Cllr Notebook: North, South, East, West and Central

Preamble: Heathrow announcement expected today - but what new rails will link Old Oak Common with Heathrow I wonder and what of the southern approaches?

If Government said to NR "a rolling programme of line reopenings please" NR could easily respond "we're struggling to maintain the status quo and renew Victorian assets" but does Government then look for another agency or is it lumbered with Scotland "yes", England "no"?

DfT have told us they have 2 groups they deal with, Railfuture and Campaign for Better Transport (CBT). Thus all others are largely disenfranchised in access and listening terms. We are affiliated to Railfuture, but they don't support Northampton-Bedford.

Now we learn of a fresh attempt to construct a bypass between Turvey and Lavendon (whether it will go west of A509 is unclear nor whether it heralds an Olney bypass too). However brownfield land will be created for housing, but where will it end up? Bedford Midland is going to need a lot more car parking and Oakley would put stress on Oakley and it's small river bridge. Any answers?

North: If an A428 bypass of Turvey and Lavendon linking to the A509 at some point is on the cards, the solution of more brownfield land for housing has to be weighed with where will the resultant traffic go? The same plan for all approaches to Bedford, has the same results and same question at the heart. Land used for parking cannot be used for housing or job creation. Traditional town centres are closely compacted and so bung up with volume-capacity congestion, bypass or none. I accept we cannot resist change, the world is moving apace whether we like it or not. However we should aim for balance and realise that many of these residents will want to commute to London for work and the kind of salary that pays the mortgage and send the children to Harpur Trust sort of schooling. We need a new extension of Thameslink to Northampton which would provide end to end commuting journey's of 35 minutes and with a Park and Ride Station at the Olney sort of area (half way), would mean contra commute drive times and a seat and help reduce the drive into Bedford and demand for parking/land use. Pricing people out won't send them elsewhere as elsewhere beit Luton, Milton Keynes or Northampton suffers from the same issues. What we need is Council to be willing to work with us to help take this matter forward. What it needs is elected champions willing to liaise and inform a team of able people. Cross-reference studies have already shown the Luton Airport/Luton-Bedford-Northampton (M1 end to end parallel) has promising credentials worthy of further study. Any new bypass must provide clear overhead bridges where it arcs the old trackbed and ideally the railway would be pursued in it's own right. So we have Oxford-Bedford, Bedford-Sandy-Cambridge and Bedford-Northampton. They all interface at Bedford. That is why we need to think a new track layout design and ensure proper on and off rail capacity is built into new designs for Bedford Midland Station. 

The proposal to make the 41 bus link between the two towns even longer duration (it is over 1 hour to do 20 miles, the kink into Olney picks up but 2-3 people per time and over 15 miles of derv is spent and 20 minutes duration) when we should be seeking an upgraded X4 equivalent 'Gold' service linking Luton Airport-Luton-Bedford-Northampton as one integrated half hourly fast service. Grant Palmer sort of circulars are what Biddenham and Bromham need if they want more frequency on Bedford bound services, the 41 should attend the main road and not deviate. The footfall and spend lost between our towns for an unreliable service (quite a few breakdowns this summer), the service is overall well used and would do even better if it was end to end less journey time in the saddle. As it is, a loop bus around Bromham and back, could ensure main road and villagers get the same services, not taking from Peter to spoil Paul. I'm no fan of Grant Palmer btw, I see their buses apart from Harrold, have often 2-3 people on them and the bus stop outside the new Theatre in St Peter's Street should be reopened as a bus calling stop for people to access them going out of the town, as if you are in the High Street, to walk to the front of the bus station for an infrequent No. 7 bus, is akin to walking the lion's share home! Buses to Woodlands and Keysoe and Renhold need to call at this stop, it needs a timetable inserting and made something of for people to use it. Fancy an afternoon out in Kimbolton? We have just the ticket! That's the kind of marketing we'd like to see, ditto the new No. 11 bus service means 3 per hour linking Bedford Bus Station and Bedford Midland, yet publicity has been lack-lustre. A shelter coming into Bedford down Ashburnham Road would make the bus stop more noticeable and maybe encourage people to wait and use the bus. The UNO buses could do a circular tour of Bedford - at least via Foster Hill Road, Turner Way, Gainsborough Rise and back via Robinson Pool/De Pary's to make more of their distributor roles. Likewise getting a bus to Kempston is fine, you have the No. 1, the 53 and Uno, but as they are at triangulated locations around the bus station and leave within a few minutes of each other, mis one and by the time you've walked round, missed the lot. Horses for courses I know, but does this illustrate good planning?

South: We need the cycle network to join up and connect directly strategic places. Do a list including the hospital and explore how well the cycle lanes and paths get you to and from it radially? Gaps at junctions, drop down kerbs for 'pedestrians only' pushing cyclists to dangerous roads and offering no protection at critical places seems retrograde. Top of St John's Station stairs Ampthill Road-Kingsway-Rope Walk-Across Cardington Road to the Embankment cycle network and Sustrans, the cycle path by the hospital stops short at Victoria Road, leaving a significant gap. Likewise Pilgrims Way-pavement on north side of Mile Road links to Jubilee Park eventually, should be pedestrian-cycle share, it is undelineated at best, hostile to cycles at worst.

East-West: I'm gutted at the following:

1. No one liaises with me or the association I represent from Borough Hall. Have asked, have sent email, but nil response. Please can someone tell me why or help resolve it amicably?

