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Friday 16 November 2012

Council Grants Secure Funding for Key Partners Over Four Years

Houghton Regis Town Council's Grants Sub Committee on Monday night agreed to make grants to the
following Key Partners.

  • SORTED - £3000
  • Dunstable and District Citizen's Advice Bureau - £2200
  • Voluntary and Community Action - £2500
  • South Beds Dial A Ride - £2200
  • Keech Hospice Care - £3740

The Council has the power to award grants. The awards are made annually after the applicants are
approved for Key Partner Status, for a period of 4 years. The Key Partner status gives an organisation
a fair degree of certainty that in each of the four years, an award will be made, and assist the
Council to budget. The contribution made above is just a small help towards the total cost of running
each service.

Chair of the committee, Cllr Alan Winter said, “We hope this boost will continue to inspire others to also support these worthy charities. People in Houghton Regis are frequently very charitable, and there is nothing more worthy than helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves”

“Our next Grants Committee meets in March 2013. I would like to think that local organisations and clubs will come forward to apply for small grants to help them with a project that will benefit
members of our community. If the cash help is required before March, the officers have the power to
grant up to £200. Please don't be shy in coming forward. Our budget is limited, but I'd rather it was used up for the purpose it was allocated, rather than pushed back into general funds. To apply just visit the Town council offices.”


About the organisations awarded.


SORTED is a free and confidential counselling service for young people aged from 5 to 25 in the
Dunstable and Houghton Regis area. The service has contracts with local schools, including All Saints
Academy and Houghton Regis Academy. Play therapy is offered for younger children 5-13 who have
experienced domestic violence.

Dunstable and District Citizen's Advice Bureau is a member organisation of Citizens Advice. They have approximately 28 volunteers at Dunstable and District CAB, and the end user is not charged for their services. They hold outreach services in Tithe Farm and Parkside Neighbourhood Centres, when a paid member of staff visits.

Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire works with voluntary organisations and
community groups on a range of organisational, management and development issues, offering such
things as financial advice, networking events, and volunteer guidance.

South Beds Dial A Ride provide door-to-door transport for the disabled and elderly frail of
Bedfordshire who are unable to use normal public service transport.

Keech Hospice Care cares for adults living in Luton and South Bedfordshire and children from across
Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, some of whom reside in Houghton Regis. Their aim
is to help patients enjoy the highest quality of life while providing vital support for their family and
friends throughout their loved one's illness and in their bereavement.



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Observations On High Street Houghton Regis

I attended the High Street between 7:45am and 8:15am today to make observations at the temporary roundabout at the head of Bedford Road.





This has now replaced the traffic lights. The pedestrian-controlled crossing across Bedford Road (church to King's Head) has also been removed.

One person was unsure where to cross the road from the Church side. Directed her to a gap between plastic temporary barriers further down. Spoke to site (foreman?) who seemed to arrange for more barriers to be placed around the curb near the church. Another lady on the other side standing waiting to cross, unsure if she should cross there or not. I escorted her across.

Artic lorry turning left from Bedford Road. Wheels go over kerb. Site (foreman?) pointed out to me that the current pedestrian "refuge area" was barriered-off because of the poles still in situ, and tarmaccing work, would be removed so artic lorries would in the end have more manoeuvrability at the junction.

From the Dunstable approach the "straight on" lane is unusable at the moment due to tarmacking and temporary barriers. When it is available to use I am concerned that it might not be used because it is not in alignment with the carriageway on the other side to come off the roundabout. But as this is a temporary roundabout, this may not be a problem in the end.

Observed three vehicles emerge from Dunstable side, in separate incidents continue straight over the roundabout without giving way to traffic signalling right and already on the roundabout. This is dangerous. This occurs because drivers are so used to carrying on from the Dunstable side to the Houghton Regis side while traffic from the Houghton Regis side queues up and signals to turn right. 

Crossing from Co-op to Bedford Square now has no pedestrian lights. Difficult to cross due to now constant flow of traffic.

The speed of traffic now seems much higher than before. Until 20mph is in place, and zebra crossings are down it is going to be tricky for pedestrians crossing the road at all points. It is also going to be harder for motorists to emerge from Church car park and Whitehouse Close.  

Query sent to Highways asking if consideration can be given to painting temporary zebra crossing markings, to assist pedestrians, given the speeded-up traffic, or is the timescale so short before they are properly replaced that it's not worth considering?

Other observations:
“I've seen a lot of feedback from people using the junction Bedford Road / High Street Houghton Regis.
1 People are grateful for the lollipop ladies.
2. People are saying the crossing is too near the junction.
3. People are saying that cars are NOT STOPPING at the roundabout when there is traffic already on it with the right of way.




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Wednesday 14 November 2012

Bus Journey to Luton

More adverse public reactions this week to work going on at Bedford Road/High Street, in Houghton Regis, after an accident occurred on Monday morning.

For those who don't know or aren't aware, I have been down several times to witness. I have reported my observations from day one of the work to Bedfordshire Highways and CBC. I have been told they will revisit their plans. I'm an unpaid layperson. We should expect professional service from the paid professionals, and those who employ them must ask stiff questions.

I took myself off to Luton yesterday. On the bus. Oh, deary me. I used to travel by car from home to Welwyn Garden City in 45 minutes or less, starting the journey at 7am. So I boarded the bus at 8.30am. 

The only bus service from home went all over the place. Someone seemed to get on or off every hundred yards of progress. Thank goodness for bus lanes in Luton. 

