Bedfordshire's New Year’s Honours List 2020

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HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for 2020 has been announced and includes ten Bedfordshire recipients. Those who have been successful are as follows:

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)


Rosemary Frances MAYGLOTHLING (Bedford)

For services to Rowing and Gender Equality in Sport

Martin James MCELHATTON (Luton)

For services to Disability Sport

Sabah GILANI (Luton)

Chief Executive Officer, Better Community Business Network
For services to Young People and to the Muslim community

Charles Alan John YATES (Bedford)

Head of Threat Leadership, Insights, Partnership and Delivery, National Crime Agency
For services to Law Enforcement


Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)


Peter John SCOTT (Bedford)

For voluntary service to the National Trust at Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

Dr Anne Margaret Stuart GRANT (Bedford)

For services to charity in Bedfordshire

Councillor Dr David MICHAEL (Luton)
For services to the community in Greater London

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)


Beverley Ann CHIDLEY (Central Bedfordshire)
For services to Brownies and Girlguiding

Susan (Sue) Moira ZUBROT (Bedford)

For services to the community in Bedfordshire

The Right Reverend Alvin BLAKE (Luton)

For services to the community in Luton, Bedfordshire

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis said, “It is always a thrill to read how people in Bedfordshire are making a huge difference to their community in so many ways. My sincere congratulations to all those who have been awarded Honours and my thanks for your huge contribution.”



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Consultation on New Secondary School in Houghton Regis

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Initial designs have been produced for a new 1,120 place secondary school, to be built on the Kingsland Campus, Houghton Regis, for September 2022. The proposal includes all the specialist and non-specialist teaching space required, as well as providing a sports hall, outdoor sports provision and car parking. The external appearance of the school buildings is subject to further design work. 
The concept for the new school is based on the superblock model and includes a 3-storey main classroom block, with a separate sports hall. This type of design is suggested by the Department for Education (DfE), and has been used for many new secondary schools across the country
The Council is currently at the pre-planning design stage, and is taking the opportunity to seek the views of the local community ahead of the planning application being submitted. The date for submission of the planning application has been tentatively set for the end of August 2020. 
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Supermarket Responds to Criticism that Shelves & Fridges were Empty

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Morrisons supermarket in Houghton Regis has responded to complaints that fresh food stocks were depleted and freezers were empty. The complaints were made on a popular public Facebook Group.
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In a report to the Council's Audit Committee on Thursday (30 July), Central Bedfordshire Council's Corporate Fraud Investigation Team (CFIT) presented an annual report demonstrating that they were value-for-money.

Audit Committee - Thursday, 30th July 2020 at 10:00am - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting
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Marl Lake at Houghton Regis Chalk Pit Reduced to a Puddle

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Shocking pictures of Houghton Regis SSSI Marl Lake show that the lake has practically disappeared.

These pictures shared by local environment supporter, Sally Gray, were taken today.




The blue flag was placed in the lake at a point at the far end where, in the second week of August, the water was seen draining away.  See Video. The water's edge has receded another few feet since then.

Alan Winter on 13 August, wrote, “I'm no expert, but it seems likely to me that the Marl Lake waters have been trickling away through cracks and fissures for years. The movement of water underground could have been accelerated by earthworks movements on the developer's fields to the north and east of the water treatment centre (sewage works) where another lake appeared.”

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Give blood during the Easter holidays

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Find out why this housebuilder wants to help you cycle to work

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Housebuyers in Bedfordshire can get up to £1,000 in cycle vouchers as part of a giveaway by a leading housebuilder.
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Anyone who reserves a home at one of Bellway’s developments in the county between Monday 3 and Sunday 9 August will receive Halfords vouchers which they can use towards the cost of new bikes for them and their family.
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Council Secures Government Funding for COVID-19 Data Sharing iInitiative

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Central Bedfordshire Council has been awarded £80,000 of Government funding to improve data exchange between Government, local authorities and third-party organisations.
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Lidl Plans For 1.2million sq ft Regional Distribution Centre

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by Alan D Winter, Houghton Regis News Desk
Lidl, a family supermarket that takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices, is on the verge of starting work on building its biggest ever Distribution Centre on Houghton Regis' doorstep.

