Potholes, the elderly and caring for vulnerable children matter to Central Bedfordshire residents survey finds

Road maintenance, caring for the elderly, protecting children at risk, and supporting families and education are some of the priorities for residents in Central Bedfordshire.

More than 3,000 people took part in a survey to help Central Bedfordshire Council set out its commitments to residents in a newly adopted strategic plan.

Council Leader, Cllr Adam Zerny said: “This plan might not yet mean much to residents, but to us it sets out what residents and businesses can expect us to focus on.

“As an Independent administration we have said from the start that residents’ views matter to us. So, we asked residents what they thought our priorities should be. Residents told us that road maintenance, caring for the elderly, protecting children at risk, supporting families and education, especially Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support, were the most important.

“Through these priorities we will create inclusive, positive and resilient communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We will provide homes for the next generation, while protecting our natural environment and seeking to tackle climate change and we will provide an environment in which businesses can grow, bringing jobs for our residents.”

He added: “We haven’t waited for the plan to be adopted before getting to work on some of these priorities though. We’ve already invested in preventative treatments and resurfacing of nearly 65 miles of roads, an increase of 150% compared to the previous year, to reduce the number of potholes we would normally see appearing over the winter period. We’ve also made it easier to report potholes and made it a more transparent process.”