When there was standing room only, the driver undid his cash till and got off. A ladydriver got on. She fiddled around in her seat for a few minutes. Then drove about 6 feet, and opened the doors again. A load more people got on. Some who thought they were on didn't want to budge any further down the corridor and were either unable to understand English or so into their headphoned music that others had to speak loudly to get them to budge. Eventually, I arrived in the centre of Luton. Journey time one hour. 

So, roll on the busway. Let's pray we get a faster service for Houghton Regis to take us into the major commercial centre that is local to us.

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Thursday 1 November 2012

Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Woodside Link | Parkside Muga | New Crossings


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Tuesday 30 October 2012

New (Temporary) Roundabout at High Street Houghton Regis


I attended site this morning 07:45 to 08:15. Traffic is now moving much more freely. 
I made observations and will pass them onto Highways.
















LINKS:  Site Plan | Morrisons store plans and associated works scheme | S106 and Planning Permissions | Planning Documents at CBC



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Monday 29 October 2012

New Roundabout in Town: I Still Want A Shared Space Scheme

As part of the planning permissions for Morrisons new store in Houghton Regis a new roundabout was installed at a main junction today.
I'm glad the lights have gone.
I'm happy the roundabout is back.
But I still need to work on the powers that be to get them to accept "Shared Space".

INTRODUCTION TO SHARED SPACE - PART ONE

INTRODUCTION TO SHARED SPACE - PART TWO




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Sunday 28 October 2012

Busway Route Too Narrow for Wheelchairs

Misguided?

The footpaths around the bus stops in Houghton Regis have had their kerbs raised and footpaths relaid to make it easier for the elderly and people in wheelchairs to gain access to the buses without a ramp.  We won't know if this will always be possible because it's likely that on occasion wheels will get stuck in the gap.  In any case this particular path in my ward, in Parkside Drive, would be too narrow to get a wheelchair along.


DEVELOPMENT COSTS
The capital costs of the busway scheme are around £90million, (DfT £80m, local councils and private sector funding about £10m [reference]). The busway will run between Houghton Regis and Luton town centre and is due to open next Spring. Watch out for the spin. There'll be plenty of over-bearing, gushing, ministerial and council officials making announcements.

The government approved this project hours before the Spending Review announcement was made to review all capital projects. Echoes of "Yes Minister" in my head.  In the region, there is no popular support for the concrete busway and many commentators have said as much. As much as it is a lame duck, that skirts around the edges of housing estates with very few bus stops, I am committed to promoting it, because if it's not promoted and used local Councils are going to have very high annual maintenance bills for it, with little coming back in to balance the books.

It would have been far more prudent, in my view, to have spent the DfT money on the A5-M1 link road (recently approved) and the Woodside Connection, a new arterial route proposed to take traffic from Dunstable to a new M1 motorway junction 11a (and supply local roads in a major new housing development).

The A5-M1 link road will cost between £156m and £212m. In part, this is being financed by £45 million from the private sector and £5 million from Central Bedfordshire Council. The Woodside Connection is expected to cost some £45m, and I don't think anyone seriously knows how it will be afforded, yet.

Of this private sector finance, the cost is, of course, bound to be loaded back onto the cost of the 7,000 new homes the developers want to build, and the way I see that is that it will mean less cash available for new community facilities like doctors surgeries, community halls, churches, sporting facilities.

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Saturday 27 October 2012

Dolphin Drive: Parking Trouble Brews At Blind Corner

It so winds me up that drivers continue to flout the double yellow lines in Dolphin Drive, Houghton Regis.

After I took this picture, this driver told me, "I only stopped to buy some cups of tea. You need to get a life."


Well, it's not me that needs to get a life. It's him that needs to save a life.

I'm sure he did just stop to get some tea. And I'm sure he was only a few minutes. But after he's driven off, some other yo-yo is guaranteed to park up there, too, within 10 minutes, to "only get a loaf of bread", or "only get a newspaper." And before you know it the area is occupied by vehicles all day long.

The double yellows are down there to keep the road safe throughout the day. The obstruction caused could easily lead to a driver overtaking said parked-up-vehicle, and running into some other vehicle coming around the right-bend corner.

Worse, it could be an emergency vehicle obstructed from making progress to attending a local house. Seconds lost towards saving someone's life, or someone's home from going up in smoke. Still, chummy here can always fall back on his excuse,  "I only stopped to buy some cups of tea" as his defence to the judge.


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Thursday 4 October 2012

Parkside Drive Resurfacing


I have just spoken to Jason from Amey, who is running the operation to resurface Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis.

The work started this morning and will continue over the next four days. The times are 08:00 to 18:00.
The area to be resurfaced is from Windsor Drive junction to Westminster Gardens.

Through traffic is being barred from Parkside Drive, although local road access is possible.



Windsor Drive and Parkside Drive are used by traffic as an alternative rush hour route to Park Road North and Sundon Road.

Because of the hours of operation of this resurfacing, this alternative route will be unavailable.
This will mean that for Thursday and Friday evenings, there will be double the amount of traffic converging from Park Road North onto the Chequers roundabout, Houghton Regis.

I don't want to sound alarmist, but this is going to have a significant impact all down Poynters Road and beyond. 

Therefore, traffic aiming for Tithe Farm and Parkside estates would do better by trying to reroute their homeward journeys, either via Luton or Junction 12 of the M1.

I have enquired as to why off-peak resurfacing is not being done. I have been told that that would cost another 25% on the budget, so is unaffordable.

