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Download our latest Focus ~ Dunstable Today ~ BBC Three Counties Radio ~ Luton & Dunstable Express ADULT SOCIAL CARECllr Susan Goodchild seeks your views on proposals by Central Bedfordshire Council charging for Adult Social Care more...Conflict Over Road Investment Moneylast updated 25th July 2010 - Members of the Luton and South Bedfordshire Joint Committee last week endorsed a revised core strategy for Luton and the south of Central Bedfordshire, including the towns of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade. But a conflict has arisen over the proposed payment method for the A5/M1 link road.A statement from Central Bedfordshire Council on 23rd July says "Infrastructure will benefit from the new plan with £50million of private investment being included which will contribute towards the A5/M1 link road." Cllr Rita Egan, Liberal Democrat, said "Money will also be required to help pay for community amenities associated with new house building. The Government should be paying for this link road." Cllr David Jones, Liberal Democrat, said he was writing today to CBC for the full details of this "investment". DEcongest CONgested Houghton! 22nd July 2010 Liberal Democrat councillors from Central Bedfordshire and Houghton Regis Town Council tonight met to hear and express comments about a proposed local area transport plan. A short presentation was made by Paul Cook, the Head of Transport Strategy at Central Bedfordshire Council. Issues affecting Houghton Regis include: * the route through the town and down Poynters Road is a relief road for the M1 if there is event of an incident between junction 11 and 12. * traffic congestion through the town during peak travel hours. * the delay to the M1-A5 link road as the project is one of many projects being reviewed by the government. * a higher than normal number of residents using car to get to work (77%). * the problems of 42% of people not using a bus because there is no direct route to where they want to get to. * 2 out of 3 areas in the town are the most deprived areas of Central Bedfordshire. * 5 deaths on the roads of Dunstable and Houghton Regis over a 2 year period. * reductions of speed to 20mph had successfully reduced traffic related deaths and injuries in other places. One solution would be to create a new road from Portz Avenue to the M1 proposed junction 11A. This would have a serious effect on reducing travel through the centre of Houghton Regis. Another suggestion was to restrict travel by lorries down Poynters Road, by channelling it through the White Lion industrial area down to Dunstable Road. If the proposed road is built and reduces traffic in the town centre, councillors will give consideration to supporting a 20mph speed limit within the town. Cllr Lynda Walmsley (Houghton Hall) said that presently on the High Street there was a bus stop at a certain location that prevented cars from overtaking the buses, and thereby creating more congestion in Houghton Regis. In response officers suggested that this had been intended by design, to help make the road safer. Cllr Andrew Roberts (Houghton Hall) said it would be useful if consideration was given to improving the roundabout at the end of Cemetry Road, widening the High Street near the now vacant land on the High Street, and creating bus lay-bys. Cllr Rita Egan ( (Houghton Hall, and Central Beds) said it was important that provisions will be made for disabled people with scooters to get on to local transport, and pointed out the lack of a direct bus service to Luton Airport. Cllr Janine Dixon-Wilkinson (Parkside) said that people in the town wanted to travel to places other than Dunstable and Luton, and wanted to use direct bus services to places like Leighton Buzzard, Bedford and Milton Keynes. Cllr Alan Winter (Parkside) said that he had given consideration to a 20mph limit in parts of the town, but as congestion is so bad, and is already travelling quite slow during peak times, there wasn't much point. He conceded that if the new road is built then it was important that the council considered what parts of the town could be restricted to 20mph. Liberal Democrats in Houghton Regis welcome your opinions on developing a transport plan for the area. Contact details here. Another Traffic Junction for Houghton Road23 June 2010 - Outline planning permission to build 140 new homes off Houghton Road, overlooking the disused quarry, has been granted by Central Bedfordshire Council. This was in spite of local opposition from your Liberal Democrat parish and County councillors, on traffic implications.The new development, if it goes ahead, would have a new road junction constructed opposite Mayer Way, to give access onto the site. The developers would also provide access to an existing fishing club at the location, whilst retaining a pathway through to the disused quarry. Central Beds Liberal Democrat councillors for Houghton Regis, David Jones and Peter Williams, attended the development control meeting, together with the Houghton Regis Town Clerk. The Councillors argued that the proposed new road junctions would cause more delays in an already busy area. But the ruling Conservatiive Central Beds committee turned these objections down, and passed the outline plans. Earlier, Houghton Regis Liberal Democrat councillors had expressed the hope that the land, now to be built on, could have become an access point to the quarry, if the quarry was ever developed for leisure pursuits. Documents and related details... BYPASS BEFORE DEVELOPMENT!24th June 2010 Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Williams says that the Tory-led Central Bedfordshire Council is wrong to make proposals for Thorn, while funds for building the M1/A5 link are still unsecured.Cllr Peter Williams said, "They are still planning to build 7000 new houses north of Houghton Regis, and a possible Gypsy and Traveller site, and now a new Waste Transfer site at Thorn turning." "If the M1/A5 bypass is not built first then Houghton Regis will be gridlocked by the increased traffic. It will be a traffic nightmare. We have to have the bypass built before any development takes place." The Liberal Democrat group in Houghton Regis is fully committed to getting this bypass built before any development takes place.  EXTRA COSTS FOR BYPASS
Highways Agency Announce Postponement of Public Inquiry (A5 to M1 Link Road)10th June 2010 The Government Office For The East Of England have announced that because funding for the Bypass scheme by the Department for Transport is now in doubt, the public inquiry for the scheme has been postponed. They will publish their intentions for the scheme when the Government has conducted a full spending review in the autumn. Download letter. (Adobe Reader required).Highways Agency Announce Further Suggestions for A5 to M1 Link Road19 May 2010 - The Highways Agency have announced 10 alternative routes to the A5-M1 proposed link road. Available to download from Highways Agency website .Liberal Democrat Central Bedfordshire Councillor Peter Williams said " If the M1/A5 bypass is not built before the new housing development appears then Houghton Regis will be gridlocked. It will be a traffic nightmare. We have to have the bypass built before any development takes place. The Liberal Democrat group in Houghton Regis is fully committed to getting this bypass built before any development take place." Document 1 -Download from Highway Agency Document 2 -Download from Highway Agency
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What's On in Houghton Regis. Houghton Regis Map ~ local places, and information. Houghton Regis Crime Maps It Matters What You Think!Contact Houghton Regis Focus Team.
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At the Annual Meeting on Wednesday 19th May 2010, Councillor Robin Hines was elected as the Town Mayor of Houghton Regis for 2010/11. The Deputy Mayor is Councillor Mrs Shirley Gilchrist. 
Cllr Mrs Lynda Walmsley, the town mayor for 2009/10 and her TEAM HOUGHTON have raised well over £7,000 for YAWN, Macmillan Nurses and the Cancer Unit at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Lynda would like to place on record her thanks for everyone who supported the TEAM's efforts.
7th May 2010 Rod Cantrill polled second place for the Liberal Democrats in the General Election for Bedfordshire South West. Share of the votes was Conservative 52.8%; Liberal Democrat 20.0%; Labour 19.6%; UKIP 4.2%; BNP 3.4%.