Mayor Tom Wootton tagged articles

Conservatives and Lib Dems row over empty building blame

Bedford Borough Council has surrendered the lease on an empty Bedford property to save “over £600,000” in costs. The Conservative administration claims this lease was a “textbook case of political incompetence” by the former...

“Insufficient detail” in Deputy Prime Minister’s letter on planning reform, say Council

Bedford Borough Council has said the deputy prime minister’s letter to English local authority leaders and metro mayors about planning reform has "insufficient detail". In March, Angela Rayner...

Mayor describes Rivertree Free School as “a vision for inclusion and excellence”

Bedford's newest school has been described as "a vision for inclusion and excellence" by Mayor Tom Wootton, who said he was "filled with pride" to visit the Kempston site. The Mayor of Bedford Borough and Cllr Jane...

Monthly column: Transforming our Family Hubs to better serve Bedford Borough residents

It is important that the Council continues to review and update its services to better serve residents across the Borough because, over time, patterns, people and needs change. That is why we are transforming our Family Hubs...

Funding secured for Bedford’s first Muslim burial ground

Bedford’s first dedicated Muslim burial ground has taken a major step forward, as councillors, community leaders and the Mayor came together this week to sign off on the funding...

Mayor signs order to write off “irrecoverable” debt owed to Borough Council

Bedford Borough Council is proposing to write off over £385k in “irrecoverable” debt. The debts are considered to be irrecoverable because the debtors are “insolvent and have no...

Bedford Ian writes…

28 March 2025: Royden's robots, Testosterone triggered, Finance fiasco? and Bedford backchannels. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and has...

Mayor brings in former council crisis chief to help Bedford Borough face funding challenges

Bedford Borough’s elected mayor, Tom Wootton, has brought in local government specialist Theresa Grant OBE to help review the council’s finances, as pressure mounts...

Bedford Ian writes…

7 March 2025: Democracy denied, Everyday heroes, Wonky fence, Miamian vice, Reh-al roast, and Take a break. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough...

Monthly column: Smart investments = big savings and what is happening in our town centre

In challenging times, the difference between two approaches has never been clearer: one invests wisely to protect services and save money, while the other resorts to reckless cuts - harming services and driving up long-term costs for...

Mayor Tom Wootton

Get the latest Bedford news first