Mayor Tom Wootton tagged articles

Monthly column: From a £1 bargain to a £50 lifeline – Madad’s Bedford homecoming

Madad began life in Bedford in 1981 as the Hira Islamic Centre. Local Muslims established the charity to create a place of worship. After its founder, Imam Irshad Ali, died in 2020...

Monthly column: Mayor has left Bedford with nowhere to go

Sometimes the biggest issues in local government are the simplest. If you take your children to the park, walk the dog, go for a run, or spend a few hours enjoying the outdoors, you should...

Monthly column: Managing pressures and planning for Bedford’s future

In recent months, Bedford Borough Council has operated in an environment that is challenging for councils across the country. Demand for essential services such as...

Opposition councillors claim victory as axed Bedford bus routes restored

Bedford's opposition councillors are claiming a victory after the council's Executive Committee report says it will reinstate funding for axed bus routes. After bus-users in Goldington...

Bedford Ian writes…

18 September 2026: Parking prats, Party rift?, and Madness madness. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings-on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…

Breaking news: Bedford Borough councillors reject motion to hold mayoral referendum

Bedfordians will not be asked to decide the future of the borough's mayoral system after councillors defeated a proposal for a borough-wide referendum at an extraordinary council meeting...

Bedford Ian writes, mayoral vote special…

16 September 2026: Bedford Ian has been looking ahead to tonight's council vote on whether the elected mayor role should be abolished (or not) and tells us what he thinks of it all…

Monthly column: August in Bedford – taking stock while continuing to deliver

August is traditionally a quieter month in the Borough Council calendar. While many people enjoy a well-earned summer break, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on what we've achieved...

Bedford Labour group seeks vote to abolish mayor as leader of Bedford Borough Council

The Bedford Borough Labour Group has proposed an Extraordinary Full Council meeting to trigger a public referendum, giving residents their first say in 20 years on how the local authority...

Bedford mayor says council is holding water regulators “to account” over River Great Ouse pollution

Mayor Tom Wootton has blamed external agencies for blue-green algae on the River Great Ouse following recent hot weather, while staying silent on calls for tougher enforcement against water companies...

Mayor Tom Wootton

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