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We won! 2021 ESTATE AGENT IN BEDFORD
BEDFORD BOROUGH EDITION
PETITION SEEMS TO WORK!
THE lack of road crossings in Wixams is due to decisions made by the former county council and is not down to Bedford Borough planners, a campaigner was told. by John Guinn In January, an 11-year-old girl was hit by a car Local Democracy Reporter travelling on Brooklands Avenue, in Wixams. In a petition to Bedford Borough Council, the girl’s mother said fortunately the car wasn’t speeding and the driver was paying attention.
Leon Staszak, from the Wixams Community Group, presented the petition asking the council to install crossings to improve the safety for pedestrians and to help slow down the traffic to the full council meeting on Wednesday, March 16. “For years now, worried parents have been expressing safety concerns or have commented that their child was nearly hit by a car on the way to school,” he said. “Former members of the Wixams Parish Council even highlighted concerns about building the schools in 2017 without a crossing in place. “Yet so far, no crossings have been installed near any of the schools to protect those children. “We currently only have one crossing in Wixams, which is on Bedford Road and it was installed only a year ago. “It’s definitely an important location for a safe crossing point, but there are other areas which should have been prioritised, particularly near to the schools” he said.
Mr Staszak said the Wixams Parish Council recently voted to fund crossing feasibility studies at four locations across the parish. But as costs for a crossing start at around £45,000 it can’t afford to pay for them. “The petitioners are therefore demanding that this council work directly with the parish council and the wider community to determine where crossings are needed and allocate the relatively low funding to pay for them, “ he said. Cllr Charles Royden (LibDems, Brickhill Ward), the portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, said: “I’m very sorry to hear of the lead petitioner’s daughter being involved in an accident. “I was pleased to hear that she suffered only bruises, nothing worse, but desperately sorry that a child has been hurt because that is something that we are desperately keen to avoid. “The petitioners have called for action from the borough council, and I believe they will see that we are taking action to keep residents safe. “Firstly, I have asked officers to introduce a 20 mile an hour speed limit on Brooklands Road that will be introduced as part of our 2022 program of works. I’ve also asked for a weight limit to be placed on Brooklands Road. “Secondly, we will be introducing a new zebra crossing on Fisherwood Road to complete a safe walking route from the retirement village into Village One. “Turning to the road, Green Lane, outside the schools. The council’s hands are somewhat tied because the developers have not yet given this section of road to us for adoption. STYLES “Therefore, we don’t have a FOR legal right to install any crossings MEN & on this section of road at this time. WOMEN Cllr Royden then added his frustration that the original design for the roads in Wixams failed to include safe pedestrian crossings. He said: “Those designs date from the mid-2000s and were agreed by the Highway Authority at the time, which was the former Conservative run County Council.”
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Cllr Coombes said: “Wixams Parish Council and I have repeatedly stated an urgent need to address road safety around Wixams. “The growing amount of traffic, in and around Wixams, including the seemingly relentless procession of HGVs, has turned the simple act of crossing the road into a dangerous feat of endurance.”
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APRIL 2022
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Closing in on £1 million target The Trustees of Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the public and local grant awarding bodies and particularly by the donation from the Bedfordshire Charitable Trust in memory of Clifton Ibbett OBE taking them very close to our £1million pound target. The initial appeal was to help create a dedicated and much enlarged Paediatric A&E department and to install a state-of-the-art CT scanner within the main A&E Department. As the appeal progressed, the A&E staff also mentioned other areas that would significantly improve the emergency services that would benefit all who suddenly find themselves needing their urgent care.
There are several fundraising initiatives that the public are arranging on behalf of the Appeal, for which they are very grateful. In addition, funds are being raised from events organised in Bedford Borough that will be match funded by The Harpur Trust. The appeal is being extended to enable the purchase of a dedicated A&E ultrasound scanner, refurbishment of the family room within A&E and to upgrade dedicated training facilities for onsite and remote learning for Emergency Department staff. It is anticipated that the original target of £1million will be reached in the next few weeks but fund raising will continue over and above this amount. They expect to conclude the appeal this summer in mid-July.