Search Houghton Regis Notes
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
A letter to councillors at Central Bedfordshire
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Take Away the Street Clutter, and Make a Shared Space?
Well, I have to say, my mind was constantly turning towards the lights at Bedford Road/High Street junction in Houghton Regis. If a roundabout was tried in the past and failed, and the lights are failing us now, maybe this "free-for-all" approach is worth a look?
Just as one town was persuaded to cover up its traffic lights for a couple of days, "to see what happens"; I was thinking, "Yes, let's do the same here, and see what happens." And that town's people, so we were told, would not let the officials take the bags off, because everything was working much more smoothly than ever it had before. Yes, please, I thought. Where do I sign?
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLfasxqhBNU
Footnote: still wondering how the blind and partially sighted cope with these arrangements, but am sure blind skating is a possibility... let me know.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Family Sentenced For Drug Dealing Operation
Shades of Shameless' Maguires as Bedfordshire close down 'family business'
Six members of the same family have been sentenced for offences connected to a cocaine dealing operation in Houghton Regis and laundering the proceeds of crime.
- Steven Edward Draper, 25, of Brentwood Close, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement.
- His partner, Christina Murphy, 23, also of Brentwood Close, was jailed for 21 months after admitting becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
- His brother Frank Draper, 27, of Parkside Drive, was jailed for six years, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
- His mother Pauline McIravey, 49, of Bradford Road, Toddington, was given a ten month prison sentence suspended for two year, with 200 hours unpaid work, after pleading guilty to becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement. Her plea was on the basis that she suspected the money that was passed through her bank account was not legitimate, but did not know it came from the sale of drugs.
- Half-brother Kevin Foskett, 22, of Barleyfield Way, Dunstable, was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Kevin’s mother Lorraine Draper, 42, of Parkside Close, was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
When the case was opened last month prosecutor Rebecca Crane said: "This case is all about drug dealing, which the prosecution say was a family business. The defendants are all related to each other and were involved to a greater or lesser extent, some were dealing, some packaging and some laundering the money made from the business."
¬ A future hearing will be held to consider confiscation of assets ¬
Thousands of street deals of cocaine wrapped in lottery entry slips were found during raids. Miss Crane said the conspiracy started to unravel when police searched the house in Brentwood Close in February 2008.
He at first used his 'barking and aggressive Rottweiler' to prevent police from getting into the house, and used the time to flush drugs down the toilet,
Police inquiries continued and in November 2008 two properties in Parkside Close were searched and the family members arrested.
Judge Jeffrey Burke QC told the family: "Dealing in Class A drugs is always treated seriously for good reason. They are dangerous and lead to serious damage and degradation to the consumers and to society as a whole.
"In some quarters cocaine is thought of as a recreational drug, but it is fact an insidious and dangerous drug."
He said the main offender, Stephen Edward Draper, had been a regular user himself and when his supplier moved away he took over dealing the drug in Houghton Regis and Dunstable in 2005. His brother and half brother later joined the conspiracy.
Draper’s barrister, Nichola Meyrick said: "He bears responsibility for bringing down his partner and his mother as well. The enormity of what he has done really weighs heavily on him."
Miss Ismet Rawal defending his partner Christina Murphy, who has a nine month old son with him, said: "She became aware he was keeping drugs at the house, but never saw more than 12 wraps at a time. She tried her best to dissuade him without success."
The prosecution said she was involved in passing more than £26,000 through his mother's bank account. A future hearing will be held to consider confiscation of assets.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Houghton Regis Leisure Centre Facing Closure
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
What Does Houghton Regis Want?
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
What do the people of Houghton Regis want?
Looking through the latest list from CBC, it is clear that the answer is "quite a lot!"
We want ... a pedestrian crossing in Windsor Drive.
When will we get it? ... Added to Central Beds Council's 5 year programme.
We want ... Tree to be trimmed as it is over-hanging the lamp-post (Maple Way, Dolphin Drive, Enfield Close, Trident Drive, Brookfield Avenue, )
We want ... a Disabled Parking Bay in Blackthorn Road.
We want ... speeding stopped on Tithe Farm Road.
We want ... a dropped kerb. CBC wil send you a survey form to be completed.
We want ... parking restriction assessment in Humphreys Road.
We want ... a safety white line in Bedford Road.
We want ... gullies cleared at The Green, Porz Avenue, Long Mead, Blackthorn Drive, Arenson Way roundabout, Alsop Close (response: Alsop Close is not Highways Land).
We want ... driveway not to be blocked (Drury Lane).
