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Recently Popular

Last Day of Clearance Sale for Disability Resource Centre

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The Disability Resource Centre in Poynters Road is moving. In the meantime the 29th is the last day of the Clearance Sale


CEO, Melanie Hawman, said, “Behind the scenes we have been preparing to leave Poynters House after 26 years of operating out of the building. We are very sad to see our tenants leave but glad that we were able to help some of them find suitable new premises.
“We continue to search for somewhere to deliver all our face-to-face activity such as our physical health and mental wellbeing courses, our training courses and equipment shop.
“We are continuing our helplines and advice services by phone and online. So just call our usual phone number 01582 470 900.
“In the meantime look out for when we will be at a venue near you (like supermarkets and community centres), all socially distanced of course.
“We have some excellent plans for our new centre and shop but in order to minimise disruption to office functions have secured a tenancy in the Rufus Centre in Flitwick. It is fu…
Read on ...

Riders on Bikes Could Help with House Robbery in Houghton Regis

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At around 9.15am, a house on Leaf Road was broken into via a rear ground floor window, rooms were ransacked, and cash and jewellery were stolen. Police are now seeking the public’s help, as they investigate this burglary in Houghton Regis on Monday 19 October.
Around the time of the incident, a white 125cc motorcycle with a red top box and “L” plate was seen in Leaf Road, and officers would like to identify the rider and passenger.
PC Tom Williams, investigating, said, “This incident has left the householders in shock, and I am appealing to anyone with information to come forward. We would particularly like to speak with the people on the motorcycle who may have vital information.”
If you were in the area at the time and have any information or dashcam footage of the motorcycle, please contact police on 101 or report online or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote reference 40/56927/20.

If you have news for Houghton Regis, please send it in

Read on ...

Give blood during the Easter holidays

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Children who depend on life-saving blood transfusions are encouraging donors to give blood during the Easter holidays to ensure NHS Blood and Transplant has the blood stocks necessary to meet demand. Eight-year old Sophie Thorne is one of several youngsters contributing a 'thank you' picture to remind people in Luton and Bedfordshire that donating blood saves lives. Blood stocks are more vulnerable to shortfall around public holidays like Easter as the weather improves, and people go on holiday or enjoy days out with family. It is vital stocks are constantly replenished as blood has a shelf life of 35 days and platelets only seven days. Hospitals across England need more than 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients. Blood or the components of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions such as anaemia, cancer blood disorders, and those having surgery.
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Catherine Thorne, Sophie's mother, of Wootton near Bedford, said: "Sophie has a rare blood condi…
Read on ...

Barratt Homes to Build 300 units at Linmere Houghton Regis

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Barratt Homes is set to build 300 properties at Linmere, featuring a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed homes and work is due to start this year.
Situated north of Houghton Regis, Linmere’s collection of leafy and walkable neighbourhoods is set to be a new centre for South Bedfordshire. On behalf of its consortium partners, Lands Improvement is leading on the development of Linmere, which will ultimately deliver up to 5,150 homes, 1.25 million sq. ft of distribution and up to 1 million sq. ft of retail, office and leisure development, together with associated open space, schools and community facilities.

Barratt Homes’ development sits within the largest plot at Linmere, and will include a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes, with a number available on Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership schemes. Sizes will vary from c.450 sq ft to c.1500 sq ft, catering to first home buyers and families.

Work will begin on this site this year.  Once complete, residents will benefit from over 190 acres of green sp…
Read on ...

Support for Vulnerable Children & Families this Half Term

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Support for Vulnerable Children and Families this Half Term
Central Bedfordshire Council has received £217,555 from the Government as a welfare assistance grant to help all those struggling to afford food and other essential items. This payment is in addition to the extra £20 a week everyone on universal credit has been given during the pandemic.
South West Bedfordshire MP Andrew Selous said “With this additional grant to the council no child need go hungry this half term. We also have some amazing community provision in addition to the money from this grant. If any family has difficulty in feeding their children this week or in the future I would like them to contact me immediately and I will do a full review of their finances, benefits and situation to see how they can be helped. If you know any family struggling to afford food this week, please ask them to contact me. "

The Central Bedfordshire Council food voucher scheme will continue to be available to families in need over thi…
Read on ...

Boost for families wishing to build their own home

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Review announced on 'Right to Build' day to make it easier for people to build their own home.
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP
Law to be reviewed to make it easier for people dreaming of building their own homesCouncils urged to ensure planning permission is granted for suitable plotsMeasures follow reforms to place local people at the heart of planning processA review to make it easier for people to build their own home has been announced by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick today (30 October 2020).
Building or designing your own home plays an important part in helping people get a foot on the housing ladder. Currently there are around 15,000 of these types of homes built every year – an increase of 50% in 2 years. But there is still more to be done to support the self and custom build industry, last estimated be worth almost £4.5 billion to the UK economy.
Councils are currently required to keep a register of those who wish…
Read on ...

Houghton Regis Chalk Pit Youth Afternoon With Controlled Bonfire and A Chance to Learn New Environmental Skills 17 Feb

YOUTH WILDLIFE RANGER AFTERNOON OF FUN !

Exclusively for people aged 13-19

Meet one afternoon every school holiday.

Next session at Houghton Regis Chalk Pit. Monday 17th February 2014

We will be scrub clearing using conservation tools and having a controlled bonfire.

1pm - 3pm. Meeting place on Lake View.

Meet new people

Learn new skills

Improve your local environment

NO litter picking!

These are free sessions. Tea and biscuits will be provided.

