Mayor Tom Wootton

Opposition parties accuse Conservatives of “misleading and divisive politics” over spending plans

A row between Bedford’s political parties has broken out over a vote on the Conservative mayor’s “ambitious vision”. The borough council’s ruling party claimed that a Lib Dem amendment has...

Bedford Borough Mayor accuses EWR of holding meetings to just “tick a box”

East West Rail has meetings with Bedford Borough Council just to tick a box and not to answer questions, Bedford’s mayor has said. During last night’s Full Council meeting (November...

Plea for Bedford Borough Council to call for Gaza ceasefire ahead of rally this weekend

Bedford Borough Council has been asked to send a message of support to a West Bank village and to call for an immediate ceasefire for Gaza. Mr Rob Wall told last night’s...

Planning inspector raises concerns over 2040 Local Plan

The Planning Inspectorate has raised concerns about Bedford Borough Council’s new Local Plan, saying that there is a shortfall of "at least 2,000 homes". In a letter published today, Inspector Darren McCreery...

Letter to the Editor: We will be paying for Mayor’s “spending spree” for years to come

In a recent article (Bedford Independent, 2 November), the Mayor tried to defend his reckless spending spree funded by a staggering £53m of borrowing; the equivalent of over £280...

Local radio station opens new studio in Bedford

A new studio for Bedford Radio was formally opened this week by Bedford Borough Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) and MP for Bedford and Kempston Mohammad Yasin (Labour). The pair...

Bedford ‘Leisure Village’ part of council’s vision for Borough

A “high-profile and unique” leisure village is part of the borough council’s vision for Bedford, a meeting heard. The council’s Leisure Vision and Strategy was announced at last...

“I’m like a fat bloke in a sweet shop who wants everything now” says Bedford’s Mayor

Bedford’s mayor said he is like a “fat bloke in a sweet shop” because he wants “everything now”. But at the moment he said he is “tied” to the previous administration’s budget. During his campaign for...

Mayor pledges £9m in budget for new GP surgeries

Bedford’s mayor has said borough residents have waited long enough for new GP surgeries. Mayor Tom Wootton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that his administration has “come to...

Former head’s pride as work continues at new Kempston SEND school

The former head of Robert Bruce Middle School in Kempston has spoken of his pride at seeing his former school rising like a "phoenix from the ashes" as a new SEN school. Frank McMahon...

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