Borough Cllr. Martin Towler provided his annual report to Milton Ernest Parish Annual meeting on 7th May 2025. The full meeting minutes can be found here. Cllr. Towler’s report can be read in full below.
Borough Councillor Martin Towler, Annual Report 2024 to 2025
- All things Universal
Bedford Borough has successfully secured a major international investment: Universal Destinations & Experiences will build Europe’s first Universal Studios theme park and resort at Kempston Hardwick. This multi-billion-pound development will create approximately 20,000 jobs during the construction phase and 8,000 permanent roles in tourism, hospitality, and the creative industries. Alongside the resort, the area will benefit from significant infrastructure improvements, including plans for a larger Wixams train station.
The project is the result of close collaboration between Bedford Borough Council, Universal’s global team, and various Government departments.
The development has received formal recognition from central Government. The Prime Minister has sent a letter of thanks to the Mayor and Council, highlighting Bedford’s critical role in securing this investment and encouraging continued partnership as the project progresses. Additionally, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed plans, in principle, to expand the Wixams station to four platforms, significantly enhancing transport links for the area.
Looking ahead, Bedford Borough Council is working to ensure that local people can benefit directly from the opportunities this project will create. Meetings are being arranged between Universal and local education providers, including sixth forms and Bedford College, to align training and courses with the skills Universal will require. Further business engagement sessions will also take place to help local enterprises prepare for growth alongside this development.
The Universal Studios resort is scheduled to open in 2031.
- Paddington Pub
Bedford Borough Council has formally agreed to surrender its leasehold interest in the Paddington property, located at 157 Midland Road, Bedford. The building, which had been leased in April 2022 prior to the local elections, was intended to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation for the Borough. However, subsequent detailed assessments revealed significant structural and fire safety issues that made the property unsuitable for occupation.
Initial surveys and fire risk assessments commissioned at the outset identified some required improvements, but further, more detailed inspections carried out in 2022 and 2024 exposed major safety concerns. These included serious issues with fire compartmentalisation, means of escape, ventilation, and drainage. As a result, the property was deemed unfit for use, and residents were relocated by early 2023. An intrusive survey later confirmed that parts of the building had not been constructed according to approved standards, necessitating extensive remedial works estimated at between £750,000 and £860,000.
Faced with high repair costs and ongoing financial liabilities associated with holding a vacant and unsafe property that would have cost an estimated £614,000, the Council negotiated lease surrender at a cost of £313,333 – approved on 4th April 2025 to minimise further financial exposure.
The surrender of the lease is funded through existing Council revenue budgets and removes a significant financial risk.
- Family Hubs
Changes are underway in Bedford Borough to better support children and families through the expansion and transformation of Family Hubs.
From April 2025, services that were previously delivered separately through Children’s Centres and other providers will come together under a single, more coordinated Family Hubs model.
These Family Hubs will offer easier access to a wide range of services – including parenting support, early years development, health advice, mental wellbeing, and community activities – all in one place or through digital and outreach support.
With seven main hubs and local ‘spokes’ across the borough, plus a dedicated web site, families will be able to get help close to home and when they need it most. These hubs will be located at Pine Cones, Queens Park, Eastcotts, Cherry Trees, Daisy Hill, and Bluebells (Bromham).
The changes reflect a focus on making services more efficient, effective, and accessible. The number of available services will be increased by 21% across the Borough.
During the summer term a brand new Family hub designed for young people and their families will be opened in the old Nat West building on Allhallows. This has been co designed with young people and will be a hub for teen aged children and their families.
- New SEND School
On 10th February 2025, Bedford Borough’s officially opened the new state-of-the-art SEND school in Kempston and welcomed its first 60 pupils.
The new school is located on the site of the former Robert Bruce Middle School on Hillgrounds Road. The Council stepped in to provide the £23m needed to construct the school after the Department for Education (DfE) failed to provide the initiative funding.
This ensured the project did not stall further, the DfE have also committed to reimbursing the Council for the cost of the school in April 2025.
- School Improvements
Bedford Borough Council has committed to improving educational outcomes across the Borough by investing £200,000 annually from 2024/2025 onwards to strengthen its School Improvement Team. This funding aims to raise standards across all key stages, from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5, including performance in SATs.
