Hello, I am Cllr Nicola Gribble, representing Renhold and Ravensden, a lovely rural ward just north of Bedford town.
I am a first-time councillor, elected in May 2023, and I am proudly Independent of any political party, even though I sit on Mayor Tom’s cabinet as portfolio holder for environment.
This is a huge portfolio, so a small portion of what is taking over my life at the minute is a right load of rubbish. Literally.
Obviously, I am talking about the food waste collection roll-out, which is a big project and has taken a lot of coordination for the best part of the last two years.
Read: Weekly food waste collections begin across Bedford Borough
We launched food waste collections on 30 March, and, barring a few teething problems, it seems to be progressing well. My email and phone may say otherwise, but the complaints, compared to the 80,000-plus households this has been taken to, are small.
I’d like to thank those who are embracing the new change and ask those who have genuine concerns to let me know.
I’m also in the firing line for anything pothole-related, but I am pleased to say that we are getting on top of the issues now that the weather is better than it has been.
The team on Highways are doing a great job, and everyone has been very supportive and kind to me. I am now getting to be a local expert on asphalt and how to fix roads.
The officers I work with across the board are amazing, and I couldn’t do this job without them.
From the guys and girls who cut the grass to those who mend roads, collect rubbish, clean the streets and design bridges, I thank you for your patience and support when answering my endless questions.
For those who know me, I do my best to work across the huge political divide that is sadly present and work for the residents of Bedford Borough.
As far as I am concerned, my resident base went from a relatively small number of people within my villages to the population of the Borough overnight when I took on responsibility for Environment.
I work with all parties to the best of my ability because surely, that’s what we are here for, isn’t it?
This is a guest column provided by Cllr Nicola Gribble,
Independent councillor for Renhold and Ravensden.
It is published unedited and does not reflect the
views of the Bedford Independent.
