Consultations
Current Consultations
Central Bedfordshire Consultation & Community Engagement
Do you want to be notified when Central Beds Council is consulting on issues that are important to you?
Central Bedfordshire Council has set up a new initiative where residents can sign up for notifications when the Council is consulting on specific issues and services.
The Council always considers the views of residents when making decisions about local services and want to make it easier for you to know when they are consulting on issues that are important to you.
Just tell the Council which services and activities you are interested in and provide your contact details. The Council will contact you when they are consulting on issues that are important to you and let you know how you can get involved.
You can complete a registration form online at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/consultations/default.aspx or you can telephone 0300 300 8162
Talk to Central Bedfordshire
Everyone is being given the opportunity to have their say on what they consider to be the most important factors when considering the choice of future housing sites to meet government targets.
The consultation relates to the northern (former Mid Bedfordshire) part of Central Bedfordshire where the Council is required to allocate sites to create a further 5,000 homes by 2026.
Visit: www.talktocentralbedfordshire.co.uk
Covanta Energy
Do you realise that the American company Covanta plan to build the largest waste incinerator in Britain in the Marston Vale at Rookery Pit, Stewartby?
This will severely affect the quality of life in the surrounding villages and towns including Ampthill.
The plant will be twice the size of Wembley with a chimney twice the height. In Covanta's own words, 'the building will be large in view from Ampthill Park'.
730,000 tonnes of waste will be delivered every year including waste from all over the UK. The Marston Vale will in effect become a dumping ground for other people's waste. The site will operate every day of the year, all day and all night, with vehicles in and out from 5.30 am to 11.00 pm six days a week.
The local authorities are opposing this proposal (as are many local communities and residents), so Covanta have applied direct to Government for approval, which is seemingly bypassing local decision-making.
Register Your Objection
Covanta will need to get the appproval of the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)
Objections can be emailed to RookerySouth@covantaenergy.uk or you can write to Covanta, Unit 7, Water End Barns, Water End Lane, Eversholt. Beds, MK17 9EA.
Ampthill Town Council strongly opposed these proposals because of our concerns of the effect on our health, impact on the environment, increase in traffic, visual impact on the landscape, and because we believe that councils should be responsible for the disposal of their own waste.
Sign the Online Petition Against the Covanta Plant:
Download:
Links:
- Covanta Energy Proposal
- Marston Moretaine Action Group (MMAG) (formerly Marston Moretaine Eco Town Action Group (MMETAG) - www.mmetag.com - is a non-political group of volunteers set up originally to challenge the government's plans to build "Eco?" Towns in the Marston Vale area. However, their efforts are now focused on opposing the proposal for the proposed Energy from Waste Scheme at Rookery Pit/Covanta Energy proposal.
Make your voice heard in Bedfordshire! Become a member of the Beds Voice Panel
What is the Beds Voice Panel?
The Beds Voice Panel is made up of 5000 residents of Bedfordshire who have volunteered to be consulted with on a regular basis by the Bedfordshire Consultation Group.
What is the Bedfordshire Consultation Group?
The group is made up of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire District Council, South Bedfordshire District Council, Bedfordshire Police and the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.
Why become a panel member?
By becoming a panel member, you are enabling the Councils, Police and Fire and Rescue Service to learn the views and opinions of local residents on a variety of local issues. The group value local people's views and look forward to hearing what residents think on important issues affecting life in their area and in the county of Bedfordshire.
All personal details will always be treated in the strictest confidence. What residents disclose in the consultations will appear in reports and presentations, but will never identify who said what. All personal information is held under the Code of Market Research and the Data Protection Act by an independent research company called SMSR. The Panel's idenity is kept secret.
Throughout your time as a panel member, we will try to keep you informed about things that are happening. You can expect to receive a newsletter that summarises the outcomes of consultations and how the authorities have used the information to further improve life in Bedfordshire.
You can access information about the panel, find out about past consultations and what's coming up in the future by visiting the Beds Voice website at www.bedsvoice.org.uk. You can also register your email address via the site. If you are interested in becoming a panel member, please contact Claire Jackson at SMSR on 0800 1380845.