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.

Overnight charges blamed on spreadsheet error as parking u-turns continue

The evening parking fee introduced to Bedford borough car parks earlier this month was due to an “erroneous” line in a spreadsheet, the portfolio holder for finance has said. Both...

Councillor told he’s “quite offensive” in school crossing patrol row

A Bedford Borough councillor has been told his words and actions were “quite offensive” in a row over a school crossing patrol. During last night’s Executive Meeting...

Central Bedfordshire Council weigh up risks and rewards of devolution

Becoming "a housing estate of Milton Keynes" is a risk Central Bedfordshire faces under the government’s hastily proposed local government devolution plans, a meeting heard...

Bedford Borough Council denies “routinely failing” young homeless people after national report

A report has claimed that local authorities are "routinely failing" in their legal duties to children aged between 16-17 year old who become homeless. But that doesn’t happen in Bedford borough...

Monthly column: “Being a councillor can be rewarding but over a fifth have received death threats”

This week at a meeting of the General Purposes Committee an item I am pleased to see on our agenda is the proposed adoption of a Councillor Health and Wellbeing Policy for Bedford Borough Council...

Mayor holds hands up to Sunday parking error urging drivers to request refund

In a personal Facebook post, Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) has accepted the blame for wrongly implementing Sunday parking charges, saying he takes "full responsibility" for what the council described as a "discrepancy"...

Council accused of ‘u-turn’ after reversing ‘stealth’ Sunday parking charges

Bedford Borough Council's executive has been accused of another 'u-turn' after it scrapped Sunday parking charges just days after they were introduced, saying it was nothing more than a "discrepancy". Bedfordians, councillors and...

Application made for new HMO on Ashburnham Road

Converting a Bedford property to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) is an "appropriate opportunity" to bring a vacant building "back into viable use", an applicant has said. Bedford...

Monthly column: New Year message from Mayor Tom Wootton

Progress made in plans for 500 new homes in Great Barford

Plans for up to 500 new homes in Great Barford have moved another step forward. An outline application with all matters reserved – except access – for the development of Millfield...