Leighton Buzzard residents claim they’re ‘forgotten, ignored and invisible once we get a bus pass’
Residents are demanding action to provide a shelter and clean up the bus stop in Brooklands Drive, Leighton Buzzard.
Many are unhappy there is no shelter at the bus stop on the Brooklands Estate to offer passengers, particularly elderly people who rely on buses, somewhere to sit out of the cold and wet.
They have also complained about the bus stop being used as a dumping ground – being littered with rubbish, including human excrement, and often blocked by cars.
Neil Cairns, of Highfield Road, Leighton Buzzard, said: “The Brooklands Estate of 1950s vintage is now full of elderly people who have bus passes. Many of us use the bus stop by the Fish-n-Chip shop on Brooklands Drive.
"It is a dumping ground for litter and rubbish, is often blocked by parked cars, it has a pile of stinking human faceas dumped which has been there for weeks and has no weather shelter. In Meadow Way there are redundant shelters not in use, why cannot one be erected in Brooklands?
“All the new estates around the town have nice shiny new shelters with seats but we, long standing town residents, have simply been forgotten, ignored. We are invisible once we get a bus pass.”
Central Beds Council, which is responsible for bus travel in the town said it was doing all it could and looking at different options to address concerns. It has also referred complaints about rubbish at the bus stop to relevant teams.
Cllr Tracey Wye, executive member for sustainability and climate resilience, said: “We understand why residents on Brooklands Drive are asking for a bus shelter, particularly older people who rely on the bus and want somewhere safe and comfortable to wait. I want to reassure residents that we have carefully reviewed this location, including whether we could relocate a shelter from Meadow Way.
“Unfortunately, there are significant practical challenges. The pavement is not wide enough in places, and underground utilities restrict where a shelter can be safely installed. We have also looked at land just behind the footway, but there are further constraints there, including existing infrastructure.
“We have asked officers to continue exploring whether there is any safe and suitable way to provide a shelter at this stop. However, if it is not physically possible due to these constraints, then we may not be able to install one.
“We have also considered whether the bus stop itself could be moved, but that comes with its own difficulties and could affect nearby residents, particularly where homes have driveways.
“I appreciate that this will be frustrating, and I want residents to know their concerns have been heard. We are continuing to look at all realistic options. We are also aware of reports about littering and misuse of the area, and these have been raised with the relevant teams so they can take appropriate action.”