In addition, the Council continues to focus on supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite a 46% increase in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) over the past four years – totalling 2,080 – the Council has maintained strong performance, finalising 90% of EHCPs within the statutory 20-week timeframe, a rate well above both regional and national averages.
Historically, Bedford Borough has faced challenges in Key Stage 2 (KS2) performance, ranking among the lowest-performing local authorities for over a decade. In response, the Education Improvement Governance Group (EIGG) was established in 2022 to tackle underachievement in core subjects such as reading, writing, and maths. A new long-term education strategy has also been developed to drive sustained improvements.
As a result of these combined efforts, Bedford Borough has seen progress, moving out of the bottom five nationally for KS2 results and now ranking 135th out of 152 local authorities.
- Flood Reserve
Last year the Council’s Executive conducted a detailed review of the Council’s financial reserves to ensure they were not inappropriately allocated.
The review identified an opportunity to re-allocated £150,000 worth of reserves that were being held without a clear purpose. These resources were invested into a new £150,000 Flood Reserve, which will enable the Council’s flood team to work more efficiently, deploying funds rapidly wherever flash flooding occurs.
- Local Plan 2040
Recent changes to national planning policy have increased the pressure on councils, including Bedford Borough Council, to deliver significantly higher levels of housing. As part of the Government’s national target to build 1.5 million new homes, local authorities are now expected to contribute towards 370,000 homes annually. For Bedford Borough, this has resulted in an increase in the annual housing target from 970 to 1,202 home – an increase of nearly 25%.
The Borough’s current Local Plan 2040, which had been intended to refresh and replenish the Council’s land supply, was rejected twice by Planning Inspectors, most recently in November 2023, citing “fundamental concerns about the soundness of the Plan.” As a result of these rejections and the changes in national housing policy, Bedford Borough Council announced in early 2025 that it no longer has a five-year supply of housing land. Instead, it currently holds a 3½-year supply.
Without a five-year land supply, the Council’s ability to refuse planning applications on sites not identified in its Local Plan is reduced. Under the national “tilted balance” policy, greater weight is given to approving applications unless there are clear technical reasons for refusal, such as flood risks, highway impacts, or heritage concerns. This situation may particularly affect rural areas, which could face increased pressure for new development.
The Planning Inspector has granted an extension for the Council to continue working on improving the Local Plan. Addressing the Inspector’s concerns and revising the Local Plan 2040 is expected to cost an additional £1 million.
While the Council must meet new national housing requirements, efforts are being made to review and potentially challenge certain land allocations to ensure that future development aligns as closely as possible with local needs and priorities.
- Ending double taxation
Bedford Borough Council has confirmed that it will end the long-standing additional maintenance charge applied to residents in Kempston West and Great Denham. For many years, these residents were required to pay an extra £120 per year to cover the maintenance of Borough-owned land—an arrangement not applied elsewhere in the Borough.
Over time, this charge has amounted to approximately £2.2 million in additional payments from affected households. After a series of reviews and public discussions, the Council has decided to phase out the charge entirely, reducing it to zero by the 2025/26 budget.
Although the decision to end the charge faced three formal call-ins, the Council upheld its plan each time, and the policy will now be implemented as scheduled to ensure greater consistency and fairness across the Borough.
- Temporary Accommodation
Last year, Bedford Borough Council made a strategic investment in temporary accommodation by acquiring 31 self-contained apartments to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness. These properties provide safe, affordable, and supported living environments, reducing the Borough’s reliance on more expensive and less suitable options such as nightly or hotel stays.
This initiative is expected to generate annual savings of approximately £802,000, while also improving the quality and stability of temporary housing provision. Additionally, the Council may be eligible for a 40% discount on one of the property acquisitions through the Local Authority Housing Fund, subject to meeting the relevant criteria.
The investment forms part of a wider approach to improve housing support services and deliver more sustainable solutions to homelessness within the Borough.
- GP Update
Bedford Borough Council has taken a strategic step to improve local access to primary healthcare by establishing a Strategic Health Estates Board in 2023. This board is responsible for coordinating the delivery of new and improved GP surgeries in areas experiencing population growth and infrastructure pressure, including Kempston, Great Barford, Wixams, Wootton, and Biddenham.
