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9 November 2026
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Cllr Ben Foley

Bedford Borough Council political parties collage

‘You are all to blame’: Government inspectors’ stark message to all political groups at Bedford Borough Council

Opposition parties and the Conservative administration at Bedford Borough Council are divided following a highly critical government inspection report highlighting a combative political culture...
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Scaffolding erected around houses in a new housing development Image: Irene Miller/Shutterstock

Bedford councillors vote to defend local voice over controversial planning applications

Bedford Borough councillors have backed a cross-party motion to safeguard local people's say over controversial planning applications before new national...
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Artist impression of the planned Ashburnham MSCP for Bedford Train Station. Image: EWR.

Council warns Bedfordians are going in blind over East West Rail parking plans

Bedford Borough Council has expressed serious concerns over a lack of traffic modelling data for the revised Bedford station car park, warning that the community is being asked to go in blind...
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Cllr Ben Foley outside the Ashburnham Road flats threatened with demolition to make way for EWR. Image: Bedford Green Party.

East West Rail car park plans still threaten Ashburnham Road flats

Despite scaling back plans for a multi-storey car park at Bedford station, East West Rail is pressing ahead with the demolition of homes on Ashburnham Road to clear land...
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Councillors gather in council chambers for the extraordinary full council meeting to debate and vote on a motion to hold a referendum on the position of Mayor of Bedford Borough, 16 September 2026. Image: Bedford Independent screenshot of Bedford Borough Council webcast.

Bedford Borough Council rejects £375k mayoral referendum as Conservative group members abstain

Labour suffered a setback in Bedford Borough Council as a motion to hold a £375k mayoral referendum was defeated, while senior Conservative councillors refused to back Mayor Tom Wootton...
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Mayor Tom Wootton standing along Bedfords Embankment with the town bridge in the background

Mayor Tom Wootton loses council no-confidence vote

Bedford Borough councillors voted 28 to 12 in favour of a cross-party motion calling for the resignation of Mayor Tom Wootton, who insists he will remain in office until next year's elections...
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Mayor Tom Wootton standing along Bedfords Embankment with the town bridge in the background

Political pressure grows after senior councillor quits Mayor Wootton’s cabinet

Mayor Tom Wootton and opposition leaders have reacted after senior Conservative councillor Robert Rigby resigned from Bedford Borough Council’s cabinet. Senior councillors have traded blows...
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NHS Give Blood donor truck parked outside King's House, Ampthill Road, Bedford. Image: Bedford Independent

Bedford Ian writes…

15 May 2026: Lifeblood, Another round, Order order and Electric Avenue. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…
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Mayor Tom Wootton outside the former Debenhams building. Image: Bedford Borough Council

Letters: The mayor is asking the electorate to judge him on his record – he might as well just resign

In the Green Party, we were interested in the Mayor’s comments about the next election, that “the town should go Green”. Whether he was talking about Bedford or Kempston, he’s right...
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Bedford Borough Hall Bedford Borough council signage and entrance

£100,000 councillor allowance saving dropped from Bedford council budget

A proposed £100,000 saving linked to councillors’ allowances was removed from Bedford Borough Council’s final 2026/27 budget after the original version was rejected...
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