I have enquired about the use of one-way traffic and traffic lights. I have been told that would endanger workmen and equipment, and if equipment is damaged would cost the operation even more.
I have enquired as to the temporary potential opening of the bus link. I have been told that would not be possible as alternative routes must be on same grade routes, shrubbery would need to be cut back, graffiti removed from the road surface as to leave it would make the surface slippery, and to do all that work for short term gain would be inappropriate.

Please don't blame the messenger!

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Sunday 16 September 2012

Leisure Centre Successful Reopening (2012)

An event at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre in 2012 attracted over 700 people and many of them tried out various activities for free.

The day started with an indoor boot sale at 10am, attracting people on a frosty but sunny morning. Visitors enjoyed various activities such as a mini-activity play area, table tennis, fencing, badminton, a bouncy castle, martial arts, weight training, dance-mats, and aerobics.

Local schools participated in a mural competition. Their artwork was showcased at the Leisure Centre and judged later.

In the afternoon, there was a tea dance and a Gators Hockey Match.

During the morning, numerous individuals enrolled in leisure courses.

The swimming pool officially closed in September 2011, three months ago.

Campaigners still hope that the Centre will stay open beyond the proposed end-of-contract date of 31 March 2012. CBC suggested closing the dry activities on that date, but some organizations may still be able to use the building afterwards. The site's management is currently being tendered.

A new contract for dry side activities should be in place for an initial 12 months, starting from 1 April 2012. The aim is to make the facility more affordable for the public to continue accessing.

Sally Gray, along with local campaigners Kay Hudgell and Tracey McMahon, among others, has been actively urging people to attend the SAVE HOUGHTON REGIS LEISURE CENTRE initiative. The campaign group also maintains their own News Page on Facebook.


 "Stay Fit - Stay Open".

The event was attended by Houghton Regis Town Council Mayor, Andrew Roberts, who is pictured here with campaigners Tracey McMahon, Kay Hudgell, (and Regis the Lion)  after the judging of the murals. The message on the mural and from local people is loud and clear - "Stay Fit - Stay Open".


 











The Price of an Empty Pool - 30/11/2011

Today, I visited my local swimming pool, even though it was closed, to capture some reference pictures of its empty state. To my surprise, the temperature inside the pool hall was unbearably hot. Perhaps it was due to my recent strenuous walk, but I wasn't expecting to be hit by such intense heat upon entering.

When I inquired about the sauna-like conditions, a Harper's Leisure employee explained that they had to gradually lower the temperature to avoid any structural damage to the roof. Now, I'm no expert, but it does seem a bit peculiar. It's been almost two months since the pool closed, and the temperature has only dropped to around 28 degrees from the previous 31 degrees. So, who is responsible for heating this enormous space? Is it Harper's Leisure or Central Beds Council? It's anyone's guess, but it's likely the burden falls on the public purse of CBC. And if CBC is footing the bill, was this cost factored into their supposed "savings" plan?

But that's not all. The changing rooms at the Centre are also closed. I was informed that there was an outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease last Tuesday.

The pool at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre closed earlier than originally announced, on September 4th, as a cost-saving measure by Central Beds. Since then, it has been drained. The Town Council has formally requested consultation on whether to fund the pool's continued operation, and the consultation letter is currently being delivered to homes in the town.


>Time to Save Houghton Regis Leisure Centre Swimming Pool?

22 June 2011

At the beginning of September, Central Bedfordshire Council ceased funding for Houghton Regis Leisure Centre Swimming Pool.

This week, residents of Houghton Regis will receive leaflets seeking their input on whether to reopen the swimming pool at the expense of Houghton Regis Town Council or to close it. They will also be asked to vote on whether to contribute additional funds through local Council Tax to keep the pool open from April 1st, 2012, to March 31st, 2013.

During this consultation, some may argue that paying higher taxes to the Houghton Regis Town Council is preferable, as it would be more expensive for swimmers to travel to and park at another pool, such as Lewsey Farm or Dunstable, especially for those living closer to the present pool. However, it has been noted that taking swimming lessons during school time can be disruptive to teaching, particularly if travel is involved. This incurs additional costs that local schools, King's Houghton and Hillcrest, have not previously had to bear.

Critics may claim that the pool is not suitable for learning purposes. In Hemel Hempstead, my own children had the privilege of accessing two excellent learning pools. One had a shallow heated pool for parents and babies, while the other had a movable floor in the learner pool, enhancing water confidence. The Houghton Regis pool, built in a different era, has faced criticism for being too deep for learners and, at times, not adequately warm.

Some are saying that it's best to mothball the pool for now,
  • "It's old and tired, and looks like a big bath."
  • "Let's wait for the investment to arrive in a few year's time, and come out of it with a better, superior, pool."
  • "the present pool isn't fit for families, and there's nowhere for a parent to take a break."

Others will have expectations of getting better facilities for extra taxes, but they won't be, if the consultation exercise says "yes" to paying more to keep it open.

Central Beds Council have argued that only a few people use the pool, but others have questioned their ability to keep proper records of the number of people entering the leisure facilities,  pointing to poor management. But there are no plans to change the present management.

Some will say they are already contributing to CBC's council tax for leisure facilities in other towns, and ask why they should contribute again, to the Town Council's coffers?

Some will ask why they should contribute to keep Houghton's pool open when other people from Dunstable, Toddington, Luton etc. will be able to come to Houghton Regis' facility and NOT have to contribute an extra tax.

