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Four people arrested after cannabis factory found in Leighton Buzzard

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Four people have been arrested and £200,000 worth of cannabis plants seized after a large scale factory was found in Leighton Buzzard. The Central Bedfordshire Community Policing team executed a warrant on Friday (26 February) at an industrial unit in Grovebury Road and arrested four people on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis. Officers found four rooms full of cannabis plants over five feet tall and worth an estimated street value of £200,000. Community officers worked closely with our Crime Investigation Team to develop intelligence and disrupt the professional operation, following concerns from local residents.   Two men in their 20s, a man in his 30s and a man in his 40s were taken into police custody for questioning and have since been released under investigation. Chief Inspector Lee Haines, from the Central Community team, said: “It can be easy to think that a Class B drug like cannabis has little impact on a community. However, drugs, no matter what type, can have a deva
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Labour's Hopes for Spending on Adult Play Equipment Dashed

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Earlier - CBC Decide Your Council Tax 2021/22 At last week's Central Bedfordshire Council meeting, Parkside's Labour councillor Antonia Ryan put forward an amendment seeking expenditure on adult playground equipment. Council - Thursday, 25th February 2021 at 6:30pm - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting Cllr Ryan told the meeting, “Nothing ever happens here, we are the forgotten town, the council never do what they promise”. This is an example of the comments I hear regularly. I am here today to speak on the amendment to the budget of £100k to be taken out of Houghton Regis’ contribution to the New Homes Bonus, which sits unused in reserves. Houghton Regis is the most deprived area in Central Bedfordshire with Parkside having 34% of children living in poverty AND life expectancy significantly lower in comparison to our neighbours.  “In the last 4 years we were promised, £125 million for the Legacy Project with top football players, a housing infrastru
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Give your views on changes to the Highway Code

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Highways England has today (1 March) launched a review of the Highway Code to improve road safety on motorways and high-speed roads. The consultation will run for four weeks and closes at 23:59 on 29 March 2021. What’s happening? The Highway Code is regularly updated to improve safety for all road users. Highways England is asking for your views on updated safety information for high-speed dual carriageways and motorways. Proposed changes include updating information on the use of variable speed limits to manage congestion, the use of red X signs to close lanes, and what to do in the event of a breakdown. Sample changes: Give your views You can read full details of the proposed updates, and give your views, on  GOV.UK .  If you have news for Houghton Regis, please send it in
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CBC Has Decided Your Council Tax 2021/22

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Central Bedfordshire’s Council has agreed its annual budget, which confirms a range of service investments, infrastructure projects and efficiency measures for the financial year ahead. Council - Thursday, 25th February 2021 at 6:30pm - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting Report by  Alan Winter The CBC budget for 2021/22 includes the application of an Adult Social Care Precept , which will see a 3% increase in Council Tax specifically to fund adult care services and a general increase of 1.95% to contribute towards funding CBC's other pressures, for example in Children’s Services. In recommending the budget proposals to the meeting of the full Council, the Executive Member for Corporate Resources, Cllr David Shelvey, explained, “The increase in council tax is not a decision we take lightly but even with the £10.7million of efficiencies planned for next year we still have a large gap in funding that otherwise could have resulted in service cuts. “We must protect our ser
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Bidwell Plan for Chalet Bungalows

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Approximate application site off Bedford Rd. (Map - Google) A 'behind the houses' plot of land has again been proposed for building work. Access to the site would be via a new road opposite the Red Lion in Bedford Road, Houghton Regis. Outline planning permission is being sought for the erection of 5 Chalet Style bungalows. The bungalows are mostly semi-detached with one unit to the far end of the site being detached. All units have private amenity space and parking, as shown on the layout plans. New landscaping is proposed within the site as demonstrated on the submitted landscaping plans. The proposal will provide a safe and attractive environment for future occupiers. The site, as with the rest of the Houghton Regis North Area, is within Green Belt, but this is due to be rolled back to the line of the A5 dual carriageway. The Design and Access statement concludes, “The proposal for Chalet style bungalows sits harmoniously within the surroundings and consideration has bee
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PM's Roadmap: Step Two for Zoo & Library Reopening

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The Prime Minister has set out on 22 February his roadmap for reopening businesses in the UK. Step One The Prime Minister  told the House of Commons , “Step one will happen  from 8 March  ... pupils and students in all  schools and further education  settings can safely return to  face-to-face teaching , supported by twice-weekly testing of secondary school and college pupils ... people will also be able to  meet one person from outside their household for outdoor recreation ... we are advising the  clinically extremely vulnerable to shield at least until the end of March . “...  on 29 March , ... it will become possible to  meet in limited numbers outdoors ... so the  rule of six  will return outdoors, including in private gardens, and outdoor meetings of two households will also be permitted ...  Outdoor sports facilities , such as tennis and basketball courts and open-air swimming pools, will be able to reopen, and formally  organised outdoor sports will resume , subject to guidance
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