Houghton Regis News Desk

Following a recent spate of burglaries in Houghton Regis and the Parkside area in particular the local police would like to bring to residents’ attention some suggestions on how to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of this crime.

Burglars are less likely to target homes that are occupied so making sure your property looks and feels like someone is home can be all that is needed to keep your belongs safe.

Simple crime prevention measures really can make all the difference such as leaving the lights on in main living areas and rooms and keeping a radio switched on and tuned in to a talk radio station. Thieves are essentially lazy opportunists, and if they have to make a lot of noise, spend a lot of time, or risk being seen, they are unlikely to bother.

Make sure YOU follow our annual advice to make YOUR home secure and help Bedfordshire Police continue to reduce the number of burglaries this winter.

·         Use your lights – keep them on a timer. Make sure they are switched on early…

Another popular young driver training course will take place on Sunday 17th March at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Central Bedfordshire with 96 places available. The courses are free to attend for 16 to 24-year-olds living in Central Bedfordshire and Luton. All participants must complete an application form prior to attending. To request an application from or for more information on either MORE 16 or MORE Drive, email roadsafety@amey.co.uk.

Location: Millbrook Proving Ground, Station Lane  Bedford MK45 2JQ (click for map)
http://www.millbrook.co.uk/Page/Home
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180 people will be allowed to attend a meeting on Thursday this week which will decide on the recommended sites to be allocated for gypsy, traveller, and showpersons sites in Central Bedfordshire. And any comments on the 32 sites being put forward must be in today.

In a letter to members and parish councils, a spokesman for Central Bedfordshire Council said: "Should we experience a greater number of residents wishing to attend than this we will unfortunately not be able to accommodate them."

In the current round of proposed sites, three sites were available for consideration around Houghton Regis. One at Thorn Turn, near the sewage works was considered, but was dismissed by officers as being unsuitable. Another site at Blue Waters, near Plaiters Way, was dismissed by officers because it was the Blue Waters managed woodland. The third site is a private site that would be privately managed, and that is situated in Bidwell off Bedford Road between the Thorn Road and  the Red Lion…

After much deliberation the Town Council has set its budget and precept for 2013/14. To cover expenditure the precept has been set at £760,000 an increase of £35.31 on a Band D property or 25.2% which equates to 67p per week.

After taking into account the Council Tax “harmonisation” by Central Bedfordshire Council, and small increases into the Police and Fire Authority precepts, it is anticipated that the overall additional amount payable per week will be around 40p.

The budget setting process has been particularly difficult this year due to the Welfare Reforms and consequent alterations to town council funding. Councillors have had to balance many conflicting issues, not least of which was the uncertainty over funding sources for 2014/15 in order to set the budget so that services to our community could be maintained.

Included in this budget is provision for the following:-
• Community services to support residents and the voluntary and community sector
• Cleaning and maintenance of the p…

A5120 Bedford Road in Houghton Regis is closed this afternoon in both directions because of a serious accident involving an overturned car. Motorists are being urged to avoid the area. The closure is between the Thorn Road junction and the Red Lion pub entrance, just after Roslyn Way. Access to the pub is permitted via Bedford Road.

On our Facebook Page, Barry Finn-Hurst wrote that [he] "was assisting off duty paramedic at the scene before arrival of emergency services.There were two people injured.  The driver was thrown from the car by the impact with the telegraph/power pole. The passenger was a "walking injured". The car impacted with the base of the telegraph pole completely severing the bottom 3 ft of the pole from the remainder, which was suspended by a diagonal support and held in place purely by the power wires connected to adjacent pole."

Two ambulances, two paramedic vehicles six police cars and a fire engine are reported to have attended the scene.


A colli…

Houghton Regis Town Council have issued a Gypsy and Traveller Development Briefing Note

VIEW DOCUMENT

Previously...
FEBRUARY 2013
Bidwell Scores Highly As A Potential G&T Site
Two Weeks to Go To Find Out Which Gypsy and Travel...

JANUARY 2013
Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan
Gypsy and Traveller Sites Consultation Later This ...

2012
Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan

Is the price of fuel in the UK harming your budget?

Council working hard on streetlight repair programme

Central Bedfordshire Council is working hard to replace streetlights across the area with new, more efficient and longer-lasting lights.

The lights, which are designed to improve visibility, are being introduced across Central Bedfordshire in an annual programme of replacement works.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Services, said: “It is great news that the lights we’re now installing are much more efficient and should help improve visibility in areas that need it. The problem lies in the fact that the old lanterns – which have a more orange colour to them – are quite old and are failing at a faster rate than we anticipated.

“This does mean that sometimes there is a slightly longer wait until the light is fixed or replaced. Basic repairs are taking around 10 days, but full replacement of the lights depends very much on where others have failed and it is sometimes taking around 20 days. We’re very sorry ab…

An old building on the High Street, opposite Houghton Regis' Morrisons store currently appears to be being destroyed. These pictures were taken this afternoon. The roof is already off, and there is a considerable amount of rubble inside the building.





The building is not listed and is located outside the Houghton Regis Conservation area, but it is recognised as a Building of Local Importance with no statutory protection.

An application to demolish the building, and replace it with flats was made last year, (CB/12/03259 - 74 76 High Street Houghton Regis Dunstable LU5 5BJ) but the application was turned down by Central Bedfordshire Council planning department on 4th December 2012, primarily on issues to do with traffic.

One objector to the original planning application wrote, "How can change of use now mean demolition? Houghton Regis has lost too many of its historical buildings. Please restore this building instead of destroying it."

