http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Dave Hodgson - Mayor of Bedford en-GB Dave Hodgson - Mayor of Bedford http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Dave Hodgson - Mayor of Bedford 2010-03-09T21:43+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000061/dave_hodgson_marks_100_days_as_mayor.html Dave Hodgson was elected Mayor of Bedford Borough in October last year, and took office 100 days ago this week. Despite this short timeframe and a toxic financial inheritance from the Conservative County Council, a review of the first months of Dave Hodgson's period in office shows that he is getting things done for local residents and is working with his Liberal Democrat colleagues to make Bedford Borough a great place to live, work and do business. 2010-01-31T17:15+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000062/mayor_dave_hodgson_welcomes_new_sainsburys_distribution_centre.html Mayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson has welcomed the news that Sainsbury's will open a major regional distribution centre at Marsh Leys Industrial Park in Kempston. In a major boost for the local economy, around 300 new jobs will be created at the centre, which sees Sainsbury's occupy the site vacated by Woolworths last year. 2010-01-28T18:34+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000044/council_payments_to_be_published_online_as_drive_to_open_up_the_council_continues.html As part of the Liberal Democrats' ongoing drive to open up Bedford Borough Council since the election of Mayor Dave Hodgson, Council payments greater than £1,000 will be published online. The announcement was made last night at a meeting of the Council's Executive by Liberal Democrat Finance Portfolio Holder Cllr Michael Headley, as he presented the Council's proposed budget for the coming year. 2010-01-24T10:05+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000045/mayor_gets_on_his_bike_for_safer_cycling_in_de_parys.html Pedal power was on show in abundance in De Parys on Sunday when Mayor Dave Hodgson joined a Safer Cycling event organised by Liberal Democrat Ward Councillor David Sawyer. 2010-01-21T09:53+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000046/mayor_moves_to_tackle_roads_damage_caused_by_big_freeze.html With the prolonged cold snap having taken a heavy toll on the condition of some of Bedford Borough's roads, Mayor Dave Hodgson has moved to ensure that immediate remedial action is taken as soon as the conditions allow by allocating £200,000 in emergency funds. 2010-01-16T10:20+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000047/no_stone_left_unturned_as_proposed_council_budget_protects_frontline_services_and_keeps_council_tax_down.html 'No stone has been left unturned' in the drive to find savings and keep council tax bills down, declared Dave Hodgson today, as a proposed Bedford Borough Council budget which boosts opportunities for the young, protects the local environment and supports the local economy was published. Against a backdrop of the severe economic crisis and a toxic financial legacy inherited from the former County Council, savings of £9 million have been identified to enable front line services to be protected and a council tax increase of just 2.3 per cent to be proposed. This is down from a forecast 11.5 per cent rise before the election of Mayor Dave Hodgson. 2010-01-14T08:57+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000048/raise_a_glass_to_recycling_as_new_rural_bottle_bank_is_opened_by_mayor_dave_hodgson.html Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats' drive to boost recycling in rural areas and support residents to recycle frequently and conveniently has continued with the provision of a new glass bank at the Horse & Jockey pub in Ravensden. Mayor Dave Hodgson and Deputy Mayor and Environment Portfolio Holder Cllr Charles Royden visited the new facility and have pledged to continue the campaign to support residents across the Borough to recycle. 2010-01-06T16:48+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000049/residents_helped_to_save_energy_and_cut_costs_thanks_to_liberal_democrat_energy_monitor_library_loans_initiative.html Local residents are now able to borrow 'energy monitors' for free from the library to help them save energy and cut household bills, thanks to a Liberal Democrat initiative launched by Mayor Dave Hodgson. The idea was proposed by Dave Hodgson at a meeting of the Borough Council's Sustainability Committee before his election as Mayor. He launched the scheme at Bedford Central Library in October, and early indications are that the scheme is proving popular. 2009-12-19T10:15+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000050/innovative_trial_sees_waste_chip_fat_used_to_resurface_road_in_bedford.html Mayor Dave Hodgson and Deputy Mayor Charles Royden attended an innovative trial at Everard Road in Goldington on Tuesday, as an environmentally friendly product using waste vegetable oil was used for road resurfacing. The trial substituted the usual binding substance for Vegetex, which uses recycled vegetable oil, cutting the carbon footprint of works with no loss of quality. 2009-12-18T13:44+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000052/major_boost_for_bedford_town_centre_as_mayor_dave_hodgson_announces_hmv_set_to_stay.html Mayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson has announced a major boost for the town centre with the news that not only has HMV extended the lease on its temporary Silver Street store by three months to April 2010, the major music and DVD retailer also 'firmly intends' to open a store in Bedford on a permanent basis. 2009-12-15T10:20+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000051/mayor_dave_hodgson_signs_agreement_with_stagecoach_for_67000_programme_of_improvements_at_bedford_bus_station.html Mayor Dave Hodgson has signed an agreement with Stagecoach for a £67,000 programme of improvements at Bedford Bus Station, improving a key gateway to the town centre. The bus station is due to be removed and re-located a short distance as part of the planned redevelopment of Bedford Town Centre, but with this project held up by the recession and the collapse in the housing market, Dave Hodgson has made a deal with Stagecoach, its owners, which involves real improvements to the area and an ongoing commitment to a high level of maintenance. 2009-12-14T09:15+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000053/andy_gerard_is_new_councillor_for_kingsbrook_ward.html Liberal Democrat Andy Gerard has been elected as the new Councillor for Kingsbrook Ward. He achieved an emphatic victory in yesterday's by-election, with Labour and the Tories a long way back in second and third place respectively. The Liberal Democrats' share of the vote increased, while on a dreadful night for the Conservatives, their vote share fell by 7.5%. 2009-12-11T08:51+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000056/mayor_dave_hodgson_launches_climate_change_fund.html Mayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson has announced the launch of the Council's Climate Change fund, a radical move to fund projects which will cut CO2 emissions in the Borough and protect the environment. The fund, which will be open to applications early in the new year, will be launched with an initial £100,000, with the scheme set to grow in future years. It will help organisations including schools, community groups and the council itself undertake capital projects which will have a real impact on protecting the local and wider environment. 2009-11-30T20:54+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000059/mayor_dave_hodgson_launches_meet_the_buyer_event_as_campaign_to_support_local_business_continues.html Mayor Dave Hodgson launched Bedford Borough's first 'Meet the Buyer' event, where small local firms got the chance to meet buyers from nine major local organisations, at the Barns Hotel in Bedford last week. The event was designed to give small local firms, who do not usually have access to major buyers, the chance to develop contacts and seek to develop potentially lucrative relationships with the larger organisations. 2009-11-30T12:47+00:00 http://www.daveformayor.org.uk/news/000055/mayor_dave_hodgson_and_the_liberal_democrats_welcome_start_of_church_lane_development_works.html Mayor Dave Hodgson will be at the Church Lane Neighbourhood Centre on Monday to mark the start of work on phase one of the redevelopment of the site. The developers Coplan Estates were appointed by the Borough Council in 2006, and local Liberal Democrat Ward Councillors from Goldington and Putnoe have pressed for the much-needed development to go ahead. Now phase one of the development, which will see a new food store and car parking at the site, is getting underway. 2009-11-20T18:18+00:00