9 November 2026

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All the latest Political and politics news from across Bedford Borough. Everything you need to keep you up to date with what’s happening in Bedford Borough on your mobile or desktop via the Bedford Independent.

The Bedford Independent was founded to provide the people of Bedford Borough with a modern news desk that would give them easy access to genuine and unbiased Bedford news. We are independent in ownership and opinion.

Our mission is to inform and inspire the people of Bedford. To do this we will work hard to bring them the news that matters to them from our town centre to the most rural of the Borough’s villages.

Our editorial team are NCTJ trained and follows a standards code set out by the independent press regulator IMPRESS Standards.

Waste firm seeks retrospective permission for changes at Stewartby rail site

A waste management operator running a rail-linked site in Stewartby has applied for retrospective planning permission after building and operating in a way that differs from the original approval...

Third bid submitted for flats behind Bedford High Street shops

Plans to build four flats behind Bedford High Street shops have been submitted for a third time after two earlier planning permissions expired without work starting. The latest application...

Developer with 66-home plan says Wootton neighbourhood plan ‘overtaken by events’

A developer behind plans for up to 66 homes in Wootton claims the village’s neighbourhood plan has been “overtaken by events”, citing housing pressures and Universal Studios...

Monthly column: Celebrating the best of Bedford and Kempston

One of the privileges of serving as MP for Bedford and Kempston is meeting people doing extraordinary things for others every day. In politics and the news more broadly, it can often feel as though...

Bedford council introduces AI tool to transcribe meetings and generate assessments

Bedford Borough Council says more than 300 staff are using an AI system to record meetings, transcribe conversations and generate assessment reports across Adults’ and Children’s Services...

Monthly column: Two years gone and two years ahead

Two years ago, in 2024, I had the privilege of being elected as Bedfordshire’s fourth Police and Crime Commissioner. I now know that I will be the last Police and Crime Commissioner as the...

Families warned over fake Bedford SEND support website

Bedford Borough Council has warned families and carers not to use a bogus website claiming to represent Bedford SENDIASS and asking for personal details. Bedford Borough Council says...

£100,000 councillor allowance saving dropped from Bedford council budget

A proposed £100,000 saving linked to councillors’ allowances was removed from Bedford Borough Council’s final 2026/27 budget after the original version was rejected...

Up to 40 homes approved in Biddenham despite objections over child safety

Bedford borough councillors approved plans for up to 40 homes in Biddenham despite concerns about the safety of walking routes. The planning committee (Monday, 27 April)...

Bedford Borough Council faces fresh concerns over financial recovery programme

An independent improvement panel overseeing Bedford Borough Council’s recovery programme said some amber-rated actions “would be more accurately classified as red”...