We want ... a safer footpath and cycle path in Houghton Road (2 complaints) (Inspector: "Visited site. No Cat 1 defects found or anything dangerous. Will await further Details,Photos,Etc. if claim is submitted").
We want ... lights to be made to work.
We want ... double yellows in Angels Lane on the library side.
We want ... branches trimmed, Poynters Road (2 reports).
We want ... wider road at East End to properly allow 2 lanes to queue to roundabout, to reduce congestion.
We want ... parking restrictions in Angels Lane.
We want ... a pedestrian crossing in Parkside Drive near the school at the layby.
We want ... overgrown brambles/hedges trimmed back (Tennyson Ave, Gilpin Close, Chelsea Gardens, Sundon Road, Drury Lane)
We want ... yellow lines in Saxon Close due to inappropriate parking.
We want ... a louder crossing (Drury Lane)
We want ... recreation road repaired.
We want ... railings repaired by HRTC (The Green)
We want ... potholes repaired (Hillborough Crescent, Hayley Court, Park Avenue, Queen Street, King Street, Chelsea Gardens roudabout, Sewell Lane )
We want ...crumbling footpath repaired Manor Park, Chelsea Gardens (roots problem)
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Sky-Diving Councillor Dies
Sunday, 8 August 2010
BusWay - A Question over Contracts
If foul play is suspected over the timing of the signing of contracts, then I think Andrew Selous is right to pursue the issue. If the purpose is to get the contract cancelled in the hope that money saved will be directly shifted to constructing the A5-M1 link road, then I think the hope is naive.
Given that the busway construction has been funded, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012, I think we should accept it as a fait accompli. So, we should concentrate on doing what we can to promote the benefits of the scheme.
It will certainly be of use to people living in Houghton Regis, either directly, by improving journey times (and a smoother ride), or indirectly, by reducing congestion between Houghton Regis and other destinations during peak times.
The busway will, for the first time, be able to potentially offer Houghton Regis a direct bus service to Luton Airport.
I have FOI evidence from Luton Borough Council that 125,000 potential passengers will live within a 400m walk of one of the 250 bus stops that will be upgraded and will be served by a bus that will use the busway for some or all of their journey.
I accept that for many types of drivers, it will be difficult for them to be persuaded to use the bus, but those extra that do will reduce the travel times experienced by all users during present peak times.
But, I still need to be convinced that the bus operators are doing enough to understand the journeys that people currently make. I am sure they will want to maximise their passenger numbers and make their businesses succeed and will undertake the necessary research to make that possible.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Charging For Adult Social Care: Councillor Wants Your Opinions
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Houghton Regis Councillors Consider Alternative Routes to Beat Congestion and Save Time
Issues affecting Houghton Regis include:
Solutions
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Bypass before development | A Town Plan for Houghton Regis
Monday, 14 June 2010
The Beechnut is Back!
Following up on my earlier notes, the beechnut scheme was back on the agenda:
Letter to my fellow Lib Dem CBC councillors:
"The application for the "Beechnut" for Bedford Square came before the Houghton Regis Town Council planning committee this evening.
"The scheme is supposed to "help make Bedford Square a focus for community interaction and recreation". Yet people already interact in Bedford Square, and there have been many attempts over the years to make Bedford Square less of a recreational area. Surely the last thing to be encouraged is "recreational use"? A secondary aspiration of the project is to "enhance Bedford Square". I am of the opinion that this particular artwork will be a carbuncle on Bedford Square; one which will have no recognisable connection to its proposed location and one that will serve to distance the people of the town from its elected representatives, both locally, and at the heart of the decision-making process.
"The scheme comes within economic.growth@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Economic Growth and Regeneration Department of Central Bedfordshire Council, and yet there is a strong feeling about the town that this particular artwork is unwanted, that it is a waste of public money, and of no value in the regeneration of Houghton Regis.
"Has CBC got the guts to pull the money from this HAPPEN arts scheme, and thereby save the impression that public money is being squandered at a time when other public projects are being postponed and reviewed; and at a time when the public, in general, is being warned to expect further public cuts?"
Discuss this issue here
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Popular events may go as Tories look for cuts | Public Art for Bedford Square
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Popular events may go as Tories look for cuts | Public Art for Bedford Square | New Lib Dem Mayor | Massive Overspend Threatens Fledgling Tory Central Bedfordshire Authority | Central Beds Council in Care-Charging Mess | Motor Biking | No More Duck Houses | Trees Bentwood Close | Leafields | Neptune Square