To support this initiative, the Council has committed £9 million through its capital programme to accelerate progress on these schemes. Each project is at a different stage of planning and delivery:
- Great Barford: A new purpose-built GP surgery is proposed for Silver Street, replacing the current surgery in a converted bungalow. The total project cost is £3.43 million, with the business case for the project being approved by the Executive. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and complete by 2028.
- Kempston: Plans are progressing to create a multi-speciality community care centre by redeveloping the Halsey Road Police Station site. A feasibility review has reaffirmed this site as the most suitable option, and £2 million has been set aside for its potential acquisition. The project is currently moving toward an Outline Business Case.
- Wixams: Discussions are ongoing with the ICB, Central Bedfordshire Council, and local developers to deliver a healthcare facility in the new town centre. Funding through Section 106 agreements is being coordinated, and long-term plans are dependent on wider town centre infrastructure development.
- Wootton: A feasibility study has been completed for a new surgery, with the Bedford Commercial Park site identified as the preferred location. Discussions on funding are ongoing.
- Biddenham: The ICB is working with the developer to resolve viability concerns and hopes to begin construction later in 2025.
These projects are part of a wider plan to support population growth, address GP capacity issues, and modernise healthcare delivery across Bedford Borough. While delivery timelines vary and funding challenges remain, the Council continues to work with the NHS and development partners to bring these facilities forward.
- Free Parking
To encourage visitors to the Town Centre and assist the local economy, the Council has continued to provide free parking at Lurke Street Multi Storey Car Park for 4 hours every day.
This is running alongside the 4 hours free parking at Allhallows and the first 2 hours free at Queen Street Car Park.
- Customer Hub
The Council officially opened is Customer Hub this year which will serve as an in-person one stop shop for residents needing face to face assistance with Council Services.
The Council is able to offer a tailored service to residents who prefer face to face contact or are not comfortable with online forms of communication, ensuring all residents have equal access to the advice and services they need.
The opening hours for the Bedford Borough Customer Hub are:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9am-5pm
- Wednesday: 10am-5pm
- River Festival
The River Festival has been incredibly successful for the Council this financial year with the footfall over the weekend reaching approximately (429k), 63% higher than the weekend after (223k total for comparison) and 37% higher than the previous River Festival (312k total for comparison).
There has been lots of positive feedback on the cleanliness and variety of entertainment options at the festival which housed 140 acts/performances over the weekend and an enhanced cleaning regime which had 93 fantastic volunteers and collected 25.86 tonnes of waste.
In particular, there were a lot of positive comments given to Officers/Councillors or given directly to the Mayor on the family friendly additions this year. These changes included:
- An all-new family island at St. Mary’s Gardens
- Green Earth Village on Castle Mound
- Schools being invited to play/sing on the community stages.
The festival generated an estimated £6 million for the local economy.
- Investment in the Corn Exchange and Town Centre Regeneration
Bedford Borough Council has approved a £2.5 million investment to refurbish the Corn Exchange, one of the town’s key cultural venues. This work forms part of a wider programme aimed at revitalising the town centre and supporting Bedford’s economic and cultural growth.
The refurbishment, scheduled from early 2026 to March 2027, will include full interior redecoration, upgrades to the Harpur Suite and Howard Room, installation of modern acoustic and sound systems, and improvements to toilets and flooring. These enhancements aim to modernise the venue, support a wider range of events and performances, and improve the visitor experience.
This cultural investment complements other recent developments in the town centre, including a £750,000 retail investment by Europe’s largest shoe retailer, Deichmann, which is opening a new store in the former Next building.
Together with ongoing projects such as the proposed Universal Studios development, these investments reflect Bedford’s growing profile as a regional destination for culture, leisure, and business.
- Commercial Services
Bedford Borough Council has launched a new commercial food waste collection service to help local businesses comply with Simpler Recycling legislation. Starting in March 2025, the service enables businesses to separate food waste from general waste, supporting environmental sustainability.
Collected food waste will be processed at a local anaerobic digestion plant, generating green energy for the National Grid and producing organic fertiliser. This service helps reduce landfill use and carbon emissions, while offering businesses a more cost-effective waste solution.
Councillor Martin Towler, Bedford Borough Council