Packed public meeting held at Leighton Buzzard Library as petition launched demanding facilities for town

A packed public meeting was held at Leighton Buzzard Library to discuss why the town has "no police hub, health hub, fourth GP surgery, or Neighbourhood Plan".

The audience was filled to capacity on Wednesday (January 18), as people gathered in Lake Street for a session chaired by Leighton-Linslade Town Councillor Russ Goodchild, and featuring speakers Councillor Steve Owen and Councillor Pat Carberry.

The audience watched a slide show that explained who holds the power to create the facilities, followed by 40 minutes of public questions. A petition was also launched to demand that the four items be established for the town.

Councillor Owen, who organised the meeting, told the LBO: "We had a full house, 160 people. Residents were really annoyed that they weren't getting their fair share of funding from the taxes they pay. The general perception was that money was going to other places, instead of the town, which was being forgotten.

"There were people who were pleased to be told the mechanisms whereby these decisions are taken. They didn't understand the relationship between the health authority, making decisions, and Central Bedfordshire Council, which should be acting as a challenger. I think they felt empowered and geed-up because they came away with a better understanding."

Handouts were given to members of the public, which had the email addresses of people who 'make the decisions' and those who can 'challenge the decisions'. A petition was also launched demanding that the police hub, fourth GP surgery, health hub and Neighbourhood Plan be created for the town. Around 120 people signed it at the meeting and it will soon be featured online for residents to sign.

Cllr Owen added: "I think it's interesting that things are happening since we called the meeting; they are suddenly getting active at Chicksands; the Chief Constable sent the Chief Superintendent to our meeting; we have suddenly got Andrew Selous arranging a public meeting about GP capacity in February."

Councillor Pat Carberry told the LBO: "The level of concern from the residents of Leighton Linslade was clear by the numbers who attended this special meeting. We took questions from the audience many of whom were able to share with us their own experiences of the difficulties faced when accessing health care and also the enormous strain that our healthcare professionals are facing as a consequence of excessive demand. It was also very clear that our town’s people are not satisfied with the provision for accessing the police.

"Amongst those who attended were our local MP Andrew Selous, the Chair of Social Care And Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee at CBC Mark Versallion, members of both CBC and Leighton Leighton Linslade Town Council and representatives of Bedfordshire Police. I believe it was beneficial for these representatives to hear first hand the frustration many in our community feel."

Councillor Owen added: "There was a real energy about the meeting, a desire to contribute. I think that people felt that they could do something to help the cause, and they were pleased about that."

Councillor Russ Goodchild told the LBO: “I was extremely pleased with the near-capacity turnout at our public meeting on Wednesday evening particularly as it was a very cold evening. However, I was aware that passions were running high especially following the disgraceful announcement by BLMK ICB that they were no longer proceeding with the provision of either the long awaited Health Hub or the urgently required fourth GP surgery on Clipstone Park due to lack of available funds.

"The presentations from Cllrs Owen and Carberry were very well received and I felt the public was strongly supportive.

“At the end of the meeting many members of the public queued to sign the petition and collect a contact sheet containing the names of all those individuals responsible for decision making and consequently blocking this town from the critical infrastructure it needs. The petition is now online and I can make available a copy of the slide presentation and contacts list to your readers on request.

“Finally, I would like to thank the front of house and technical teams at the Library Theatre for their invaluable help and not forgetting the generosity of the public who donated £146 toward the cost of the venue paid for by Cllr Owen, half of which is to be presented to the Leighton Linslade Helping Hands Food Bank charity."