Houghton Regis News Desk

At a meeting in Houghton Regis this afternoon, plans were unveiled for a £150m redevelopment of the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital. The whole site will look and feel different for everyone. There are elements of enabling work, such as the design of a new one stop urology service in the old linen room. Some major expansion and refurbishment, such as the Emergency Department. Also planned is some new build. Among the first things to happen would be the building of a new office block to enable staff to move out of one area so that another area can be redeveloped. A new building will be erected across 5 floors to support acute services. Envisaged are a  Ground Floor offering a delivery suite and triage to support a 7,000 birth site. First floor - Neonatal Unit to support up to 46 babies who require life saving care and treatment. Second Floor - Critical care to support 30 patients who require life saving monitoring and intervention Third Floor - Support Flow housing a ne

The DEC has launched an appeal for the people affected by the Nepal earthquake. At 11.41am local time on 25th April 2015 a massive earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck in Nepal. As it ripped through large parts of Nepal, it toppled office blocks and towers in Kathmandu and triggered a deadly avalanche that hit Everest base camp. Over 5,000 people have been reported dead, and numbers are rising, making it the worst earthquake in the country in more than 80 years. Tanya Barron, Trustee of the DEC, just sent me this message from outside Kathmandu: "This is just awful. There are thousands and thousands out in the streets and fields with nowhere to go. Our immediate priority is to support children's most basic needs - shelter, water, health care and essential child protection." DEC member agencies are already on the ground, and we urgently need your help to reach as many affected people as possible. Please DONATE NOW . The situation is critical and the people of Nepa

"Can you help? I’m based at the Education Faculty at Cambridge University researching the educational experiences of former Luton Vauxhall workers and their families. My research is looking at how educational experience has changed across generations of the same family. The research is related to an older study with Luton Vauxhall workers in the 1960s called the Affluent Worker. If you are interested in taking part in the research, which will involve one to one interviews to discuss your and your children's experience of school, please contact Lucy Howson on 07740 425494 Or LucyHowson1@gmail.com"

The Central Bedfordshire Council Just Ask team will be in Houghton Regis on Friday, 1 May, to provide residents with help and guidance about social care, health and housing issues. Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire is hosting this year’s events in partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council, Aragon Housing and their residents group ROAR, plus members of the Older People's Reference Group. Based on the RAVE bus (Rural Area Vehicle for Education) a mobile educational outreach resource, the Just Ask project is all about taking advice and support to the heart of local communities. The team will be at Morrison’s car park from 9am to 1.30pm. During the first event in Biggleswade, following the eclipse, the sun shone and 127 people visited the bus to receive information and advice about health, social care and housing. Julie Ogley Director of Social Care, Health and Housing at the council, said: “It is a great opportunity to take advantage of where you will be able to receive val

The local council wants to encourage more people to compost their household waste. They are suggesting that more than a third of your household waste can be composted, leaving more space in your black bin.  Composted material helps to recycle the nutrients that make plants grow. It feeds the worms that keep soil healthy, and is very low cost to do.  With national Compost Awareness Week taking place on 4-10 May, now is the perfect time to get started. Through the council, Central Bedfordshire residents can buy home compost bins at a subsidised price of £13 for a 220-litre bin or £15 for a 330-litre bin . Ian McMurdy, Waste Awareness Officer for Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “More than a third of household waste is made up of organic material that can be composted at home. Grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and even egg shells are all ideal for composting.  “Recycling this waste in your home compost bin will not only help break it down in an e

From the 13th April 2015. As a result of an extensive project into the bus network across Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis Arriva made changes to bus services across the conurbation in April. A summary of the Arriva changes which affect Houghton Regis are listed below. Route 38 between Houghton Regis Dog & Duck to all stops to Luton was discontinued.  Passengers should now use Busway Routes A or Z.  A replacement 38 and 38D service is operated by Arriva as a contract to Central Bedfordshires Council linking Houghton Regis , Houghton Road, Salters Way and Dunstable (Asda). This will operate Mondays to Saturdays (not evenings). A circuitous route around Parkside, Tithe Farm, Houghton Road, High Street North, Dunstable Ashton Square and back again. Only the 38D calls at Dog & Duck. Only the 38 calls at Salters Way.  http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/south-east/services/38-38D/ Route 39 linking Parkside Dog & Duck, L & D Hospital, Luton was withdrawn . Pa

Nevil Food & Wine have a premises  licence to sell alcohol in Bedford Square. The licensing authority, are Central Bedfordshire Council, who state that notices were placed for 28 days on the premises and a copy was published in a local paper, and on CBC website, as well as notifying CBC councillors. The licence was granted on 4th February. No statutory consultees had any representations and CBC received none from other persons. The licensing period runs from 7am until 2am. The store previously traded as "J&S Image". The Houghton Regis Town Council is not a statutory consultee. A list of current licensed premises for Houghton Regis can be found here: CBC website (pdf file)

The contract to construct the Woodside Link road has now been awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK. Central Bedfordshire Council authorised the contract award at a meeting of its Executive on 31 March 2015. The 1.8-mile Woodside Link road will connect the Porz Avenue / Park Road North / Poynters Road roundabout to a new M1 motorway junction 11a; it will link to the A5-M1 Link (currently under construction) and to Sundon Road; and it will serve proposed housing and business developments. The Woodside Link is scheduled to open in autumn 2016. Central Beds Council dedicated Woodside Link webpage has been updated.

