Brickhill Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team

14/10/2026

Brickhill PCSO Charlie Jarvis-Banks is holding another drop-in surgery at Brickhill Community Centre, Avon Drive, on Thursday 15th October. Pop in between 11am and 12noon if you would like to speak with her.

📍 Brickhill Street Surgery - Drop In and Say Hello

Thank you to everyone who has attended our recent Street Surgeries. We've been delighted by the turnout and the opportunity to speak with so many residents about the issues that matter in Brickhill. Your feedback and engagement help shape our local policing priorities.

We're holding another drop-in session this week:

🗓 Thursday 15 October 2026
⏰ 11:00am - 12:30pm
📍 Brickhill Community Centre

✅ No appointment necessary

Whether you have concerns about anti-social behaviour, nuisance vehicles, crime prevention, or any other local issue, please come along for a chat with your local neighbourhood policing team.

📱 Stay informed about future Street Surgery dates, local policing news and community updates by signing up to BedsConnected:

🔗 https://orlo.uk/4VYUb

We look forward to seeing you there.

07/10/2026

PCSO Charlie Jarvis-Banks is holding another surgery in Brickhill, if you have any issues you would like to discuss with her.

📍 Brickhill Street Surgery - Come and Meet Your Local Neighbourhood Team

Thank you to everyone who attended our last Street Surgery. It was fantastic to see so many residents come along, share their concerns, and discuss the issues that matter most in our community. Your support and engagement are greatly appreciated.

We're pleased to be holding another drop-in session:

🗓 Friday 9 October 2026
⏰ 3:00pm - 4:30pm
📍 Brickhill Community Centre

✅ No appointment necessary - simply drop in and speak with your local neighbourhood policing team.

Whether you have concerns about anti-social behaviour, nuisance vehicles, crime prevention, or any other local issues, we would be happy to hear from you.

📱 Stay up to date with local policing news, future Street Surgery dates, and community updates by signing up to BedsConnected: 🔗 https://orlo.uk/CPDBf

07/10/2026

Brickhill Parish Council is holding another Community Litter Pick this weekend. Meet at 10am on Satursday 10th October at Brickhill Drive shops. Equipment will be provided. Please wear appropriate footwear. All welcome.

Get ready for the weekend, another chance to make a difference!
Please share, the more the merrier...

02/10/2026

Coming soon

01/10/2026

Electric Vehicle Charge points finally being installed
Responding to the news that Bedford Borough Council has announced that it is finally installing more EV (Electric Vehicle) charge points, Cllr Charles Royden, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson, commented,
“The Liberal Democrat administration successfully applied for LEVI funding for additional investment in EV charging points when the scheme launched in 2023.
It is disappointing that the Conservative-led administration has sat on this funding for over a year. In 2021, Bedford was a leading authority in the installation of charge points but recently we have fallen behind the UK average. In fact, the Council has not installed a single EV charging point in over three years which is a complete failure to provide for our residents. Hopefully the team can now crack on and provide the additional charging points which residents need.
It is essential that this process is done in close consultation with residents and councillors to ensure that the charging points are located where communities need them. The Mayor has a poor track record of consultation and I will be watching closely to ensure that the locations chosen deliver the services that our residents deserve.”
Notes:
The initial installation of 260 sockets is being installed by Connected Kerb on behalf of the Council’s Highways Engineering team, and will provide access to EV charging for residents that currently don’t have off-street parking.
The EV charging points are funded from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

24/09/2026

Bus campaign pressure paying off
Thanks to the intense campaigning and petitions presented to the council, bus routes are set to improve, after many residents in Goldington, Kempston, Putnoe, and Shortstown had their bus services cut earlier this year.
A report in the Council’s Executive Committee papers in response to the petitions states that grant funding has been reallocated, for services to run to the following locations:
Hillgrounds Road; Saxon Centre; South Wing Hospital; Bedford Bus Station; North Wing Hospital; Putnoe Lane; Woodlands Park; Bedford Train Station; Abbeyfields.
There will be a minimum hourly frequency. Buses will run from 07.30 – 19.30, Monday to Saturday. The Council is also working with schools and colleges, including Bedford College, to explore a shift from private transport contracts to mainstream public bus services.
Cllr Michael Headley (Putnoe) said,
“I continue to receive emails every week from residents in my ward who have been left stranded by the cuts. In all my time in the Council I have never known an issue cause so much concern as the recent bus service cuts.
I want to thank all the residents who have emailed, signed our petitions, or been in touch in other ways.
The Council finally seems to be listening. This is a first step and we will not relax our pressure until all residents that lost services have a regular, reliable and accessible bus service restored.”
Cllr Henry Vann (Group Leader) said,
“After months of delay, the Council is finally unlocking funding that should have been supporting local bus services long ago. This is a step in the right direction, but residents deserve a clear and joined-up plan for buses across Bedford Borough. There is still a lot of uncertainty around exactly where these services will go and we will keep up our campaigning until we get proper services restored.”
I am especially pleased that calls to work with schools and colleges have been listened to. Giving more young people access to reliable and affordable public transport will help families save money and could also reduce traffic congestion on our roads.”

Notes:
‘Save Putnoe Buses’ petition, with 813 signatures, and ‘Stop the Bus Cuts’ petition with 976 signatures were debated at Full Council on 1 July, 2026. https://councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=124&MId=6968
Executive Papers, page 31 onwards https://councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/documents/g6960/Public%20reports%20pack%2016th-Sep-2026%2014.30%20Executive.pdf?T=10

22/09/2026

FYI

22/09/2026

Weekly police surgery in Brickhill starts tomorrow (Wednesday).

📍 NEW Weekly Brickhill Street Surgery Launches Tomorrow!

Your local neighbourhood policing team will be holding a new weekly drop-in Street Surgery in Brickhill, giving residents the opportunity to speak with us directly about any concerns, ask questions, share information, or find out more about what we are doing in the community.

🗓 Wednesday 23 September
⏰ 11:00am - 1:00pm

No appointment is needed, just drop by and have a chat.

Whether it's concerns about anti-social behaviour, nuisance vehicles, crime prevention advice, or issues affecting your area, we'd like to hear from you.

📱 To stay up to date with future Street Surgery dates, local policing news, appeals, and community information, please make sure you join BedsConnected.



Further Street Surgery dates will be announced soon.

22/09/2026

Do come along to the Macmillan Coffee Morning this Friday. It is taking place at Brickhill Community Centre, Avon Drive, from 11am to 1pm.

04/09/2026

Mayor told to think again about Mayes Yard plans
A cross-party scrutiny committee is unhappy with published proposals to develop the Mayes Yard area in Bedford town centre. Concerns for this key area of the town (which includes the former Beales and Debenhams buildings) include the lack of an overarching plan leading to a high risk that little will actually be delivered, as well as concern about the poor return for the council with the willingness to see the council get only £1 for the Debenhams building.
The committee referred the Mayor’s proposal back to his Cabinet for a re-think and improvements.
Leader of Bedford Liberal Democrats, Henry Vann, said, “It is great that there is now a chance to get a better plan in place to redevelop and regenerate our town centre for future generations; we want to see something positive for residents rather than the Mayor’s current empty building, and a disappointing piecemeal approach that would risk a half-finished development, delivering no transformation, and costing taxpayers half a million pounds already.”