Houghton Regis News Desk

14 councillors represent electors on Houghton Regis Town Council. In 1998 the National Association of Local Councils published its Circular 1126/1998 setting out guidance on the suggested number of parish councillors to be allocated depending on the size of the population represented. For a town the size of Houghton Regis, which had an electorate of 13,118 in September 2017, the circular indicates we ought to have 18-19 councillors. And the Aston Business School in 1992 recommended between 13 and 21 councillors for electorates between 10,001 and 20,000. The current allocation is 4 for Parkside (electorate 3,533); 4 for Tithe Farm (electorate 3,294), 6 for Houghton Hall (electorate 6,291). So, at present, we have one councillor per 937 voters in Houghton Regis overall. Compared to Dunstable where it's one per 1,390. In Caddington it's one per 320. Leighton Linslade one per 1,492.Toddington 1 per 332. By 2023 the forward planned electorate for Houghton Regis is expec

Proposed New Constituency Boundary of 'Luton North and Houghton Regis' An 8-week consultation lasting until 11 December has begun. Under the Boundary Commission's proposals, Houghton Regis would be in a new constituency that would be called 'Luton North and Houghton Regis". In the last consultation, the Commission had given this proposed constituency the name "Luton North And Houghton". The new boundaries would only affect the MP you vote for. It would not affect who you pay your council tax to, or your address. ◘ One of the aims of the proposed changes is to even out the number of people in each constituency. Luton North currently has an electorate of 64,552 according to the Commission's data. The new number for Luton North and Houghton Regis would be 71,188. ◘ The current 650 MPs would be reduced to 600. ◘ Among the proposals, Islington North represented by Jeremy Corbyn for 34 years, would disappear. And Boris Johnson's Uxbridge

Aldwyck Housing Group is delighted to announce it has been awarded the Government’s national accreditation for customer service for the fourth year running. We have also improved the rating we have received year on year too. The Customer Service Excellence standard is given to organisations following an in-depth assessment which tests that services provided are efficient and effective and have the customer at their heart. The assessor met with customers, staff and stakeholders to review Aldwyck’s practices on customer insight, information and access, delivery, timeliness and quality of service. The final 75-page report observes “there is a genuine and palpable ‘customer focused’ approach to service delivery” and that “staff are enthusiastic, well-motivated and dedicated to serving their customers. It was a pleasure to meet them and their tenants.” Sharon Abel, Head of Communications and Customer Insight, commented, “We are very pleased to have been awarded this national accred

The Houghton Regis Society (HRHS) is pleased to announce that it is now a Registered Charity. Established in 2012, it is a leading organisation involved in seeking to preserve Heritage in Houghton Regis and make it available to the residents of the town. HRHS is currently involved in three local projects: the Visitor Centre in Houghton Hall Park, the Red House on the Village Green and the digitisation of a Picture Archive of Houghton Regis, donated to the Society by Pat Lovering. HRHS has also developed History Walks around the town, which has become very popular. David Hill, the Society’s Chairman said, “The idea of becoming a registered charity has been on the ‘cards’ for some time and we are delighted that registration has been successful. It will open up opportunities for us in obtaining Grants to support future projects.” Details of membership will be released soon, if you would like further information please contact us at the address below. Don’t forget to look at our we

A new Public Health report for Central Bedfordshire says that Stop Smoking Services for Houghton Regis GP practices are performing well and above target in regard to smoking quitters. Houghton Regis Medical Centre had 68 Smoking Quitters in 2016/17 and the Wheatfield Surgery also had 68. The Stop Smoking Service is looking to make support more accessible for Houghton Regis residents by delivering clinics in Parkside and Tithe Farm Children’s Centres on a weekly basis. Universal CBC Services, including coverage of Houghton Regis residents: Extended treatment programmes are available to residents with a Mental Health diagnosis or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder). The Smokefree Baby and Me programme is also available for pregnant smokers. An advisor can be contacted free on 0800 013 0553 or Email: stop.smoking@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk  http://smokefreebedfordshire.co.uk/ NHS Health Check The NHS Health Check is a national risk assessment and management

Whitbread plc has announced that Costa has acquired 49% of its South China joint venture from its joint venture partner, Yueda, for renminbi 310 million (£35 million). This acquisition provides full ownership in this important growth market and is in line with Whitbread’s strategy to focus on key international opportunities. Costa currently owns 51% of the joint venture which operates 252 stores in the south of China, including 93 stores in Shanghai. Alison Brittain, CEO of Whitbread comments: “One of our three key strategic priorities is to focus on our strengths to grow internationally and today’s announcement marks a significant and exciting step in our ambitious growth plans for China.  We have enjoyed an excellent partnership with Yueda over the past ten years together beginning to build the Costa brand in this key market. “The coffee shop market in China is highly attractive, with a compelling opportunity for Costa to grow its presence over the longer term. This acquisit

Houghton Hall Park – Parks for People Lottery Project Poster appeared on Houghton Hall Park Facebook Page Today, 12th October Photo: ©A D Winter, Houghton Regis News Desk The visitor centre at Houghton Hall Park, including the café, will open to the public at 10am on 12 October 2017. It includes space to hire for meetings/activities, a café, toilets and a heritage/discovery area for visitors to learn more about the history of Houghton Hall Park and Houghton Regis. Four large natural play features have been installed around the park and will be opened to the public as soon as the necessary safety certification has been received. The formal gardens are being well used and the kitchen garden has been very productive over the summer months. The gates from the main path into the kitchen garden have been fitted improving out of hour’s security. Photo: ©A D Winter, Houghton Regis News Desk Photo: ©A D Winter, Houghton Regis News Desk A formal entrance gate from The

The scene of regular fly-tipping as reported to Biffa in June 2017. Fly tippers caught in the act by CCTV Two fly tippers have been fined over £2,600 after both were caught on Central Bedfordshire Council's Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. Both offenders were caught in separate incidents involving fly tipping at the now-closed recycling area off of Houghton Regis High Street. The area had two signs stating fly-tipping is an offence and that CCTV was in operation. Both offenders attended Luton Magistrates Court earlier this week and both pleaded guilty to fly-tipping. A man from Alsop Close, Houghton Regis, was caught fly-tipping rubble, boxes and bags on Tuesday 2nd May 2017. He was fined £740, ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £1059.00 and a victim's surcharge of £74, totalling nearly £1,900. On Sunday 11th June 2017, a woman from Union Street, Dunstable and her vehicle passenger were caught throwing items, including a TV, from her car onto

Stay healthy this winter and make sure you get your flu vaccine early this year to avoid becoming ill. If you are aged 65 and over, pregnant, or have children aged 2-8, or suffer from a long-term condition, then you are eligible for a free flu vaccine this year. Ideally, it is advised that you get your flu vaccine before winter (in October and November) to get the maximum protection. From late September, the vaccine has been available and will be throughout the winter from various convenient locations such as your GP surgery or some community pharmacies (you do not need a referral from your doctor.) The vaccine will free to all eligible persons; bought privately they can cost up to £20. Dr. Annapurna Sen, from Central Bedfordshire Council's public health team, said: "The flu vaccine is one of the best protection against flu and its complications. The flu virus changes every year so it is important to get the updated flu vaccine every year to give you the best protection."