More than 90 per cent of children starting school across Central Bedfordshire in September have been granted their first preference. Today (16 April) is National Primary Offer Day, when pupils across the country discover where they will be starting school after the summer holidays. Here, 92.5 per cent of the 3,304* pupils who applied to start their education at a lower or primary school in Central Bedfordshire for the 2015/16 academic year were granted their first preference. Of those that didn’t, 3.9 per cent got their second preference, one per cent achieved their third preference and the remaining 2.6 per cent will be allocated an alternative school which has places available. Helen Redding, the council’s Assistant Director School Improvement, said: “I am delighted that so many pupils have been granted their first preference for September despite the challenges of an increasing population. “Every child in Central Bedfordshire should be able to attend a good, local school w

Bedfordshire Police has launched a crackdown on the illegal and dangerous practice of riding off-road bikes in public places. Officers have responded to public concerns and taken action against the growing use of such vehicles with a two-day series operation in Houghton Regis and Luton. In order to combat the anti-social behaviour in these areas, the force has commissioned two off-road police bikes to help target those committing the offences. On Tuesday and Wednesday (14 and 15 April) a team of 24 police staff including an inspector, two sergeants, three response police officers, a vehicle examiner and 15 PCSOs took to the streets, along with two road policing officers on the specially-enlisted bikes. The initiative, called Operation Meteor, resulted in two arrests on Tuesday in the Parkside area of Houghton Regis. Two people were arrested, two stolen bikes were recovered and  two Section 59 Notices (warnings) were issued. Officers also visited two addresses, includin

The Incuba Project - Provision for Business Email: IncubaProject@centralbeds.ac.uk Phone: 01582 343810 One click away from Free Training Courses! Up to £1000 of funding available to support eligible SMEs in Central Bedfordshire and the South East region.   Benefit from an offer of free training  consultancy from the Incuba Project, run by Central Bedfordshire College. The College has been awarded funding from the European Regional development Fund to support small local companies to develop and thrive. A comprehensive package of courses can be accessed from home or the office at a time to suit you. There are over 100 training courses to choose from including web design, office software, social media marketing, bookkeeping, safeguarding children, sales and marketing, management and many, many more. Partner brands like Cisco will provide free specialist ICT training. Lynda, a leading specialist provider of on-line business training based in the USA will be at your fingertips

UPDATE 30/9/2015 Average Speed Cameras in Poynters Rd. A mini cab driver has called to say he has been issued with a notice supported by automatic cameras on 27/9/2015 for driving in excess of 30mph travelling towards Houghton Regis on Poynters Road.  This afternoon a senior figure at CBC, Highways, confirmed to HRND that the signs are all in place and enforcement has begun.  Average Speed Cameras in Poynters Rd. A mini cab driver has called to say he has been issued with a notice supported by... Posted by Houghton Regis News Desk on  Wednesday, 30 September 2015 How to Contest a Speeding Notice, Which?  http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/driving-advice/dealing-with-speeding-tickets/how-to-contest-a-speeding-ticket/ This website looks to be very useful for anyone requiring advice on this area, including the regulations, and what you can do about a speeding ticket. https://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/personal/speeding 16/4/2015 The speed cameras that have been installe

Surging passenger demand at London Luton Airport ahead of £100 million expansion Latest figures show passenger numbers up 18.6% on March 2014. Strong demand delivers 12th consecutive month of growth for the Airport. £100 million investment will transform LLA and boost capacity London Luton Airport (LLA) has recorded an 18.6% increase in passenger numbers during March 2015 compared to the same month last year, with 840,820 passengers choosing to fly from the Airport. This marks the 12th consecutive month of growth in passenger numbers at LLA. LLA is responding to strong demand from passengers with a £100 million redevelopment and investment programme that will transform the Airport. The project that will increase annual capacity from 12 million to 18 million passengers per year by 2026, as well as bringing about major improvements including: A complete redesign of the terminal to create a quick, efficient, friendly and convenient passenger experience.  Major upgrades to transp

2 April 2015, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Highways England Company Limited (Company no. 9346363) intends to make an Order on the M1 Motorway in Central Bedfordshire, to provide a safe working environment for the workforce to allow for the construction of the new A5/M1 link road, and associated works including a new Junction 11a. ... ( notice continues ) ...

View from Wheatfield Road will change as the new road is built. A council committee have given the go ahead to award a contract for construction of a new road to relieve traffic around the south and east of Houghton Regis. The road will connect Woodside Industrial estate in Houghton Regis and Dunstable, to the M1 J11a, already in construction. Central Bedfordshire Council's Executive yesterday agreed the award of the contract for the Woodside Link. A report to the committee stated that 5 contractors had tendered for the work in February this year. In October 2012 it had been estimated that the project would cost around £42 million, with £10 million of risk.   Tenders submitted were lower than expected. The scheme is now likely to cost around £38.3m.  CBC has secured £25 million in external funding and £1 million in developer contributions towards the scheme, leaving the council to underwrite the remaining costs of £12.3m. CBC borrowing is unlikely to be required before 2017