Mayor Dave Hodgson has again made the case for the retention of the Bedford town centre M&S store, this time in a phone call with a senior manager at M&S headquarters this week.

Commenting on his Facebook page after the discussion, Mayor Dave wrote:

"I made the case once again for the retention of the Bedford town centre M&S store yesterday, this time in a phone call with a senior manager at M&S HQ.

• Route via Bedford would be best for ease of access for residents, for the economy and for connections
• A station to the south of Bedford would delay or even threaten the already long-awaited Wixams station altogether
• Mayor: "Passenger railway needs to serve passengers!"

Mayor Dave Hodgson has welcomed the launch of the public consultation on route options for the Bedford - Cambridge section of the East West Railway line, and called on people to have their say in support of a route via Bedford itself.

Holocaust Memorial Day events are taking place in Bedford today, on Sunday 27th January, and Mayor Dave Hodgson has stressed that all are welcome to attend and take part in the commemorations.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day to remember those killed under Nazi persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Commenting on the shocking official inspection report into HMP Bedford published this week, Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed the Govenrment's 'total failure' to get a grip of the prision and improve safety and conditions

In comments made on his Facebook page, Mayor Dave said: "Today's Bedford Prison inspection report stands as a monument to the government's total failure to get a grip of the prison and the deteriorating conditions there over a number of years.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has announced another three significant upgrades to road junctions across Bedford. Each of the upgrades are designed help to tackle congestion at well-known hotspots, improve the day-to-day experience of local road users, and help get traffic moving across Bedford.

The works are as follows:

Bedford Borough Council has published budget proposals which once again protect key services and keep council tax down for hard-pressed local taxpayers.

Under Mayor Dave Hodgson, Bedford Borough Council has a remarkable record of saving services which have commonly been subject to widespread cuts across the country.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has announced another expansion of his popular programme to install average speed cameras where local communities have called for them.

The extension of the programme is in defiance of the government's refusal to reinvest any of the fines generated to the local area, and instead to hoard the cash in Whitehall.

In response to residents in communities across the borough naming action on speeding as a top priority, in 2012 Mayor Dave made Bedford Borough the first place in the country to introduce the more effective average speed cameras on local roads.

The first set was erected in Milton Ernest, and the village along with other communities to have cameras installed have witnessed their dramatic impact in reducing speeds. Now, as part of budget proposals published this week, another five locations are set to benefit from the improved public safety and enhanced quality of life that the cameras can deliver in speeding hotspots.

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "Residents in communities were across the borough tell me that action on speeding is a clear priority for them, so it's a clear priority for me. That's why we made Bedford Borough the first place in the country to install the more effective average speed cameras on local roads, and it's why I'm announcing a further expansion of this popular programme today.

"We could do even more if central government returned some of the fines to the local area for the benefit of local road users. But this new batch of sites will mean another five communities benefit from improved road safety and quite simply a better quality of life for local residents."

As part of a range of additional services and support for rough sleepers in Bedford Borough this winter, twenty new overnight beds are available every night through to 31st March.

The new beds are provided via partnership between Bedford Borough Council and the charity SMART, which runs the Prebend Day Centre and extended outreach services. SMART's Chief Executive Anita McCallum is pictured here with Mayor Dave.