Policy statement
My policies and those of the Better Bedford Independents Party is contained in its name.
We work for a Better Bedford and we are independent of any other group or party; we have no headquarters telling us what we should or shouldn’t do.
Better Bedford councillors are independent in their views and sometimes disagree with me. Provided there is agreement on such vital matters as getting the budget through, the party is flexible enough to allow it.
What do we mean by a Better Bedford?
Bedford has been in decline for most of the post World War II period, as can be seen by statistics of growth, rents on commercial premises, town centre footfall, house prices, crime, and many other indicators. Better Bedford works to reverse these trends and we have succeeded in at least two - town centre footfall which has increased while crime has gone down.
The policy of Better Bedford is to improve Bedford on all fronts, better services, cleanliness of the town centre. making the borough more attractive for businesses, redeveloping tired and rundown shopping facilities and so on.
What it is not is for Bedford to become another Milton Keynes. We must recognise Bedford for what it is, a County Town with a long history, let down by a succession of party politicians whose interests are not necessarily those of the people of Bedford.
If you click on the ‘Achievements’ button, you will see some of what we are doing.
Frank Branston
Mayor