Central Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats

22/04/2026

18/04/2026

Liberal Democrats are clear: new housing must go hand in hand with new GPs. We will ensure that no community is left overwhelmed.

Back our petition: www.libdems.org.uk/development

15/04/2026

First Past the Post cannot cope with multi-party politics.

British voters are rejecting the traditional two-party system, but the voting system hasn’t caught up.

If YouGov's latest poll is anything to go by, May's council elections in England will see some utterly bizarre and chaotic results.

Time for a proportional system that can accurately reflect how people vote.

09/04/2026

This why more people are backing the Lib Dems - to get things done in their community.

Liberal Democrats get things done. We don’t do division. We do potholes and police officers, church roofs and clean rivers.We focus on the local issues that ...

17/03/2026

🚨PAUSE TO KERBSIDE DRY MIXED REYCLING ANNOUNCED BY CBC🚨

Central Bedfordshire Council have announced that they are pausing collection of kerbside dry mixed recycling due to a fire at a Waste Transfer Station in Bletchley.

♻ Residents are asked to put their dry recycling bin out for collection as usual and the Council will collect it as soon as collections recommence.

♻ General waste, food waste and garden waste collections will continue as normal.

♻ Household Waste Recycling Centres remain operating as normal.

More information can be found on the Council's website

Due to a legal issue, recycling is temporarily paused until further notice.

06/03/2026

The Independent Administration’s budget was voted through at the second time of asking last night.

While few would argue it’s a good outcome for residents, the alternative if the budget had not been passed was far worse. It would likely have meant a Government takeover of council services and far worse cuts to local services.

The Liberal Democrats have worked hard to improve the budget over the last few months. Changes we helped win include -

👍A hardship fund to protect the poorest households from the impact of huge council tax rises

👍New cross-party oversight group to help put Council finances back on a secure footing

👍Extra funding to fix potholes

👍Protect funding for Citizens Advice and voluntary organisations

👍Defeating another proposed rise in parking charges

👍Ensuring the future of Leighton Buzzard library theatre for the short term at least

👍Support for carers and stroke victims

But we can’t sugar coat things too much.

This is the third budget of this Independent Administration and each one has seen Council finances getting worse and worse. It is true they inherited a difficult situation from the Conservatives . It’s also true that the Labour Government has massively cut funding to our area this year too.

We are very worried about the year ahead - this budget doesn’t only raise council tax and charges on local residents. It also has millions of pounds of unidentified savings, which if not delivered could see the Council heading towards even deeper trouble next year.

The budget might have passed, but there are still difficult times ahead for the Council.

26/02/2026

📣 LIB DEMS FIGHT TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN CENTRAL BEDS

Local Liberal Democrat councillors will today move an amendment to the Central Beds Council budget to help protect the most vulnerable people in Central Bedfordshire from huge increases in Council Tax.

Under changes proposed by the Independent Administration, those on the lowest incomes, including disabled people and carers, will be asked to pay more in Council Tax, with a couple in a Band C property facing a £532 bill. Previously, the poorest people in Central Bedfordshire received a 100% relief from Council Tax, now under the Independent-run Council’s proposals they would receive only 75%.

Citizens Advice services in Bedfordshire and local residents have spoken out against the proposals with 58% of respondents to the public consultation opposing the proposals.

The Lib Dem amendment recognises the difficult financial situation that the Council finds itself in as a result of a £17million cut to its budget by the Labour Government. The amendment suggests phasing the introduction of the planned tax relief reduction. Under Lib Dem plans, the poorest would receive 85% tax relief next year and 75% the year after.

Lib Dem Council Group Leader, Cllr Shaun Roberts, said: “The Independent-run Council proposals are grossly unfair and risk driving the poorest people into deeper poverty. This is a huge amount of money for the poorest and most vulnerable in our community to find. This massive hike is likely to see more people needing crisis support as they struggle to heat their homes and put food on the table.

“We recognise the dreadful hand the Labour Government has dealt Central Bedfordshire with its swindling cuts to funding but we can’t stand by and make the most vulnerable in our area suffer more, as the result of the Council’s challenging finances.”

12/02/2026

📣 No Council cuts to local Citizen Advice services

Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed the decision to reverse planned cuts to local Citizen Advice services from Central Bedfordshire Council.

Advice services from across Central Bedfordshire lobbied the Council and Councillors showcasing the vital work that they do to support local residents many of whom are vulnerable.

Under the previous draft budget proposals Citizens Advice in Central Bedfordshire were set to lose over £30,000. Thanks to the efforts of Citizens Advice, local residents and councillors these cuts are no longer included in the final draft budget published yesterday.

Citizens Advice provides an essential lifeline to residents across the local area. At a time when households are facing unprecedented cost-of-living pressures, from rising energy bills and housing costs to complex benefits and debt challenges, these services help the most vulnerable, particularly the digitally excluded, navigate incredibly difficult times.

As councillors, we have seen first hand the crucial support the staff and volunteers provide to people with nowhere else to turn and we are pleased to see these planned cuts shelved. We thank the staff and volunteers of these vital services for the support they offer to so many in our communities.

09/02/2026

New news about glass bottles and jars recycling.

Making recycling easier for you 💚

From Monday 30 March, you’ll be able to recycle glass bottles and jars through your dry mixed recycling collections and if you live in a flat, you’ll receive weekly food waste collections.

You asked for easier glass recycling and it’s happening!

It’s a small change with a big impact – easier recycling, better for our environment and everyone.

📆 Some collection days will change, and we’ll share information on this from mid-March.

Find out more on our website: centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/recycling

💚 Please share this post to help spread the word about the new easier recycling changes coming soon

01/01/2026

Don't forget you can recycle your Christmas Tree from next week

Our real Christmas tree recycling service will return this year, between 5-16 January 2026. Our collection crews will pick up real Christmas trees on your normal recycling collection day. Pop it next to your recycling bin and remember:
- To keep it free – no bags or sacks
- Do not include other garden waste
- Trees should be no taller than 6 feet (183cm) tall, with trunks no greater than 3 inches (8cm) in diameter
If you have a larger tree or miss the collection, you can also recycle your trees at your nearest tidy tip by booking a slot: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/304/household_waste_recycling_centres_tidy_tips

30/12/2025

We are delighted that Houghton Regis Councillor Susan Goodchild has been recognised with an MBE in the New Years Honours for her service to local residents.

Susan has served Houghton Regis with kindness, empathy and dedication as both a local councillor and community volunteer for many years.

Chair of Central Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats, Cllr Nigel Carnell said: “For as long as I have known her, every day she is at her desk first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

“Whether that is helping local people overcome the most challenging of circumstances or holding the council to account and striving for more for the people of Houghton Regis, nobody works harder for their local community.

“This is such a fitting accolade and one that is richly deserved for a true community champion.”

https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/people/new-year-honours-houghton-regis-councillor-luton-libraries-head-and-toddington-community-volunteer-recognised-in-5458171

05/12/2025

♻️Update on recycling collections from Central Beds Council♻️

All dry recycling collections (orange lid and green lid bins are temporarily paused until further notice.

This is due to circumstances beyond the council’s control.

The council has two contractors - one which collects your waste in bin lorries and another firm that treats this waste. The contractor who treats our recycling waste has suspended their service with almost no notice, allowing no time to make alternative arrangements. And the council can’t collect the waste if there is nowhere for it to go.

This is hugely frustrating for all of us, and we are working hard to try to resolve it as quickly as we can and minimise the impact on residents. Please bear with us.

The Central Beds website will have all the latest information and we will share further information here.

Please do also contact us on [email protected] if you need to.