Dunstable News Desk

A man from Quarry Walk in Dunstable has received an 8-week prison sentence (suspended for 12 months) after pleading guilty to four offences of fly-tipping in locations across Central Bedfordshire. When sentencing the offender on 22nd February at Luton Magistrates Court, the judge said he considered the offences so serious that they exceed the custody threshold due to the number of incidents, and the fact that the offences were committed for commercial gain. The offender is subject to an electronic curfew for two months between 7pm to 7am, and is not to leave his house between these hours. The man is also subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for five years. A CBO is an order designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals whose behaviour has brought them before a criminal court. An investigation was started when Central Bedfordshire Council received two reports of fly-tipping in December 2016. The council investigated offences on Sewell L

Central Bedfordshire Council is now consulting with its residents on potential changes to bin collections. The options in the consultation only affect residents in houses - there are currently no changes planned for flats with communal bins. Some of the options being mooted could see new services introduced, such as food waste and glass, while others suggest changes to the current arrangements for recycling, domestic waste (black bins) and garden waste. The council wants to hear residents’ views on these. Bin collections are one of the most expensive services the council provides: the council currently spends £14million a year on collecting and disposing of waste from over 118,000 households. That amounts to around 7% of the council’s budget, or 9% of residents’ council tax. Because the current bin contracts are about to come to an end, the council is seeking ways to reduce the cost of the service; increase efficiencies; and increase recycling levels. The options consulted o

Changes to pay on foot car park machines to improve services for customers Central Bedfordshire Council will be changing its pay-on-foot technology in Ashton Square car park in Dunstable, following customer feedback. The car park will now be converted to Pay and Display machines, and the barriers and number plate cameras will be removed. The conversion will be done at no cost to the council. There are no plans to change the free parking arrangement on Tuesday afternoons. The change means that, from 8th March, customers using the Ashton Square car park must buy a ticket on arrival from the pay and display machine for the time period they require. The ticket must be displayed clearly in the vehicle front windscreen or dashboard whilst parked. On returning to their vehicle, customers will be able to simply drive out of the car park. Hockliffe Street Car Park in Leighton Buzzard will remain as a pay and display car park by adapting the machines that the council installed in 2

BLEVEC volunteers receiving their award in 2017 Tell everyone about your inspiring volunteers! Chances are, if you’re not a volunteer yourself then it won’t take you long to think of someone who is. From school governors, youth sports coaches and youngsters helping to run youth clubs to residents cutting back footpaths, keeping an eye on older residents and helping to make local towns and villages safer and even better places to live, volunteers play a huge part in our community in an incredible array of different roles. Now, you are being asked for help to give them some recognition. Nominations are open for the fourth annual Central Bedfordshire Cheering Volunteering Awards . The awards and celebration evening will take place at the Grove Theatre, in Dunstable , on Tuesday, 5 June 2018. And until the beginning of April, nominations can be made in six different categories: Young Volunteer of the Year Volunteer of the year Volunteer Group of the Year Outstand

No need to alpaca your lunch as New River Cottage Kitchen and Deli opens at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Feeding time at the Zoo has become a mouth-watering experience for visitors as River Cottage Kitchen and Deli opens its doors at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. The exciting new collaboration with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his River Cottage team, sees the food writer and campaigner bring his River Cottage restaurant to the UK’s largest Zoo. At the unique restaurant, visitors can enjoy delicious lunches where the finest seasonal ingredients, ethically and locally-sourced, are at the heart of delightful new menus. The experience doesn’t stop with delicious food; the rustic restaurant overlooks the picturesque Chiltern Hills on one side and the Zoo’s herd of white rhinos on the other side, a truly unique experience. Guests can graze on an appetising menu of grilled flatbread, organic hummus and hemp seed  dukkah  for starters. Roast spiced cauliflower, split peas and crisp onions; baked la

