Dave Hodgson : New Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson

20 Most Recent News Stories

Dave Hodgson Marks 100 Days as Mayor

Sun 31st Jan 2010

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.

Dave Hodgson

Mayor Dave Hodgson Welcomes new Sainsbury's Distribution Centre

Thu 28th Jan 2010

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.

Dave Hodgson

Council Payments to be Published Online as Drive to Open up the Council Continues

Sun 24th Jan 2010

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.

Mayor Gets on his Bike for Safer Cycling in De Parys

Thu 21st Jan 2010

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.

Mayor Dave Hodgson, Cllr David Sawyer and other Safer Cycling in De Parys Participants

Mayor Moves to Tackle Roads Damage Caused by Big Freeze

Sat 16th Jan 2010

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.

Van skidding on ice on snow-covered road. (photography: Matt Raines)

'No Stone Left Unturned' as Proposed Council Budget Protects Frontline Services and Keeps Council Tax Down

Thu 14th Jan 2010

'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.

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Raise a Glass to Recycling as new Rural Bottle Bank is Opened by Mayor Dave Hodgson

Wed 6th Jan 2010

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.

Residents Helped to Save Energy and Cut Costs thanks to Liberal Democrat 'Energy Monitor' Library Loans Initiative

Sat 19th Dec 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Innovative Trial Sees Waste Chip Fat Used to Resurface Road in Bedford

Fri 18th Dec 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson and Charles Royden at Chip Fat Road Resurfacing Trial

Major Boost for Bedford Town Centre as Mayor Dave Hodgson Announces HMV Set to Stay

Tue 15th Dec 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Mayor Dave Hodgson Signs Agreement with Stagecoach for £67,000 Programme of Improvements at Bedford Bus Station

Mon 14th Dec 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Andy Gerard is new Councillor for Kingsbrook Ward

Fri 11th Dec 2009

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%.

Kingsbrook Cllr Andy Gerard, with ward colleague Cllr Anita Gerard, Mayor Dave Hodgson and Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Henry Vann following by-election result

Mayor Dave Hodgson Launches Climate Change Fund

Mon 30th Nov 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Mayor Dave Hodgson Launches 'Meet the Buyer' Event as Campaign to support Local Business Continues

Mon 30th Nov 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Mayor Dave Hodgson and the Liberal Democrats Welcome Start of Church Lane Development Works

Fri 20th Nov 2009

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.

Dave Hodgson

Dave Hodgson and the Lib Dems take action to protect local and wider environment as 40 tons of leaves are cleared from the streets

Sat 14th Nov 2009

A Bedford Borough Council clean-up operation has seen 40 tons of leaves cleared from the streets over recent weeks, with the leaves being composted, rather than sent to landfill, for the first time following the intervention of Mayor Dave Hodgson.

Dave Hodgson

Mayor Dave Hodgson and the Lib Dems to Sign the Council up to 10:10 Climate Change Campaign

Fri 13th Nov 2009

Bedford Borough Council is set to take radical action to tackle climate change by signing up to the national 10:10 Climate Change Campaign, thanks to Mayor Dave Hodgson and the Liberal Democrats. The campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010, and the Council will commit to reaching this target as part of Dave Hodgson's drive for real action to protect the local and wider environment.

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Scale of Toxic Tory Legacy Revealed as Council sets About Keeping Council Tax Down and Protecting Services

Sat 31st Oct 2009

The scale of the task faced by the new regime of Mayor Dave Hodgson in delivering a budget which keeps tax down and protects vital services after the Tory County Council left its finances in a perilous state has been revealed. Newly-appointed Finance Portfolio Holder, Liberal Democrat Cllr Michael Headley, has set out Bedford Borough Council's current financial situation and declared that the council must make sure that 'every penny' of its budget delivers for local residents.

Money: a pile of UK / sterling coins /currency (2007) (photography: Ben Prescott)

Hodgson appoints new Cabinet for Bedford

Tue 27th Oct 2009

New Bedford Mayor Dave Hodgson has appointed a 9-strong cabinet cabinet (executive) to run Bedford Council.

Mayor Dave Hodgson Finalises Cabinet Appointments as Tories Break Pledge to Work Together in Residents' Interests

Mon 26th Oct 2009

Mayor Dave Hodgson has finalised his Cabinet, appointing Cllr David Sawyer (Lib Dem) as Children's Services Portfolio Holder and Cllr Nicky Attenborough (Independent) to the Adult Services Brief. The Conservatives will not sit on the Cabinet after they performed a shocking u-turn dictated from Tory headquarters in London designed to seek political gain over the best interests of Bedford Borough residents.

Dave Hodgson

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