Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Central Bedfordshire?

Central Bedfordshire will be a new council providing local services for the geographic areas of Mid and South Bedfordshire. It will take the very best elements from the existing District and County Councils by bringing the three of them together to create a streamlined, more efficient and more effective council.

Why change?

These councils have taken advantage of an opportunity to improve local service delivery and make savings. In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government’s White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities invited councils in "two-tier" areas to submit proposals for re-organising local government in their particular areas ("two-tier" means the set-up where some local services are provided by a County Council and some by a District or Borough Council.)

After consultation on a series of proposals in March 2008, the Local Government Minister John Healey confirmed that two unitary councils would be created in Bedfordshire in 2009: Central Bedfordshire and a unitary Bedford Council based on the present borough council (which covers the whole northern part of the county).

When will the new council be set up and what will change?

From 1st April 2009, residents living in the Mid and South Bedfordshire districts will be served by one brand new council, Central Bedfordshire, providing all the services they currently receive from the County Council and either Mid or South Bedfordshire District Councils.

This will remove the confusion that arises when, for example, one council collects waste and the other council disposes of it.

Central Bedfordshire Council will cover some 712 square kilometres, and stretch from Dunstable and Leighton Linslade in the west to Sandy and Arlesey in the east. Central Bedfordshire’ population is now almost 250,000 and is forecast to continue growing over the next fifteen years.

There will be a separate unitary council for Bedford Borough, providing their current services plus all County Council services in the Bedford Borough area.

The first elections for the new council will take place in June 2009.

Who will run services until then and what is happening?

Although the present councils continue to operate, a “shadow” local authority has been set up.  It consists of all current Mid and South Bedfordshire councillors plus the County Councillors representing wards in the Mid and South Bedfordshire areas. This Shadow Council will agree the constitution and budget for the new authority in February 2009.

In April 2008 the Shadow Council (a meeting of all 124 councillors from the three existing councils) met for the first time and appointed a Shadow Executive to manage the transition to Central Bedfordshire. The Executive, led by Councillor Tricia Turner MBE, includes four councillors from each of the three authorities.

This body has appointed a number of groups and Transitional Task Forces which are now working on drawing up, and scrutinising, detailed service plans for the new council.

The Shadow Executive will meet regularly over the next year to make final decisions on how the new council and its services will be organised. The Shadow Council will meet in late 2008 and early 2009 to set the budget for Central Bedfordshire and, by extension, the 2009/2010 Council Tax.

Will reducing the number of councils save the taxpayer money?

The new Central Bedfordshire unitary authority is expected to save £11.5m.  each year. These savings can be used to reduce the Council Tax and/or improve services to residents.  If the new council decides to maximise the reduction in Council Tax, that could mean an average reduction of up to £193 a year (at Band D).

Residents in Mid and South Bedfordshire will for the first time pay the same council tax for the services they receive.

What happens to the county council’s land? Does it get transferred to Central Beds?

Like of lot of these things it's both complicated and not quick.
 
The process of separating out assets between Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire will take some time and final ownership will only transfer on 1 April 2009. Some assets, like County Hall in Bedford, even though it is located in a particular administrative area, might have to be co-managed, as staff from both councils will be based there for some time. There will be no rushed decisions taken and no quick fixes to these issues.

What will happen to the buildings of the other authorities?

It is far too early to say; however, Mid Beds and South Bedfordshire will retain their current offices in Chicksands and Dunstable.

There are also three Points of Presence (PoPs), in Ampthill, Biggleswade and Leighton Linslade, where residents can access information about all the services available to them.  A PoP in Houghton Regis is due to open next year and more may be added in the future.

Mid Beds already uses technology to support home working. Central Bedfordshire will support and encourage staff that wish to work at home where this is appropriate.

Where will Central Bedfordshire be based?

At present we will continue to use the two main headquarters buildings at Chicksands and Dunstable. Shadow Executive meetings are alternating between these venues and other meetings will take place at the most suitable venue.

Will there be any changes to bin collections?

No. There are no plans in place at present to change bin collections in Mid and South Bedfordshire. 

Both authorities run alternate weekly collections and use the same contractor for waste collection, giving us the opportunity to explore the savings that can potentially be achieved by bringing the two contracts into one.

What changes will there be to other services?

Service plans will be worked up in the coming months. Councillors, particularly, want to exploit the power of technology to make efficiency savings wherever possible.

The Shadow Executive will make decisions on these matters.

What will happen to staff?

Almost all (80-90%) of the existing staff from Mid Beds and South Bedfordshire district councils and the County Council will transfer to the new authority on their existing terms and conditions. All the usual public services must continue to be provided so the staff providing frontline services such as education, social services, planning, environmental health, community services, revenues and benefits staff etc will stay in their jobs and are not at risk.

Managers and any clerical, administrative and support staff wholly engaged in supporting these everyday public services and reporting to those managers are also expected to transfer.

Savings on staff numbers will be achieved where there is duplication, particularly in senior management and in support services such as finance, IT, committee support, general clerical, policy and communications.

There will also be efficiency savings being made by mutating from four councils to two, saving money on premises, contracts and supplies.