Some individuals may highlight the government's plan to keep Central Beds Council's council tax at 0% next year. However, it is important to remember that this decision will result in more service cuts. Central Beds Council may argue that a small additional amount to the town council will be easily affordable. Yet, we should be concerned about the potential increase in crime rates and declining standards of care in our area. In the coming months, we will hear news about these cuts, and the town council may have to consider supporting the services affected. These services could include street lighting, CCTV, road maintenance, salt for the roads, and community care. Investing in these areas would help safeguard our community against crime and maintain infrastructure standards. Therefore, in addition to potentially providing financial support for these services, should we really burden the community with further tax increases solely to fund a swimming pool that no longer adequately meets our needs?

We are a conscientious council, and we are aware that many families in our deprived communities are struggling to make ends meet. So, we need people to bear all these thoughts in mind when they decide which way to go when they give their input to the Houghton Regis Town Council consultation.

All things are possible, and as a council taxpayer, I'm happy to go with the flow. I hope people will consider the greater good, and I look forward to finding out what the overall verdict is when we meet at our next full council meeting.


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Wednesday 5 September 2012

Neptune Square needs co-ordinated action


Dolphin Drive, Houghton Regis, has an awkward double bend in it and that is presumably the reason for double yellow lines on it. I wouldn't support the removal of these lines from one or other side of the road as parked vehicles are a hazard to traffic movement. And, actually, I don't really support the heavy handed approach of beating people with a stick, in the form of the parking control car, especially when other solutions can be found.

Neptune Square was created at a time when it was assumed people would walk to the shops. The reality is that they would rather park on double yellow lines for a couple of minutes to save them walking too far "just for a paper" or "just for a loaf of bread". There are parking areas nearby but these have the look and feel of being in some way reserved for private dwellings.

A couple of years ago one of the officers from Central Bedfordshire Council was on the verge of putting together a scheme to improve the area when funding was withdrawn.

In Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead the Councils have worked with Nisa Stores to improve the parking situation near their other shops. I am very familiar with the scheme implemented for Crabtree Stores, Hemel Hempstead. People can park safely and have more time to shop as they are not constantly looking out for the "car parking police". This can only be good for business.

The shop owner tells me that he has been in constant one way communication over the past three to four years with the Central Beds Council, MP Andrew Selous and their solicitors with a proposal, "... to the make Neptune Square a more pleasant modernised, community place to visit, shop and park at our cost too. So far this is falling on deaf ears."

Well, I don't think this should continue to fall on deaf ears. I have written to Cllr Nigel Young, the "Executive Member for Sustainable Communities - Strategic Planning and Economic Development" to ask for some coordinated action.

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Saturday 1 September 2012

Weedy Estate in Houghton Regis





I took a quick spin around the Parkside estate today. Leaving Parkside to deteriorate like this is not on. In the long run, it's a false economy as the weeds undermine the pathways and roadways which will require even more public money to put right. And it's not just weeds that need tackling, it's self-planted trees, too. Come on Central Bedfordshire Council. You can do better!


  
 




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Thursday 30 August 2012

High Street Works - What's In Store For Us

With my "Bedfordshire Highways Rep" for the Town Council hat on, I have been trying to piece my way through the things that are happening, and the correspondence I have had, with regard to the roadworks in Houghton Regis High Street. 

Morrison Utility Services are a utility company doing work in the High Street for UK Power Networks. The Morrison name appears on some pedestrian barriers in the High Street area. The work for UKPN happens to be installing cabling for the Morrisons superstore currently being constructed. Information received today says that this work was needed to be in place prior to the main work commencing. A memo from UKPN states that that work will be completed in the next 2-3 days.

Even these works have resulted in some complaints, on Facebook, of long delays in the High Street this week.

Permission has now been given by the Highways Authority's agent (Amey) to allow UKPN to continue with their work next week. This will require three-way lights in place of permanent lights in the first week of September, during off-peak hours, and manually controlled all day. Being manually controlled it is hoped that this may work better than the non-manual lights do at present.

When the full-blown road works begin in the High Street, as a consequence of the S278 requirements for the Morrisons superstore,  the junction of High Street and Bedford Road will be changed to a roundabout and there will no longer be traffic lights. A 20mph scheme will be brought in for the High Street area to further improve traffic flows. Information about the scheme can be found here.

A date for the S278 road works in High Street, Houghton Regis has not yet been confirmed, but highway planners are mindful of the impact that the major roadworks in South Bedfordshire are having. The start date is not far away.

Meanwhile, traffic flows between Dunstable and Luton continue to be affected by works in Church Street, Dunstable which may still be closed on two further occasions in October, and Court Drive, Dunstable is likely to be one way only until approximately the end of October. Highway works planners say they are very mindful of the impact the works are having on Houghton Regis, and will continue to do all that can be done to help ease congestion through Houghton Regis in the coming months.

Keep Away From Houghton Regis : 5/9/2012

I emailed the Street Works Co-ordinator today about the road works in Houghton Regis.

The current work is needed for UK Power Networks low voltage cabling and will continue until the end of the week, being done off-peak until 3.30pm daily. Temporary lights are in operation as one lane is out of use. These are being operated on manual timings (when the guy is not on his lunch break), and on automatic settings the rest of the time.

Automatic or manual doesn't seem to make much difference, actually, since the operator can't see the lengths of queues in all three directions, so his decisions are at best, a guess. I don't envy him in his task. If he had CCTV of queues in each direction this might improve on the guesswork. It would certainly make more sense.

I did notice that traffic moving along the East End and into High Street was leaving long gaps, and by the time the traffic arrived in the later period of the green lights at Bedford Road, these gaps were significant. If drivers didn't leave such long gaps, maybe a few more would get through in the green light period.