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Angry Resident Wants Peace Back as Chalk Pit Tourism Takes Off

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By Alan Winter updated 27 May

 An irate resident has contacted Houghton Regis News Desk to vent their frustrations about visitors to the Chalk Pit clogging up their unadopted roads.

The resident, who did not want to be named, wrote, “As a resident on Fieldstone, we’re after some help. The quarry has been advertised on social media so it now has visitors from a wide area. They are blocking our residential roads, leaving rubbish and glass everywhere in the quarry. Having BBQs, drinking and meeting for social gatherings. They are drinking and dancing in the streets gone 11pm. There needs to be parking and the quarry managed before all the recent hard work is undone. We want peace back.

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L&D Hospital Mani Car Park Closes From 13 July - Bigger Car Park To Be Built

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Parking for visitors and patients at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital will get a welcome boost by the end of the year, as work gets underway on a new four-level car park on the footprint of the existing Lewsey Road car park.
The new car park will double the current provision for patients and visitors, and also provide more accessible parking as well as bicycle parking for patients, visitors and staff.










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The existing main visitor and patient car park (on Lewsey Road, opposite the main entrance to the hospital), will be closing on Monday 13 July.
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Houghton Regis Academy Closure - Public Meeting 10 March

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Updated 2 March 2020

The Secretary of State for Education, in mutual agreement with the Trust, has now made the substantive and final decision to proceed to the closure of Houghton Regis Academy.  However, in order to reduce the impact of the closure,  a proposed closure transition plan has been agreed to which means the Academy will remain open for some year groups until 31 August 2022.

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A development of 336 homes has been given the go ahead under delegated powers by Central Bedfordshire Council despite Bedfordshire Police having concerns that the layout would encourage crime.

The site is situated between the SSSI Houghton Regis Chalk Pit edge and Blue Waters woodland.




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See planning layout - (pdf)

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(updated 14 June 2020)As part of the already approved outline development plans for the Lower Thorn area of Houghton Regis, detailed planning applications are now being submitted for a local centre. A decision for these applications is hoped for by mid-August 2020.
Houghton Regis Town Council will discuss the plans on Tuesday 16th June. A final decision will be made by Central Bedfordshire Council. The Town Council's virtual meeting agenda is available to download. If you wish to participate in this meeting you will need to supply an email address before 3pm on the day of the meeting in order to attend virtually by emailing your request. Instructions on Remote Meeting Guidance can be found here.
In all, three planning applications have been submitted to develop a local integrated centre on behalf of  HDD Houghton Regis Retail Limited. 



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Marl Lake at Houghton Regis Chalk Pit Reduced to a Puddle

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Shocking pictures of Houghton Regis SSSI Marl Lake show that the lake has practically disappeared.

These pictures shared by local environment supporter, Sally Gray, were taken today.




The blue flag was placed in the lake at a point at the far end where, in the second week of August, the water was seen draining away.  See Video. The water's edge has receded another few feet since then.

Alan Winter on 13 August, wrote, “I'm no expert, but it seems likely to me that the Marl Lake waters have been trickling away through cracks and fissures for years. The movement of water underground could have been accelerated by earthworks movements on the developer's fields to the north and east of the water treatment centre (sewage works) where another lake appeared.”

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At the Central Bedfordshire Council meeting on 26 September 2019, Cllr Susan Goodchild raised a query with regard to Houghton Regis Academy:

Council - Thu, 26th Sep 2019 - 6:30 pm - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting

Cllr Pat Hamill also raised the matter:

Council - Thu, 26th Sep 2019 - 6:30 pm - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting

Prior to the meeting, Central Bedfordshire Council responded to news that Houghton Regis Academy may close. And next month they are proposing that work is started to build a new secondary school on the Kingsland site at Parkside. Below their response is the letter sent out by the Greenwood Academies Trust.
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Houghton Regis local news, events, council news, going on in Houghton Regis and nearby villages, Bedfordshire, UK. Editor Alan Winter

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Houghton Regis News Desk

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