Dunstable News Desk

The government have made available to Central Bedfordshire £255,000 for the rejuvenation of town high streets. But a row has erupted over how the funds are to be distributed across Central Bedfordshire. The scheme is known as the Welcome Back Fund (¹) . The purpose of this money is to support businesses by increasing footfall on the High Street, post-covid. Councillor Adam Zerny (Independent, Potton) claimed on his Facebook Page, 23 April , “I have spent the last week trying to get the Council to tell me how it was intending to divide up this funding. It has just revealed the numbers. Ordinarily, with major financial decisions, the Council at least makes an effort to demonstrate a semblance of transparency with a debate and a vote in public. Not the case on this occasion. “The division of the cash has been made by Conservative cabinet members without any discussion or vote by the rest of the elected councillors.” Adam's calculations: Councillor Zerny writes, “Despite having 46

Officers from the Bedfordshire force have visited a school in Dunstable to talk to students and encourage them to think twice before carrying a knife. More than 200 teenagers from All Saints Academy attended the talk given by the force’s new Education and Diversion team as part of a week of action to combat knife crime.  The students were shown examples of knife crime and the consequences of what could happen if they are caught carrying a knife, even if they think it’s for their own protection. Other schools in the county have signed up to receive a similar talk from the team as part of Operation Sceptre, a national week of action which aims to tackle knife crime.  A variety of different activities will be carried out by various teams in support of Operation Sceptre, which started yesterday (Monday) and runs until Sunday (2 May).  Throughout the week, officers will be continuing to visit schools, working with partners such as StreetWatch, carrying out weapon sweeps and high visibili

Central Bedfordshire Council - alongside Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes CCG (BLMK CCG) and Public Health colleagues across the region - are urging residents to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations.  They say it is important that vaccinations for MMR (Measles Mumps and Rubella), Maternal Pertussis (Whooping cough) and Shingles are up to date.  GP practices can advise patients if they or their children are up to date with their vaccinations and if not, catch-up vaccinations can be given. World Immunisation Week takes place between 24 April – 30 April 2021 and promotes the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable disease. Immunisations save millions of lives every year and are widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful health interventions. Yet, there are still nearly 20 million children globally who are not getting the vaccines they need, and many miss out on vital vaccines during adolescence, adulthood and into old

Creasey Park Community Football Centre has opened a new full-size artificial turf pitch (ATP) after investing £1.1m of funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund. This ATP installation was initiated and managed by Central Bedfordshire Council in partnership with Dunstable Town Council. The new ATP at Dunstable’s Creasey Park Community Football Centre has been built primarily for activities such as football and hockey. It is also in the process of becoming fully FIFA (Federation of International Football Association) and FIH (International Hockey Federation) accredited. The new ATP is the latest in 3rd generation design and features a new Intelligent Play System as well as environmental improvements such as LED floodlights. The pitch adds to Creasey Park’s existing facilities that include a licensed clubhouse, another full-size ATP, a stadium grass pitch and seven youth to adult grass pitches, as well as a state-of-the-art irrigation system, including automated and pop-up sprinkler

Road schemes - public notices - Dunstable, various roads: speed limit and waiting restrictions. Public consultation has begun on a series of measures that will see far reaching alterations to traffic management, speed control, and parking within the roads central to the make up of Dunstable town centre. New public notices state that, “The de-trunking of the High Street has provided [Central Bedfordshire Council] with a window of opportunity to regenerate the town centre and provide a safer and more accommodating pedestrian environment. The creation of the A5-M1 Link Road and Junction 11a on the M1 near Luton/Dunstable has effectively acted as a bypass for Dunstable, thereby reducing traffic, and in particular HGV traffic. The High Street highway improvements are key to the regeneration of the town centre as they will facilitate improved pedestrian permeability and a safer environment for cycling, better equip the town centre to deal with extreme weather and flooding and enhance t

Police are appealing for information following a burglary in Dunstable on Friday (16 April). At around 1.20pm, two men broke into a property through the rear door in Evelyn Road, and stole a large quantity of Asian gold jewellery.  PC Scott Palmer, investigating from the force’s dedicated burglary team, said, “We are keen to speak to anyone who has witnessed anything or may have any information about this incident.  “Additionally, we want to hear from anybody who may have been offered Asian jewellery in the last couple of days. “These types of crimes have no place in Bedfordshire and we will work towards catching those responsible.” To find out more about burglary prevention visit Bedfordshire Police’s website. If you have any information please visit the online reporting tool   or call 101, quoting reference 40/18735/21. If you have news for Dunstable, please send it in Tweets by @KingHenryFirst