I also thought that traffic emerging from Bedford Road could be allowed to turn left at any time, with the proviso that a "CAUTION - LOOK RIGHT" sign was put up. 5/9/2012

With lots more weeks of road work ahead, the message needs to go out to everyone in the region, "Keep Away From Houghton Regis!"

added 6/9/2012

Path works start next week. The Street Works Co-ordinator has stated in a memo to me, "When works start next week there will be no [temporary] traffic lights. The first set of temporary traffic lights will be after approximately six weeks of the scheme towards the end of October when the permanent lights are removed."



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Wednesday 15 August 2012

Constituency Boundaries In Review

The latest threat to jeopardise the proposed constituency boundary changes – reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 – by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, throws the problem for this area once again into sharp focus.

The proposed new boundary changes would see Houghton Regis and Dunstable being separated into two different constituencies. Dunstable would no longer be a part of South West Bedfordshire. Caddington, Chaul End, Kensworth and East Hyde would become part of a redrawn Hemel Hempstead constituency. Nadine Dorries present seat would be abolished.

But the South West Beds constituency has exactly the right number of constituents at the moment. So, why does it need to change?

It's already fairly confusing for local people as the current area newspapers regularly report the activites of five Members of Parliament. The re-jig would reduce that count to four. But will people, especially those in Dunstable, remember the changes if they do go through, and remember to contact the correct MP? Implementing the proposals would be a recipe for chaos at a time the country needs stability.

Political parties organised by Constituency boundaries face the upheaval of changing their structures and bank accounts to cope with the changes. Spending time on that instead of the real issues of the day is a detraction that we can certainly do without.

There is an overwhelming sense of being mere mortals in the face of these god-like proposals from the Boundary Commission for England.

Dunstable Town Council organised a petition protesting at Dunstable being shifted to a new constituency comprising eight Luton wards and the four Dunstable wards. The petition was supported by local Tory MP, Andrew Selous. 

The new boundaries are designed to even out the number of MPs in each seat, but given that population growth is likely to be strongest from current centres of population, it won't be long before they'll have to look at these boundaries again.

Estimates by Boundary Commission for England.for the new boundaries:
18 Hemel Hempstead CC 76,457
26 Luton North and Dunstable BC 78,957
27 Luton South BC 75,106
43 South West Bedfordshire CC 77,807
44 South West Hertfordshire CC 79,167
46 St Albans CC 78,920


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Friday 20 July 2012

Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Success of Jubilee Events | Bus Stop Upgrades

2012 Issue 2.





Success of Jubilee Events | Bus Stop Upgrades | New Market Stalls | New Housing Schems | Cemetery Upgrade | Free Security Check | Be a Houghto Helper | Street Watch | Free Swimming | Short Stay Medical Unit
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Sunday 15 July 2012

New Names Wanted for New Neighbourhoods

I read that land in the north of Houghton Regis was given to the Prior and this land was called Caldecote (Vivienne Evans, A Brief History of Dunstable with the Priory 1100-1550). Now that redevelopment proposals are being publicly discussed, they are also casting around for new suggestions for up to three new neighbourhoods. I think it important that the new neighbourhoods are given appropriate names.

We start from the current three electoral wards for Houghton Regis: Tithe Farm, Parkside, and Houghton Hall.

Developer's suggestions have included "Houstone", "Milard", and "Kyngs".

Well, "Houstone" is an ancient name for the whole of Houghton Regis, and I don't find that very imaginative. Milard comes from Alice Milard. Alice Smyth, a widower, purchased land from the Duke of Bedford's very extensive estates and proceeded to have Houghton Hall constructed next to the Village Green, completed in 1700. Her new husband, William Milard, later gained a knighthood. "Kyngs" is just another throwback name to ancient times when the whole area may have been known as Kyngs Houstone or Kyngs Houghton before 1066. 

Alice Milard was actually a daughter of one of the well-known Brandreths, so really, the argument ought to be to call a place Brandreth, except that the electoral ward known today as "Houghton Hall" is more representative of the area owned by the Brandreth's.

In the 2006 book "Selling Sparrows" "Great Crixsey" is mentioned within an enclosure map MA84/2 of 1796, as an area of land mentioned to the south of "Carcutt" Farm. Today we know it as Calcutt Farm. So there are three potential locality names - Carcutt, Calcutt, and Great Crixsey. Why not reuse, at least for a small estate, or as road names?

My colleagues on the Facebook Group Houghton Regis .... Back in the Day are suggesting "Washbrook" and I discovered there was a "Washbrook Corner" in Houghton Regis in the 1841 census. I've located it on the same 1796 map mentioned above, immediately to the west of the landmarked Great Crixsley on Bedford Road, opposite the junction with Thorn Road. 

Roger Chant writes, "The Washbrook was so called as it was where drovers washed their sheep whilst driving them to market, probably in Dunstable. When we were kids there was a bit of a slope into and out of the stream on the eastern side of the bridge. "

I'm aware that various plants were cultivated for local chemists. So how about "Sage", "Parsley" and "Thyme"  but only if they were relevant to our area!

So, thinking caps on and let's hopefully end up with some reasonably good names.
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Sunday 6 May 2012

Change this Car Insurance Postcode Lottery!

Car insurance prices for Houghton Regis must be among the highest in the country.

Compared to last year my current insurer wants to hike up my fully comprehensive insurance premium by a staggering 50%. Yet none of my details have changed. Entering my details into a price comparison website this weekend I quickly found that I could get insurance for about the same as I paid last year. So that brought a small smile to my face.

But when I discussed this with someone living in Hertfordshire they were still wondering why my lowest quote was so high.

