice on how they can safely reopen for group worship. A meeting heard even though communal worship was not banned for this...

Tories hit out at ‘political’ vote which exposed group’s division on East West Rail route controversy

Bedford Council’s Conservative leader slammed the Liberal Democrats for gutter politics over taking a recorded vote on the divisive issue of the proposed route of the East West Rail...

Bedford’s network of care homes are “poised” to allow the return of indoor visits from 8 March

A council meeting heard that care homes are already making preparations to allow one named person to meet with a loved one and hold hands as part of the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Yelden village pub rescue plan dismissed as unviable

A plan to bring a dead village pub back to life by building four houses on the same site and injecting the profits into a big refurbishment have been reluctantly dismissed by councillors...

Stagsden pub house plan blocked by government inspector

A village pub near Bedford cannot be turned into a house, a planning inspector has ruled. Even though the Royal George in High Street, Stagsden, was unviable from 2012 to 2015, inspector Rachel Walmsley...

Harpur ward covid outbreak is “under control” meeting told

A Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak in Bedford’s Harpur ward was put down to one “indoor setting” and is under control, a meeting heard. In the latest figures the town’s Harpur ward was shown to have shot to the top of the...

Vaccination of cohort six to begin in Bedford Borough next week

GP teams in Bedford are ready to vaccinate cohort six of the nine highest Covid-19 (coronavirus) risk groups from next week, a meeting heard. Teams running the local vaccination sites in the borough have been vaccinating at the rate of more than 1,000 people a day...

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