Booking essential, please call Ruth on 01525 874317, 07734478452

Or email: ruth.sneath@wildlifebcn.org
Read on ...

More Popular Stories

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.

Outline plans for the development were agreed under the existing Central Bedfordshire Council consent (CB/12/03613/OUT) and now a reserved matters application has been submitted. The company is now seeking approval for these plans, which could be concluded in March 2020.

The development proposals comprise the construction of a Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) of over  1.2 million sq ft of warehouse floor space, 612 associated car parking spaces, 141 HGV stacking spaces, 196 loading docks, 20 E-charging spaces, a drivers lounge, smoking shelters, two bicycle stores with 104 spaces for bicycles, four haulier cabins, three battery enclosures, a generator enclosure, sprinkler tanks, pump house hydr…
Read on ...

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.

“This parking and quarry issue has been going on for the last few weeks after advertising has appeared on social media. We heard someone say they had driven from Milton Keynes, and a neighbour has stated that 5 people he knows from Hemel Hempstead have attended. Just this morning, a friend from work saw it …
Read on ...

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.










The new design will also improve the flow of cars, and reduce queuing and congestion on Lewsey Road.
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.
Alternative parking will be available on site, in Farringdon Fields, off Calnwood Road. The Trust is reallocating staff spaces for the period.
But overall numbers may be limited so the Trust is asking patients and visitors not to bring their car if they can possibly avoid it, but to be dropped off instead. A new temporary drop-off point will…
Read on ...

A New Secondary School For Houghton Regis

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Report by Alan D WinterCBC has agreed to forward fund a new school so it can be built for September 2022. 1,120 secondary school places are proposed with a sixth form.  To meet the need from housing development this will be expanded to 1,850 places as this is built.The school will meet the need for secondary school places for the local community and will be run by a new academy at the Kingsland site in Parkside, Houghton Regis. 
The plan includes a 220 place sixth form to be completed by July 2022. The wider site is already occupied by a Houghton Regis Secondary School that currently accommodates around 269 pupils. In recent years this has become less active and is due to close before the new school opens. This proposal has been developed in tandem with the housing developer Barton Wilmore to ensure that the appropriate links between the two are in place upon completion.


The proposed new school would initially share the wider CBC site with a Leisure Centre, a Technical College and a SEN…
Read on ...

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. 
This consultation is an important part of…
Read on ...

Bidwell Heights - Go Ahead for New Build Despite Crime Concerns

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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.




Bedfordshire Police Liaison Objected to the scheme, 'as it is considered that the proposed layout and design would present opportunities for crime'.

See planning layout - (pdf)

Another key concern came from Wildlife Trusts BCN who also drew attention to anti-social behaviour. Their concerns are listed as,

'Concerns regarding development so close to the chalk cliffs associated with the SSSI. The Trust strongly recommend that a robust engineering operation is designed and incorporated into the plans, at this stage of the process, to ensure that the stability of the chalk cliff is not weakened as part of any development that takes place in this location. The Trust also consider that there should…
Read on ...

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.

There will now be a ‘listening period’. The listening period is an opportunity for stakeholders and interested parties such as pupils, parents and staff to be provided with more information about the proposed closure process. It is also an opportunity for stakeholders to submit their views on how the process can best be managed. This period started today, 28 February, and will end at 5pm on 27 March 2020.

Parkside ward Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) councillor said, “I am aware of the concern the current position will be causing pupils, parents and the wider community at Houghton Regis. I am worki…
Read on ...

Plans For 66 bed care Home, Nursery & Shops at Lower Thorn Village

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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. 



1. 66 Bed Care Home A 66-bed care home and its associated car park, means of access and landscaping.  Split over 3 floors. If permission were granted…
Read on ...

Give blood during the Easter holidays

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Children who depend on life-saving blood transfusions are encouraging donors to give blood during the Easter holidays to ensure NHS Blood and Transplant has the blood stocks necessary to meet demand. Eight-year old Sophie Thorne is one of several youngsters contributing a 'thank you' picture to remind people in Luton and Bedfordshire that donating blood saves lives. Blood stocks are more vulnerable to shortfall around public holidays like Easter as the weather improves, and people go on holiday or enjoy days out with family. It is vital stocks are constantly replenished as blood has a shelf life of 35 days and platelets only seven days. Hospitals across England need more than 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients. Blood or the components of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions such as anaemia, cancer blood disorders, and those having surgery.
​
Catherine Thorne, Sophie's mother, of Wootton near Bedford, said: "Sophie has a rare blood condi…
Read on ...

Police Appeal After Man Robbed in Houghton Regis

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Bedfordshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was robbed in Houghton Regis.
At around 10pm on Saturday 1st August, the man was on Bedford Square, near the park, when he was approached by five offenders. The group attacked the victim and stole his phone, his bank card, and a quantity of cash.
During the attack, the victim sustained superficial cuts to his face, stomach and forearm, which required medical attention but are not serious or life-threatening.
The offenders are described as young men, wearing face masks with their hoods up, riding bikes.
PC Helen Pecorini, investigating, said: “Thankfully the victim only suffered minor injuries, but was left distressed by this incident. We are appealing to anyone in the area who may have the offenders before or after the incident.”
Anyone who can offer any help in this matter is asked to get in contact with the police, or contact Crimestoppers.  Alternatively, information about this incident can be reported via police reporting webs…
Read on ...
Houghton Regis local news, events, council news, going on in Houghton Regis and nearby villages, Bedfordshire, UK. Editor Alan Winter

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