So, just changing the postcode in the price comparison website what difference did I find? Taking the average quote of the three companies offering the lowest prices, here's what I found:

Houghton Regis ......... £371.92
Dunstable .................. £339.50
Blackpool .................. £333.93
Hemel Hempstead ....... £318.69
Welwyn ..................... £307.08
Thetford ...................... £254.59
Camborne, (Corn.) ....... £216.25

Even on these figures, one company offered £0 compulsory excess in Cornwall, Thetford, and Blackpool; 2 offered £0 compulsory excess in Welwyn and Hemel Hempstead. But for Dunstable and Houghton Regis, the mimimum compulsory excess offered by only one of these companies was £100.

Well, it's not fair. We're not a wealthy town. It's a diabolical injustice! A car insurance postal code lottery! And we need to be put on a level playing field. Just because there may be a greater concentration of claims in one area - and I have no idea if there actually is - should not automatically result in everyone residing in that area being tarred with the same brush.


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Sunday 29 April 2012

Age Ranges to Change at Houghton Regis Lower Schools

In an exciting development for the education system in Houghton Regis, Central Bedfordshire Council announced this month (4/2012) that four local lower schools will be changing their age range. The decision, which was approved by Councillor Mark Versallion, the Executive Member for Children's Services, will see Tithe Farm Lower, Hawthorn Park Lower, Thornhill Lower, and Thomas Whitehead CofE VA Lower Schools become primary schools.

This decision has been met with delight by the four Central Bedfordshire Councillors for Houghton Regis Wards: Dr. Rita Egan, Susan Goodchild, David Jones, and Peter Williams. 

Councillor Jones, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Central Bedfordshire Council, explained that for the past two years, they had been advocating for this type of decision. Their efforts began when the Council initiated its Transforming Teaching and Learning Review in Dunstable and Houghton Regis, and even before that, during the days of the former County Council. Throughout this process, they have faced setbacks and disappointments. However, this decision marks a successful outcome for a campaign that brought all the Lower Schools in Houghton Regis together like never before. Cllr Jones wholeheartedly welcomed and congratulated the four schools on this achievement. They strongly believe that this decision will empower the schools to improve standards and academic performance, especially at Key Stage 2, benefiting the children of the town.

The changes will be implemented from September 2013, providing an exciting opportunity for the schools and the community to enhance the learning experience and support the academic growth of the students.

However, despite the overall success of the campaign, there was one setback. Houghton Regis Lower School was unable to proceed to the consultation stages due to a lack of funding from the Council for the necessary additional accommodation. This means that the school now faces the possibility of being the only lower school in the town while the surrounding area undergoes significant changes in education provision.

The education situation in Dunstable and Houghton Regis has been constantly changing for quite some time. The recent decision will provide some certainty for younger students, but there are still pending changes proposed by other schools (academies) that need to be finalized and approved. As we have just witnessed, this process can take a long time. 

Currently, it is not clear where 9-year-old students leaving Houghton Regis Lower School will be expected to go, especially since the middle schools they traditionally feed into are applying to become either primary or secondary schools. This leaves parents with limited options. It is crucial to resolve this situation sooner rather than later. The councillors will continue to advocate for Houghton Regis Lower School to be allowed to join its peer schools, with whom it has worked diligently on the proposals, as soon as possible.

It is important to address these challenges and ensure a smooth transition for the affected students and their families. The community will remain committed to finding a solution that benefits everyone involved and provides the best educational opportunities for the children of Houghton Regis.


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Saturday 21 April 2012

Labour Leaflet: Tories Are Turning Back the Clock

A leaflet from Houghton Regis Labour in April 2012. National issues, no local content.




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Thursday 12 April 2012

Central Bedfordshire Council Takes Action to Revitalize Empty Homes in Houghton Regis

Two properties in Houghton Regis have caught the attention of Central Bedfordshire Council as being among the top 10 in urgent need of action within the authority's jurisdiction.

A recent report presented to the Social Care, Health & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee highlighted the first property, referred to as "Property A," which has remained vacant since at least 2004. The report describes it as having a detrimental impact on the immediate neighbourhood and attracting numerous complaints. The owner is believed to be abroad, potentially in France. The property is in a state of disrepair and has suffered from incidents of arson, vandalism, and fly-tipping. Moreover, the owner has failed to pay the council £3,695 for environmental restoration work.

The second property, identified as "Property E," has been empty since at least 2005, with the owner believed to be in residential care, although their whereabouts are unknown. The report warns that the condition of the property is deteriorating, making it susceptible to anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

To address the issue, Central Bedfordshire Council submitted a bid for £200,000 from the £100 million fund allocated by the Coalition Government in the Comprehensive Spending Review of October 2010. On March 2, 2012, the Home Communities Agency confirmed their intention to enter into a contract with Central Bedfordshire Council for the full amount.


Councillor Susan Goodchild, the Liberal Democrat representative for Houghton Hall at Central Beds, attended the meeting and expressed her delight at the funding award. She believes that bringing these eyesore properties back into use will provide a much-needed boost to the local community. With the waiting list for council properties significantly increasing, she emphasizes the importance of repurposing long-term vacant houses for families in need.


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Sunday 25 March 2012

The Right to Hold A Market

MARKET - LET'S GET IT RIGHT

First off, Dunstable's alleged Market Charter goes back to the days when populations were measured in hundreds rather than thousands, and the whole point of that restriction was surely to maintain a reasonable level of trade to make it worthwhile. This is the 21st century now, and the population of Houghton Regis is bubbling around 18,000, with the Dunstable population around 35,000. So I don't see any need for the restriction to still apply.