Houghton Regis Town Council objected to …

Three way traffic lights were in use today during "off-peak" works at the Bedford Road/ High Street junction in Houghton Regis, causing long tail backs. 17 weeks of off-peak works have been scheduled.

Help shape the way our towns, villages and communities develop over the next 20 years. Have Your Say.

Local residents and businesses have one last day to comment on a Development Strategy document before it is submitted to the Secretary of State in May. It will then be passed to an independent Planning Inspector for consideration and could be adopted in February 2014.

The draft Development Strategy, sets out how the Central Bedfordshire Council will deliver 28,700 new homes, 27,000 new jobs and the supporting infrastructure to meet demand across Central Bedfordshire to 2031. It received unanimous support from full Council on 29th November, last year.

Cllr Nigel Young, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Strategic Planning and Economic Development urged that the area must move with the times to assure a successful future.

"This is a really exciting time for Central Bedfordshire, with key projects and proposals emerging that will bring major economic benefits and regen…

A private site at Bidwell, Houghton Regis, offered to Central Bedfordshire Council as a potential Gypsy and Traveller site, has scored well in terms of its suitability for a site. Only one other site in the study scored more highly, while one other site scored equal. All other sites in the study scored less.

Central Bedfordshire Council have a statutory duty to identify gypsy and traveller sites. The Council is currently deliberating over 36 sites and have identified a need for 158 pitches to be spread among a number of different locations throughout Central Bedfordshire. 

The report to go before the Sustainable Communities Committee on February 28th has this conclusion to make about the Bidwell site:
"The site would impact negatively on the landscape and is located within the Green Belt. There is potential for archaeological remains to be found on site and there maybe a negative impact on biodiversity. Development of this site could encourage healthier lifestyles and the use of sus…

The whole length of Poynters Road is due to be resurfaced sometime between June and August according to the street works co-ordinator today (*12/2/2013) 

Off-peak works are due from now until the end of April in the Houghton Regis High Street area; this is inevitably going to cause major delays to traffic flow.

Further work to resurface the whole of Windsor Drive, Houghton Regis is planned to be completed before the end of July. 
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More local roadworks mapped out ...

Readers may have heard that ONE site close to Houghton Regis, in Bidwell, is being considered by Central Bedfordshire Council for a Gypsy and Traveller site. The location is some private land offered to the Council for that purpose.

The Council, by law, has to have a certain number of pitches available for travellers. Without specifying where these are the Council could find itself in a difficult place should illegal encampments be made. Until permanent sites are available encroachments, like the one on Tithe Farm Recreation Ground last year, will continue to happen.

The councillors on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been visiting some 35 sites across the Central Bedfordshire area to examine their individual suitability. They have had to remain fairly impartial to public comment during this time, but on 28th February they will be reporting back and revealing their findings. It is thought that only half of the sites may actually be required. They will recommend to the Executi…

A5065 Skimpot Road, Luton, Luton
Works Start: 11 Feb
End: 13 Feb

High impact, delays likely
Location : between Kiln Way and Hatters Way roundabout...
Description : Work to lay busway's concrete beams on bridge. Overnight closures from 22:00 and reopening 05:00 the following morning.
Current status: Advanced planning
Traffic lights, etc: Road closure
Queries should be addressed to Luton Borough Council quoting reference JA012G-LIVE-00256151

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Don’t break your heart, brake your speed

This Valentine’s Day, local Councils and Road Policing Units are joining forces to ask drivers to brake their speed, rather than breaking hearts.

The new road safety campaign, called ‘How fast can you stop?’ is backed by Chloe Sims from The Only Way is Essex and actor Matthew Wolfenden from Emmerdale.

The campaign kicks off during the month of love and focuses on raising 17 to 24 year olds approach to speed awareness. It centres on a short film which shows how different people react to cars unexpectedly braking and how this affects their ability to perform an emergency stop. Both celebrities travelled at speeds of 30mph, 35mph and 60mph to show the impact speed had on their braking distances.

Matthew Wolfenden, said: “I think the skill is definitely in your personal reactions to what is happening on the road, because there is no skill in driving fast. Anyone can drive fast - you stick the pedal to the floor and go. The skill is in stopping and …

A list of the HMV stores facing closure as part of the administration process being handled by Deloitte has been published. Luton is included. More...

View the plans for the High Street work, Houghton Regis

View the Letter sent to nearby residents

View all the associated works plans

The second phase of works for the Section 278 scheme on High Street, Houghton Regis is expected to begin again on Monday 11th February.

The works will necessitate the use of two and three way lights periodically where necessary for the duration of the works. The lights will be off peak only this time but they will be in operation daily until the end of April followed by night time closures for final resurfacing.

Recommended during this time that you avoid using Houghton Regis as a through route as there is likelihood of considerable delays. hrnd

It was brass monkey weather down at Bedford Road, Houghton Regis this afternoon as two well matched teams tussled it out for possession in the centre of the field. Sudden breakaways by both teams earned them points. The final score gave the home side victory.





Pictures: © A D Winter hrnd

SOS BUS LUTON are looking for new volunteers to come forward and join them.

They operate in Luton Town centre on Friday and Saturdays between 21:00-04:00 each week. Whether you wish to work on the bus, or train to be a taxi marshall, or even drive either vehicle, please pop down and see them for a friendly chat and a tea or coffee.

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Houghton Regis Lower School will be holding a Jumble Sale this Saturday 2nd February 2013 between 10am-11.30am. Come along a grab a bargain.

St Michaels Avenue, Houghton Regis, Beds, LU5 5DH