Bedford News
The latest Bedford news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Podington Padel Faces Refusal Again Despite 169 Backers
Officers say refuse Podington Padel's barn courts on 12 October, despite 169 letters of support. Sharnbrook's last 76 Hill Farm homes are up the same night.
More stories
Kempston
Kempston Boundary Vote Wednesday: Residents Said No 22 to 8
Full Council votes on 7 October on moving part of Kempston Rural into Kempston Town. Residents opposed it 22 to 8; a Band D bill would rise about £25.
Bedford Borough Council
Queens Park HMO Petition of 333 Goes to Council Wednesday
Full Council debates four petitions on 7 October: Queens Park HMO licences (333 and 230 names), Wilden High Street speeds (125) and Arundel Drive cameras (51).
Bedford train crash
Bedford Train Crash: Red Signal Had No TPWS, RAIB Finds
RAIB's interim report on the Elstow crash: the Corby train passed signal WH154 at red, which had no TPWS. A faulty AWS warning had stopped the train ahead.
East West Rail
Bedford Station Car Park Cut to 900 Spaces Over Two Sites
East West Rail drops the 1,200-space Ford End Road plan. Bedford station parking is now capped at 900 spaces: 627 on Ashburnham Road, 273 to the west.
Schools
Free Chellington Centre Days for Bedford Primary Schools
Bedford primary schools can book free outdoor learning days at The Chellington Centre, funded by The Panacea Trust: orienteering or Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.
Universal
Manor Road Closure for Universal Extended to 27 November
Manor Road at Kempston Hardwick stays shut to through traffic until Friday 27 November for Universal's earthworks, then reopens with traffic management.
Music
Wyboston Singer's Postnatal Depression Song Tops 2.2m Views
Lizzie Reynolds left Tesco to sing full-time. Her EP about postnatal depression has passed 2.2 million TikTok views, and in September TikTok flew her to Madrid.
Music
Bedford Singer Grace Cope Signs Six-Single Record Deal
Bedford singer-songwriter Grace Cope, 20, has signed a six-single deal with Cyber Nomad Records. Her first single, Kept It All Inside, is out on 23 October.
House Prices
Bedford House Prices Up £12,497, but Growth Slows to 3.9%
The borough average reached £333,824 in July, up 3.9% and still ahead of every neighbour. The annual rate was 7.5% in May, and flats barely moved.
Planning
Bromham 93 Homes Recommended After 2017 Appeal Loss
Officers back up to 93 homes off Lower Farm Road on Monday. The same site lost a public inquiry in 2017, and 37 objectors and the parish council are against.
Buses
Bedford Bus Service Agreed: Hourly, Both Hospitals, Mon-Sat
The council has agreed funding for an hourly bus, 7.30am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday, covering both hospitals, the station and Kempston. No route number yet.
Council
Bedford's Mayes Yard Deal Reconsidered After £1 Warning
Scrutiny sent the Cityheart developer deal back over five concerns, including a fear that the £1.8m Debenhams and library buildings could fetch £1 each.
Business
Sainsbury's Bedford Distribution Centre Sold to Pension Fund
West Midlands Pension Fund has bought the 462,746 sq ft Sainsbury's depot at Marsh Leys, Kempston. The lease runs to 24 March 2036 and the rent is up 22%.
Universal
Universal Bedford: 23 Firms Named, None From Bedfordshire
Universal has named 23 firms to build its Kempston Hardwick resort. None is registered in Bedfordshire. Who they are, and how local firms can bid.
Council
Bedford Council Overspend: £3.6m Now, £32m Gap Next Year
Bedford Borough Council forecasts a £3.6m overspend even with £25m of government support, led by children's care, and a £32.1m gap for 2027/28.
Crime
Bedford Motorbike Theft: Six Arrests as Vehicle Crime Climbs
Police made six arrests and recovered two stolen motorbikes in a Bedford crackdown. Vehicle crime in central Bedford is up five months running, to 44 in July.
Council
Bedford Elected Mayor: Referendum Vote Set for 16 September
An extraordinary council meeting on 16 September will debate putting Bedford's elected mayor to a referendum. Residents can force one with 6,940 signatures.
Water
Manton Lane Leak in Bedford: Repair Starts 6 Oct, 4 Weeks On
Anglian Water starts repairing the Manton Lane leak today, 6 October, and returns on 12 October. We first reported it on 9 September, under the hosepipe ban.
Planning
Great Barford 500 Homes Approved With 100 Affordable
Councillors approved up to 500 homes at Millfield End on 14 September, with 20% affordable and £2.65m of the £5.98m asked for. The council owns a fifth.
Business
Bedford Minimum Wage: Two Employers Named Over £5,230
A Goldington Road nursery and a Wyboston software firm are on the government's minimum wage naming list of 3 September, for £5,230.89 owed to 21 workers.
Bins and recycling
Bedford Tip: Register Your Number Plate From 1 October
From 1 October you have to register your number plate online to use Barker's Lane tip. It is free, lasts two years for a car, and it scraps every waste permit.
Schools
Bedford School Goes Co-Ed in 2027: Saturday Lessons End Too
Bedford School admits girls from September 2027. Its own FAQs end Saturday morning lessons and make Burnaby the girls' house. A petition against has 526 signatures.
Health
Bedford NHS physio changes provider on 1 October
The borough's community MSK service passes to Cora Health on 1 October under a £120.2m contract. Seven extra clinics are proposed, and 16 year olds get access.
Community
Bedford Youth Panel awards £87,000 to eight projects
Eight Bedford organisations share just over £87,000, and college students chose them. Girls' football, a creative hub and autism youth groups are funded.
Universal
Universal Bedford: 28,000 jobs, and who polices the site
Ministers met eight councils in Bedford on 20 August. Bedford has no planning power over the Universal site: breaches go to the government, not Borough Hall.
House Prices
Bedford house prices up £13,849, fastest of its neighbours
The borough average is £329,830, up 4.4% against England's 1.8%. But May's £334,156 was an all-time record, and June gave £4,326 of it straight back.
Jobs
Bedford Claimant Count: Under-25s Up 27% in Two Years
Bedford's claimant count has barely moved in two years. Underneath it, claims by 18 to 24 year olds are up 26.7 per cent and the 25 to 49 group is down 6.1 per cent.
Housing
Prebend Centre Bedford closes 1 October, council takes over
The Prebend Centre shuts at the end of 1 October and Bedford Borough Council takes over rough sleeper services. Night beds become self-contained rooms.
Environment
Bedford recycling rate: 36.8%, below England's 42%
Defra puts Bedford at 36.8% for 2024/25, behind every neighbour but Luton. The council says 11,774 tonnes were recycled before food waste collections began.
Health
Bedford Hospital care hub approved: 249 parking spaces go
Permission was issued on 13 August for the six-storey elective care hub: 25 conditions, 249 hospital parking spaces lost, 20 years to submit final designs.
Schools
Bedford A level results: 20 August re-mark deadline
The priority re-mark deadline is 20 August, and grades can go down as well as up. Bedford Modern published 52% at A*-A; other schools still show 2025.
Health
Bedford Hospital elective care hub: approval recommended
Officers recommended approval for Bedford Hospital's phased six-storey elective care hub and East West Rail withdrew its objection before Monday's committee.