Secondly, where Market Charter's exist, it is generally forbidden to hold another market within "six and three quarter miles". That, I presume, is to allow someone to push a hand cart from such a distance to the point of the market, do their trade, and then push the same hand cart back all in the same day. Now I ask you, is that a reasonable expectation of the way traders operate in the modern world? Of course not. In the time it takes to push a hand cart that distance, you could maybe have driven to Birmingham, so the distance restriction is totally ridiculous today.

It is written in The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868, of Dunstable, "A synod was held here in the early part of the 13th century, about which time was founded a monastery of Black Friars by Henry I, who erected a royal residence at Kingsbury Farm, rebuilt the town of Dunstable, which had been devastated by the Danes two centuries before, and constituted it a borough, with privilege to hold two markets weekly, Sunday and Wednesday, and a fair on St. Peter's day."

"But Dunstable has a market on a Friday", I hear you say. I am told that this Friday Market is held under The Food Act 1984.

Well, whatever Act allows Dunstable to have a market on a Friday, ought to be a way forward for Houghton Regis and simiarly affected neighbourhoods to also have a proper market, too. Whether it wants, or needs one at this time, is besides the point; it might desire one in the future. However, under section 50 of this Act is written "A market shall not be established in pursuance of this section so as to interfere with any rights, powers or privileges enjoyed within the authority’s area in respect of a market by any person, without that person’s consent."

So Dunstable's Friday market was presumably considered as not interfering with the privilege of the other two days. Or 'the authority' just consented.

'The authority', I'm guessing, would be the South Bedfordshire District Council, now superseded by the Central Bedfordshire Council. So it might appear that Houghton Regis is blocked from holding markets because it might require permission from CBC who allow our neighbouring town to enjoy many different market days. I cannot see how they could reasonably refuse a request from Houghton Regis, if a request was desired to be made. To deny it would be inequitable.

So, Dunstable has a "privilege to hold two markets"; I was curious because Gazetteer did not explicitly state "Market Charter". And apparently one of them is for a Sunday!

Digging deeper, in the GAZETTEER OF MARKETS AND FAIRS IN ENGLAND AND WALES TO 1516, it states of Dunstable "M (Prescriptive: borough) recorded 1131x33, when K Hen I issued a general notification of his grant of Dunstable with its market and other liberties to the Ca of St Peter of Dunstable (Regesta, ii, no. 1827). In 1287, the P of Dunstable held Wed and Sat markets, which he claimed by right of a charter granted by K Ric I on 3 Jul 1190 (QW, p. 14)"

In these abbreviations "M" is market. "Prescriptive" just made me plain curious. It transpires that all markets and fairs were treated as prescriptive unless evidence of a grant was found. (source). So, when this Gazetteer was written, there was no evidence of an actual grant. And it states "Wed and Sat markets".

The National Archives are not a lot of help in this study. Whilst records may be traced here showing an early royal grant of such rights, they may have no bearing whatever on present day market rights, which have been much affected by modifications or revocations of earlier charters, by grants of new rights (for example in borough charters), by the demise of old jurisdictions (as at the dissolution of the monasteries) and by modern local government reorganisation and boundary changes.

When I wrote to Wendy Fair Markets on this subject they explained,

"You are right that the original Charter was only for Wednesday and Saturday, but Local Authorities have far reaching powers to establish new markets, in particular under the Food Act 1984 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. They can also just use the Planning Act to give a market Planning Permission and then they can trade as long as it is on private land. If it is on Public Highway they also need permission of the Highway Authority under The Highways Act (1980) or they may need Street Traders Licence’s under The London and Local Authorities Act 1991 or The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982."

In conclusion, my general feeling is that there is plenty of doubt around the restrictions of Dunstable's charter priviledge that allow it to hold markets on two days of the week (Wednesday and either Saturday or Sunday - it's a grey area) that preclude any other town from holding a proper market within six and three quarter miles. Additionally, there are plenty of other mechanisms to permit the number of stalls in Houghton Regis to rise above four, should the demand ever arise.

Originally Posted by Alan Winter at 3/25/2012 11:50:00 am

2. In the 1960's and 70's the market was held in front of Queensway Hall (nowadays Asda's car park) Reference

3. Romford Market, 2009: FOI Request for a copy of the Royal Charter as written by Henry III in 1247. No charter was found to satisfy the request, but 'Close Rolls' was provided along with tale about the market being owned by the Crown until 1828, albeit that in 1619 James I leased the market tolls for 99 years to trustees for the Prince of Wales, later Charles I. Thereafter several transactions took place and the market sometimes passed to strangers, who found it difficult to enforce their authority in Romford. Reference

4. Doncaster 2010: FOI. "As a local authority, being the successor to a variety of Charters, Doncaster Council has the monopoly right to hold markets within the Borough and to control this monopoly within a distance of six and two-thirds miles. As such, the Council can hold markets – and license others to do so on its behalf - within the town wherever it deems suitable." Reference.

