Bedford Borough Council has confirmed that its new Town Centre Advisory Board has yet to be formed — more than six weeks after the deadline for applications closed and nearly a month after interviews were due to take place.
The council says this is down to the high number of applications.
The board was launched earlier this year to bring local business voices into town centre decision-making, with the council setting out a vision to create “a town centre that people are proud to live in and excited to visit.”
According to the recruitment pack, applications closed on 13 June, with interviews scheduled for the week beginning 30 June.
But until now, the council had made no public statement on whether appointments had been made or when the board would begin its work.
Following a request for clarification, a council spokesperson said: “The Town Centre Advisory Board received a high number of applications.
“Due to this positive response, there has been a delay in forming the board.
“Those involved have been updated, and the process of establishing the board is ongoing.”
No revised timeline has been given for when the board will be in place or when it will meet for the first time.
The council has said the board will include up to 10 business representatives, along with figures from Bedford College, the police, a ward councillor, and the mayor.
It will be chaired by the council’s portfolio holder for planning, economic growth and prosperity.
Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the board’s terms of reference have not yet been finalised and are due to be agreed at the first meeting.
The board is described as separate from BedfordBID and will be funded using existing resources.
While meetings will not be held in public, the council has committed to publishing agendas and notes “to maintain transparency.”
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
