Mayor Tom Wootton tagged articles

East West Rail welcomes faster planning rules as Bedfordians face ‘weaker’ formal say

East West Rail has welcomed new planning powers that remove the need for a statutory consultation before it applies to build the Oxford to Cambridge line, as Bedford residents...

Drivers furious as new evening parking rules add ‘overnight’ fees to short stays

Bedford drivers say new evening and overnight parking charges are “shocking”, “unfair” and “brainless”, as councillors warn the system could damage the town’s evening economy...

Mayor accused of “gaslighting” Bedfordians over green waste collection charges

Bedford Borough's elected Conservative mayor has been accused of gaslighting the electorate over proposed charges for green waste collection. When questioned on the policy, the mayor...

Labour councillor’s frustration at “political game-playing” over Open Space Management charges

The Labour councillor for Kempston West has told the Bedford Independent that his constituents are "horrified" that a decision to remove Open Space Management charges has been contested...

EWR “less than fruitful” with details of rail line impact on Bedford claims mayor

Bedford Borough Council officers and councillors have claimed they do not yet have critical information needed to assess the impact of the East West Rail project through Bedford, during a public...

Bedford Borough Council to review use of website that allowed users to make sexualised images of children

Bedford Borough Council will review its use of X after concerns about Grok, the platform’s AI tool, being used to create sexualised images of children. At a Full Council meeting on Wednesday...

Bedford Borough Council faces £59 million funding gap up to 2030

Bedford Borough Council’s administration has told councillors there will be a £59 million funding gap over the lifetime of its 2025-30 Improvement Plan. The plan was presented to Full Council...

Council staff cuts on the cards to help balance Borough’s books

Bedford Borough Council is planning to reduce staff numbers as part of its financial recovery programme. This is forecast to save £4.2 million a year in savings from April 2026 through what its...

Bedford Borough Council sent wrong data to DfT which led to ‘red’ pothole ranking

Bedford Borough Council admits sending incorrect roads data to the DfT after being branded “red” for potholes, as the Mayor, MP and government trade blows over funding, figures and transparency...

Bedford & Kempston MP writes to Mayor over ‘unacceptable’ road conditions

Bedford & Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin has urged Mayor Tom Wootton to accept government support after Bedford was rated ‘red’ for potholes, despite a 2023 report once ranking its roads...

Mayor Tom Wootton

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