5. Leeds City Council 2010: FOI Question on legality of a market, "The Council is vested with the rights and duties of holding, regulating and controlling markets in the Leeds area under the provisions of the Leeds Corporation (consolidation) Act 1905 and the Food Act 1984." Reference

6. Dunstable Town Council took over the running of Dunstable Market on 1st June 2012. Councillor Jeannette Freeman, chairman of the community services committee, said: “The town council believes that a vibrant market is part of a thriving town centre and that the two work side by side. We are committed to the regeneration of Dunstable town centre and therefore will be investing heavily to ensure that the market once again becomes the heart of our town.” Reference

7. On their web site, Dunstable Town Council placed a notice: "If you currently operate any type of market or fair within a 6 2/3 mile radius of Dunstable or plan to, from 1 June 2012 you will need to apply for a Market Rights Licence. Please download the Dunstable Town Council Market Rights Policy and Market Regulations..." Reference

I attended the Town Council Management meeting in Houghton Regis this week. Based on the premise that a Market Charter exists for Dunstable, and that precludes any other market from taking place within six and three quarter miles, we apparently cannot have a market in Houghton Regis. But what we can have is a maximum of four stalls. If we continue thinking like this, some poor soul in many years to come will still be trying to change the rules and looking for a starting point.


ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THIS TOPIC ADDED 25/01/2013
1. Omar Roucoux has written information about Dunstable's Market History here which is pretty much as I recall reading in books I have read on the subject, Reference.

4. Birkenhead, 2009. FOI Request to view Birkenhead Market Charter. It would appear that a copy of the Birkenhead Corporation Act 1881 was produced to satisfy the request. Reference

ADDED 2/10/2014 (Thanks to Tracey McMahon for obtaining this response from Luton Borough Council Licensing Dept):

" It would appear that in the case of Dunstable the Corporation purchased the Market (and Manor) in 1867 and under the Local Government Act 1858 the Dunstable Local Government Board in 1871 established the power to set up markets, to take stallage, rents and tolls and also to enforce those 'market' rights. The origins of the 6 2/3 miles comes from the ability of sellers to be able to travel to the market, undertake their sales and then travel back all within one day.

Luton also had a Common law franchise which until 1911 was held by the Lord of the Manor, so there was an established right in Luton. This was confirmed and transferred to the Borough Council under the Luton Corporation Act 1911. It is those Market Rights which allows the Indoor Market to trade within the Mall. There are additional Acts which also apply, such as the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and 1982 and the Food Act 1984, and these also allow Local Authorities to set times, adopt, establish and acquire Market Rights.

Local Acts can limit the rights within the Borough, in the case of Luton that radius is set at 4 miles under the 1911 Act. Dunstable is therefore outside that area.

A market Franchise gives the holder the sole and exclusive right to hold markets within limits. As a necessary incident of its franchise rights the holder of a market franchise enjoys a right of protection from disturbance by a rival market within 6 2/3 miles. If the disturbance is likely to continue then it may be restrained by injunction. In the case of Luton this has been limited to the 4 miles so Dunstable would not be deemed to be a rival market. It is believed that the same would apply in reverse, however again you may wish to confirm this with the Legal Team at Dunstable Town Council.

Given the establishment of our own rights (Luton Borough Council) then there is no requirement to submit a request to Dunstable. If Dunstable were not to administer the Market Rights then this would lead to the franchise losing the right for enforcement. In that regard they are correct to ask for permission to be applied for. It would also appear that the Policy is not 'made up' but based on the decision in 1871."


A note from South Beds District Council (12 Oct 1989) points out that it would take a lot of work to establish any truth or proof of a Dunstable Market Charter through County Records Office. The effort required would be considerable and only justifiable if the end result reflected the investment.


Further suggested reading:


• dunstablehistory...Newsletter16.pdf Page 99.

• dunstablehistory...Newsletter26.pdf Page 187.




>>end.


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Universal Technical College Opening Sept 2012

UTC - See this item


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Sunday 26 February 2012

Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Brewers Hill Have Your Say | Sundon Road Safety Improvements | Parkside Land Clearance Mystery

2012/ Issue 1 Ward Leaflets.
A5 / Brewers Hill Have Your Say | Bypass Objections | Roads Resurfaced | Broadband Survey
Sundon Road Safety Improvements | Bypass Objections
Land Clearance Mystery | Parkside Voice Meeting | Mobile Cameras Catch Motorists

Houghton Hall Ward Leaflet



Tithe Farm Ward Leaflet




Parkside Ward Leaflet




Common Side to All Wards










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Sunday 19 February 2012

VoteLibDem.Com

This is a screenshot from votelibdem.com, a page I ran for the Liberal Democrats in Houghton Regis while I owned the domain name.





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Saturday 11 February 2012

Hillborough Crescent Resurfacing

During the week ending the 16th February Hillborough Crescent in Houghton Regis, is due to be completely resurfaced.


Ward Town Councillor, Shirley Gilchrist, Liberal Democrat,  (pictured) says, “Frankly, it’s wanted doing for years!”


Central Bedfordshire Councillor for Tithe Farm, Peter Williams, Liberal Democrat, said "Since before the Local Elections last year I did pledge that I would get this road resurfaced, and at last Highways have listened, and I am delighted that this scheme is now going ahead!"

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Saturday 4 February 2012

Houghton Regis Leisure Centre – Praise for Action Group.

The Houghton Regis Leisure Centre is to stay open, after all. Central Bedfordshire Councillors voted today to fund some improvements and to award a contract for managing the Centre from 1st April. 

Cllr. David Jones, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on CBC, said, “At last, some good news about the Leisure Centre. All the LibDem councillors were strongly opposed to the closure of this facility when it was announced in late 2010. Our budget suggestions last year would have enabled the Centre to remain fully open.

“But the Tories would not listen. And we continued to press the Council to change its mind.

“Two public meetings held in the summer, were attended by hundreds of residents. Those meetings demonstrated to the Council the strength of local feeling about this issue. I would especially like to pay tribute to the Leisure Centre Action Group. They campaigned constantly against the threatened closure, raising awareness amongst residents. Well done to them - genuine community politics in action!”

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