9 November 2026

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Bedford Borough Council

All the latest Bedford Borough Council 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.

Fears of “speculative development” as Local Plan 2040 is withdrawn

Bedford borough councillors will be asked to withdraw Local Plan 2040 after the planning inspector warned it could not be found sound without major changes. Members heard...

Electric vehicle ‘car club’ for staff at council ends

Bedford Borough Council has ended its electric vehicle (EV) car club for staff, citing high costs and low usage, and is now looking at a salary sacrifice scheme as a more viable alternative...

New Telecare charges across Bedford Borough proposed but critics aren’t happy

Bedford Borough's mayor has proposed a new £4 charge per week for the 3,200 Bedford locals using Telecare, to combat what they call "ballooning costs" that have increased to £450,000 per year...

Drone ban proposed in Universal planning application

Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX) plans to apply for restricted airspace over its proposed Bedford resort to prevent third-party drones from flying over the theme park site...

Storm brews over proposed changes to Bedford’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Proposals to reform Bedford Borough’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) have sparked a political row, with opposition Liberal Democrat councillors accusing the Conservative...

Universal planning documents acknowledge concerns including traffic disruption to ecological impacts

The plans for Universal Destinations & Experiences’ new Entertainment Resort Complex (ERC) near Bedford are moving forward. But not without acknowledging a comprehensive array...

Mayor apologises for councillor’s ‘mansplaining’ misstep

An unnamed Bedford borough councillor has been accused of mansplaining following a meeting in March. During last night’s Full Council (Wednesday, 2 July), Bedford resident Tracy Wagner...

Conservatives blame Lib Dems’ “tax freeze obsession” for inherited public finance situation

The Liberal Democrat Group on Bedford Borough Council has not responded to questions about a wave of redundancies under its previous administration – even as it accuses the...

Plans for Houghton Conquest film studio still on track

Plans for a film and TV studio campus at Quest Pit, Houghton Conquest, are moving forward, with the developers submitting an application to amend the existing planning permission...

Council to miss ‘inspection of accounts’ deadline

Bedford Borough Council has delayed the inspection of its accounts, just days after being asked if it would meet the deadline. By law, the council must tell residents and taxpayers how it spends...