In challenging times, the difference between two approaches has never been clearer: one invests wisely to protect services and save money, while the other resorts to reckless cuts – harming services and driving up long-term costs for residents.
Under the former Liberal Democrat administration, Bedford Borough Council suffered serious financial and operational setbacks. Their short-sighted policies relied on cuts and austerity, leaving essential services struggling and residents paying the price years down the line in short, you cannot cut your way to success.
That is why we are taking a different approach – one that delivers long-term financial stability while improving services. By making smart, strategic investments, we are ensuring taxpayers get real value for money, safeguarding public services, and securing long-term savings.
Investing to save: real results
One of the most significant areas where we have delivered substantial savings is school transport. By implementing innovative technology, such as QRoutes, we have optimised bus routes, making them more efficient and cost-effective.
However, technology is not the only part of the solution – our dedicated Council Officers have worked tirelessly to ensure these efficiencies deliver real savings.
The results speak for themselves:
- £750,000 saved in the 2024/25 budget for both Special Educational Needs and mainstream school transport.
- An additional £300,000 in savings identified in children’s social care transport.
- A total £1 million reduction in the transport budget for 2025/26 – without cutting services.
This is what responsible financial management looks like.
This is how we deliver smarter solutions, not short-term fixes. By making strategic investments like this, we are freeing up resources for essential services – roads, waste collection, parks, and community programmes.
Sensible investments today prevent higher costs tomorrow.
Strong leadership means managing risks, not avoiding them.
Big news for our town centre
As everyone has noticed there is a lot of buzz and activity happening around St Paul’s Square and Midland Road.
Just to be clear, this is all part of the Town Deal, part of the £22.6m given to Bedford Borough Council by the former Conservative Government. In short, we need to get these works started on the agreed timelines otherwise we risk losing the funding.
Recent emergency gas works on Ashburnham Road have caused more congestion than expected. However, there’s light at the end of the tunnel – these works have been completed.
Meanwhile, the improvement works on Midland Road are progressing well and remain on track for completion in June 2025.
Once the current phase of Midland Road is complete, we’ll move on to the next step: enhancing shop fronts, part funded by the Town Deal money. This initiative aims to give local businesses a boost and create a more inviting shopping experience.
The best part? The road will remain fully open during this stage, ensuring minimal disruption to residents and
visitors.
Over at St Paul’s Square, work is moving full steam ahead on both the south and north sides. With some key traffic milestones to look out for being:
- April 2025: Overnight closures to enable crucial right-turn improvements from the bridge to the embankment.
- July 2025: A 24/7 closure of the south side of the square during the school summer holidays to minimise disruption.
- Ongoing: Occasional overnight closures for general resurfacing, with updates to be shared well in advance.
The project will bring a fresh look to the area, with new paving slabs and kerbs, and wider pedestrian walkways around the south side of the Square – making it a safer and more pleasant place to be.
Brighter future ahead
There’s no doubt that a lot is happening in the Town Centre, and while we won’t see changes overnight, every step brings us closer to a vibrant and thriving Bedford Borough.
I ask residents to remain patient as we build something truly special!
This is a monthly guest column provided by elected
Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative). It is published unedited and
does not reflect the views of the Bedford Independent.