Conservatives were victorious in bye-elections that took place in Dunstable on Thursday 8th February. Phillip Crawley, Johnson Tamara, Michael Mullany, and  will now join the other 17 Conservative and one Labour councillor on Dunstable Town Council. The new councillors will have just over a year to try out the council and see if they want to continue, as the whole council is due to stand down, and a new council will be elected in 2019. Manshead CRAWLEY, Philip Fredrick The Conservative Party Candidate             347 Elected LARKMAN, Patricia Margaret Liberal Democrat 68 PEPWORTH, Roger Barry Labour Party 284 Turnout: 18.33% Northfields BATER, Wendy Anne The Labour Party Candidate 445 JONES, David John Liberal Democrat 57 TAMARA, Johnson The Conservative Party Candidate              456 Elected YOUNG, Martin Henry UKIP 119 Turnout: 14.64% Watling FLINT, Kevin Labour Party 362 MULLANY, Michael Joseph Paul The Conservative Party Candidate      

Central Bedfordshire Council is reminding businesses of the importance of keeping their employees safe at work. That’s after a Dunstable firm was ordered to pay almost £35,000 after being prosecuted for health and safety offences. Trans Haul (Europe) Ltd, based on the Woodside Estate, failed to respond to multiple concerns raised by the local authority despite being given repeated advice and support from Environmental Health officers. The road haulage, distribution and warehousing service was prosecuted by the council in October. It pleaded guilty to failing to meet its duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 of ensuring the health and safety of all employees at work. Last Friday (2 February) at Luton Magistrates’ Court, Trans Haul was ordered to pay a total of £34,742 in fines and prosecution costs. The prosecution followed multiple concerns raised between April and July 2016. These included the company failing to maintain and update a written health and

Central Bedfordshire Council will be supporting the Bedfordshire based charity, The Road Victims Trust through its new car parking contract with JustPark. The Road Victims Trust (RVT) provide free emotional and practical support to all persons affected by a road death across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Each year the Trust supports in excess of 550 people who have been affected by the 80-85 deaths that occur on the roads of the 3 counties. RVT Ambassador, Kate Goldsmith, whose 13 year old daughter Aimee was killed in a road collision alongside her step-brothers Ethan, Josh and their mother Tracey Houghton, is pictured with Cllr Budge Wells, Deputy Executive Member for Community Services at Central Bedfordshire Council. Kate said “This is a lovely gesture by CBC and JustPark that will help a wonderful charity that has done so much to support me: Councillor Budge Wells said, “We are pleased to be supporting such a worthwhile cause as part of our new parking

By-elections take place in three of Dunstable's Wards, Manshead, Northfields and Watling, next Thursday, 8th February to fill vacancies on Dunstable Town Council. MANSHEAD A by-election takes place in Manshead Ward on Thursday 8th February. The vacancy on Dunstable Town Council was caused by a resignation. The Labour candidate is Roger Pepworth. He's a retired former Headteacher of Priory Middle School and has previous experience of being a town councillor. He is the chair of the local Labour Party, chair of the local District Scout Executive and an active Rotarian. He is keen to see Streetfield Middle School repurposed, rather than allowing it to worsen in condition due to damp and cold. Roger and the Labour Party want to rebuild and recreate a thriving market town and community. The Liberal Democrat candidate is Pat Larkman. Resident of Manshead ward since 1987. Worked for 10 years at Luton Sixth Form College before retiring. Now participates in various Dunst

Central Bedfordshire Council has successfully secured £6.3m of new government funding for the regeneration and re-vitalisation of Dunstable town centre, it was announced today. The council submitted an application for the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF). The full bid was granted, and was announced earlier today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The council’s plans are to encourage the public to spend more time in Dunstable High Street, making crossing it safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as improvements to the Middle Row; the Market Square; and Queensway areas. Additionally, the funding will also help bring 400 homes to the area from across a mixture of sites, including brownfield sites and flats about existing shops. Councillor Nigel Young, Executive Member for Regeneration and Business at Central Bedfordshire Council, explained: “The bidding process to secure this Housing Infrastructure Fund mone