In line with its ongoing commitment to ‘use less and recycle more’, Asda is launching new packaging across its entire chicken range, which will save 450 tonnes of plastic a year. Reducing plastic packaging by up to 50% across the range, Asda is moving its selection of chicken out of plastic trays and into the new pouches in a supermarket first, following a successful trial last year on mini-fillets and diced breasts. Customers will see the new packaging launch on chicken thighs in the coming weeks and by the middle of summer, the full range, including whole birds, drumsticks, legs, diced breasts, and mini fillets will be in the more sustainable packaging. The move is expected to make a considerable difference to helping tackle plastic pollution, with one in two households in Britain purchase chicken in the weekly shop [1] and in addition, the pouches support hygienic preparation of meals, with customers able to simply pour the poultry from-pack straight into the pan, without needing

Concern about the danger to wildlife and pets, imparticular to dogs, prompted us to ask Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) about their weedkilling chemicals. A spokesman for CBC said, “Our duty as a local authority is to control weeds on public highways. Weed growth, if left unchecked on hard paved areas can result in potential damage to the road/footpath over time. “Our grounds maintenance contractor uses a glyphosate-based herbicide to control weeds around street infrastructures such as lamp posts and road signs.  The concentration of this product is weak to ensure it does not harm wildlife, pets or anyone coming into contact with it. “The use of active ingredients in herbicides is strictly regulated by the EU and this product has been approved for use in these environments. Our contractor’s staff are also fully trained to apply the product safely and without excess.” If you have news for Dunstable, please send it in Tweets by @KingHenryFirst

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), with the Violence Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), has launched a new fund for Bedfordshire. The Youth Space’s Fund 2021/2022, which seeks to improve shared community environments for young people in Bedfordshire.   The OPCC has a fund available of £28,000.00 to support projects throughout Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton that Town and Parish Councils can bid into.      The funding can be used by Town and Parish councils for a wide range of projects that would improve locations for young people with the ambition of deterring them from unsafe spaces or by investing in areas where young people can socialise in safety.   Grant fund applications of no more than £5k per are welcomed between the 19th of April and the 7th of May 2021. Bidders are encouraged to match fund where possible.   Examples of areas that will be considered are the remodelling of Youth Hubs to provide safe and secure spaces for young people to build co

A Bedfordshire children and family charity has received a donation of £5,000 from the Amazon fulfilment centre team in Dunstable to help it continue to support the local community during COVID-19. The donation was made after a member of the Amazon team nominated Home-Start to benefit from a special COVID-19 support initiative as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK. The charity helps young children and their families who are struggling with physical and mental ill-health, disabilities, bereavement and domestic abuse and plans to use the donation to continue providing its services during COVID-19. Amazon in Dunstable has a long association with Home-Start, having previously supported the charity with donations in 2016 and 2018. Speaking on the donation, Ruzanna Sargsyan, General Manager at Amazon in Dunstable said: “We’re proud to support organisations that are making a real difference in our community like Home-Start. Its

The County of Bedfordshire Service of Thanksgiving for His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh Following the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, a County of Bedfordshire Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the life of His Royal Highness will be held in the presence of HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and civic leaders. The Service, which will be held on Friday 16th April at The County Church of St Paul Bedford , will be led by The Reverend Canon Kevin Goss, the Vicar of St Paul’s, with an address and blessing from The Rt Reverend Richard Atkinson, the Bishop of Bedford. Representatives of faith groups from across Bedfordshire will participate in the service with the lighting of candles and prayers for His Royal Highness and the Royal Family. In this communal Act of Worship, and in line with current Covid19 regulations, there will be a limited number of bookable seats which can be reserved by calling the church on 01234 340163

CBC were ready, today, to award the contract for the building of a new Housing scheme and Health Hub on the site of the former sports area and green space behind the Grove Theatre in Dunstable. Reaction to the scheme from members of a public Facebook Group was not favourable. Cllr Eugene Ghent, Executive Member for Assets and Housing read out a recorded speech (see video below) : Executive - Tuesday, 13th April 2021 at 9:30am - Central Bedfordshire Council Webcasting Praise was heaped on the project from many councillors, speaking of their excitement, and of the years of work that had gone into getting the project to this stage. Dunstable CBC Conservative Councillor, Cllr Carole Hegley, for Central Ward was among those delighted that this project had got to this stage, adding in a statement,  “It’s about delivering both health and social care in a joined-up way to suit local people.” Cllr Versallion mentioned from working on this project that he thought this scheme had be

Festus pictured with Community Safety Wardens in Bedford Town Centre Festus Akinbusoye , Bedfordshire's Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidate will introduce a Business Watch Scheme to prioritise safety in the county’s shops, factories and offices if elected at the May 6 vote. “Police support is crucial to bring a safer space to workers, local companies and customers,” he explained. “I want our businesses to be a part of our policing priorities. This will be good for jobs, our local economy and good for policing as well. As a former Special Constable with Bedfordshire Police, as well as being a company director with 50 staff, I am well aware of the impacts of commercial crime,” added Festus. “If elected I will back business by investing in an Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, creating the Bedfordshire Business and Police Forum, and supporting the roll-out of a Business Watch Scheme for our county,” he said. Data from the British Retail Consortium is b