2. Gutted that 2025 and 2030's for Oxford-Bedford and Bedford-Cambridge respectively. These dates need to be brought forward. The rail link offers to deliver footfall and spend minus the cars and parking - land use mayhem conundrum. we need these rail links now. I'm happy to support from behind, but can't if shut out.

3. Network Rail is as good as cynical by saying 2030's for Bedford -Cambridge. This with no route recovery/protection strategy means with development - Potton new houses going in - the route/s will be lost interim (18 years). So we need to get Government to make them think again and be delivering the rail link even if a 'one man and his dog' team, that is better than dormancy.

Central: Now we have the bypass people need to be directed to use it. I note that many vehicles still use the Box End Road-Bromham-Oakley Bridge-A6 rat run than the extra mile via the new bypass A428-A6 link road. Surely by making Oakley Bridge one way contra flow, it would force these drivers to use the bypass and free the villages of congestion and hazards? Likewise I note that whilst Clapham Road-Bromham Road seems to have shifted, the bypass is clogging up at the Sainsbury's area of Clapham Road and some are suggesting more roads as a solution! If they mean Roxton-Riseley 'northern bypass/A421-A6) that would link further north and have to be tied in with the Twinwoods development surely? Will people not be tempted to save derv and drive via Brickhill Drive, Putnoe Lane and Wentworth Drive? Likewise I note that the Kempston Road and Ampthill Road and Prebend Street are congested still, the bypass has not lured them out of these artery's. Queen's Park should not be assumed to be a dumping ground for station overflow parking. Residents could have a dash board bar code to display when they park outside their homes to be exempt and then CPZ the whole area. That would bring kerb encroachment to book (hazards for pedestrians) and ensure that car parking on street returns some money to the Council for mending the kerbsides and pavements which kerbside parking damages prematurely across the whole town.

St Michael's Road and some real opposition: We desperately need a one way system for our street. Turn into St Michael's from Kimbolton Road, and head north and out via St George's and St Augustines. St Andrews don't have to be involved if they don't want, but should not dictate to us. We often get stand offs between 2-3 cars heading against each other and can't or won't reverse. Both sides of the street are parked and during the day commuters, schools and park events people use the Saints as a free-for-all and local residents can't get in. Again, often white man van parks on the kerbside making for a hazard - CPZ would nip it in the bud and again, not beyond wit for a bar code on the dashboard to exempt local residents from having to pay (main objection) but visitors should. Have asked for 20 years, fallen on can't-won't ears - we need an opposition candidate who will flag it up and for anywhere else that wants to have security checking of their street and get dumping of vehicles moved on. Our area has Budgens which does a lot of snack sort of food, but we have no take-away proper between Castle

 Road and Tavistock Street. Poorer people don't drive but do eat take-aways. Could a Fish and Chip Van akin to the one at The Spinney at Biddenham on Tuesdays provide a service at the layby between Pemberley and St Michael's? Yes new litter bins needed for there and Silver Street near Trevor Huddleston area - nothing currenly and if fined for dropping litter - chicken and egg scenario - provide bins and people may use them.

Big Picture: 

1. Pedestrianisation of the High Street: You could start with closing off the north of Mill Street section to 'delivery access only' and cycles with a contra flow cycle strip as well. Silver Street has prospered under Pedestrianisation, that's the ticket for the High Street too. Make Mill Street one-way towards Debenhams and cut the High Street-Mill Street left turn which catches pedestrians by surprise. Otherwise I fear all the paint in the world is just infill jobs and a  waste without the pedestrianisation which would mean people free of smoke, free of vehicle hazards and able to be entertained, shop, relate and live in amenable environments in our town centre (properties above shops and in St Peters next to Pizzaland could all help cut the housing crisis for want of a change of use. No 8 Olney Road, Lavendon is being reconverted to a dwelling - I flagged it up here about 10 years ago and since. Still 4 2 up, 2 downs on the A422 opposite Astwood)

2. Pedestrianise Midland Road West or make one way vehicles and bus and cycle lane coming into the town. Plant a few trees, widen the pavement, put a few 'Pidgeon Square benches' along it. Currently it has congestion, fumes and a bomb site (former Stannads - which could be made a children's play area for mums and toddlers - same for Linden Road Tennis courts?).   

3. Close Town Bridge except for buses and cycles and create a single carriage drive-over out of Embankment into St Paul's Square. Ideally have Greyfriars going north for traffic only. 

4. Batts Ford Bridge should only be for cyclists, pedestrians and buses to give them an advantage and make usage more appealing. Alas, how it would fit with Bedford College, Borough Hall and Salvation Army remains a mystery to me.

In short, we've got the bypass but people, are waiting to see the reforms of our internal roads to move towards a more pedestrianised place. Otherwise out of town will continue to drain the town centre of trade and again, the railways could rebalance this as well as that station on the Bedford-Bletchley line with footbridge to serve Kempston Town and cycle network as well as the Retail Park access options and arc between it and the town via Midland Road. Chicken and egg: Prebend Street has no buses, it is congestion all of daylight hour. Make UNO buses or another run via it and Midland Road to Bedford Bus Station and/or via Bedford Midland Station-Bromham Road (new stop outside Wyvern House)-Bromham Road-Bus Station (loop) and see whether the traffic abates. When the 100 and 101 went that way the traffic was not so bad, only after the buses were withdrawn did it close the way it is now. Point being Midland Road could be boosted with direct Kempston buses and boosted footfall and spend could fit into the vision above. Should be happening now, this is the 21st century!