Cllr. Marc Frost

05/09/2026

A question for parents.

If a school changes the meat it serves children so that all meat is halal, should parents be told?

And should parents be given a genuine choice between halal and non halal meat?

Halal food should be available for families who want it. Equally, families who do not want their children eating halal meat should have a choice too. And I don't mean a vegetarian option.

If a school makes a significant change to how food is sourced, prepared or served, particularly where religious dietary requirements are involved, parents should know what their children are being given.

I am interested in what parents think.

Would you expect the school to tell you?

Would you expect a non halal meat option to remain available, or are you happy to accept this?

This is about information and choice, not anyone's religion.

05/09/2026

Six Conservative Group Leaders from across Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire have written to the Prime Minister asking the Government to rethink its plans for devolution across our area.

I agree with them.

For those wondering what this is about, the Government is creating Strategic Authorities across England, with significant powers over transport, infrastructure, housing, skills and economic growth.

The current proposal is BLMK, bringing together Bedford Borough, Luton, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire under one strategic authority.

I do not support that model.

The Government's own Devolution White Paper says the default assumption for a Strategic Authority is a population of 1.5 million or more.

BLMK has fewer than one million people.

There is a much stronger alternative.

Bring together the SIX authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire.

Together, the wider South Midlands has around 1.7 million people, more than 80,000 businesses and an economy worth over £50 billion a year.

These areas already work together economically. We share the M1, A421, A43 and A14 corridors. We have Milton Keynes, Luton Airport, Cranfield University, Silverstone, advanced engineering and manufacturing across Northamptonshire, and now the huge Universal investment coming to Bedford.

My concern with BLMK is where it leaves Bedford.

We risk becoming Tail End Charlie in a small strategic authority, competing with Milton Keynes and Luton for influence, infrastructure and Government investment.

If Government is determined to pursue devolution, we should not settle for the smallest deal on the table.

The six Conservative Group Leaders are right to challenge this.

Put the BLMK proposal against the six authority South Midlands proposal. Test both against the Government's own criteria. Look at population, economic strength, infrastructure and investment potential.

Then choose the model which gives Bedford and the wider region the strongest voice.

For me, that is the six.

Bedford should be sitting at a bigger table, not fighting over the scraps from a smaller one.

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/conservative-group-leaders-across-mk-bedfordshire-and-northamptonshire-write-to-prime-minister-calling-for-devolution-boundary-rethink-8961402?fbclid=IwY2xjawUInohwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5SHriBsO7rRRVkkMUVaaD5nZQLXwXTCXAzFdGQOIro0SF0HNin7ep0CYF5-A_aem_0RMIHIaF###eAFzDYaxyYw

Six Conservative Group leaders of councils across the Midlands have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for a rethink of the devolution boundary.

04/09/2026

Open Space 3 is finally on its way

Good news for Wixams.

Work on Open Space 3 will start on Monday 14 September, bringing a new play park and landscaped green space for the community.

This has been a long awaited part of the development, so it is good to finally see a firm programme and work starting on site.

The timetable is:

• 14 September 2026: Groundworks and landscaping begin.

• Winter 2026: Trees, shrubs and grass are planted. The site will remain fenced to give everything time to establish.

• Spring 2027: Play equipment and street furniture are installed.

• Autumn 2027: Open Space 3 is scheduled to open to the community.

It will take time because the landscaping needs to establish properly before thousands of feet start charging across it, but the end result should give families another proper play area and green space in Wixams.

I know residents have been asking when this area would finally be delivered. We now have a start date and, importantly, a timetable to hold Urban&Civic to.

I will keep residents updated as the work progresses.

03/09/2026

The replacement column has been installed in Bedford Road Wixams.

Power is supplied by UK Power Network, so we're now waiting for them to schedule works to sort that bit out before everything can be finalised.

02/09/2026

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT JOINING THE PARISH COUNCIL……?

It is a great time to think about joining the Parish Council, which currently has Councillor vacancies and the Council would be very interested to hear from residents who want to get involved and have their say on village matters, you might:

- Like to see improvements to your local area

- Or have an interest in improving certain local provisions or services

- Have ideas on enhancing the village environment

- Want to be involved, when Bedford Borough Council allocate new housing through the Local Plan process

- Maybe are really concerned about traffic and highways safety in the village

The Council really would like to have greater representation to make sure your voice is heard. There is also lots of support available for new Councillors as well.

If you are interested in taking a more active role in the village, supporting with parish improvements and have ideas on how to help move Wilstead forwards, then the Parish Council would really like to hear from you. Do please make yourself known to the Clerk, Lizzie, [email protected]

30/08/2026

DUCK END LANE.

MAKING THE MOST OF AN OUTCOME THE VILLAGE DIDN’T WANT

This is not a development Wilstead asked for.

Residents opposed it. Wilstead Parish Council opposed it. Councillors opposed it. The Planning Committee did not approve it.

However, Bedford Borough Council failed to issue a formal decision within the required period.

The developer appealed against non determination, and on 22 May 2026, the Planning Inspector allowed up to 149 homes.

Even the Inspector accepted the development conflicts with planning policy, diminishes the gap and harms the character, setting and identity of Wilstead. Go figure.

The development now has outline permission. Our job is to make the most of the position and ensure every promised contribution and improvement is delivered.

The signed Section 106 agreement secures:

• £1,954,235 for early years, secondary and special educational needs provision. The important part here is ‘capable of serving the development’ meaning Bedford Borough Council can’t spirit it away to another part of the Borough.

• £297,329.50 for primary medical, community healthcare and mental health services. Again local.

• £40,000 for bus shelters, flags and live travel information near the development. Bedford Road and Luton Road.

• £25,000 for monitoring the travel plan. This needs investigating.

• A further outdoor sports contribution, with the amount set once the final housing mix is approved. Maybe improvements at Jubilee Playing Field., turn the MUGA into a 3G?

• 30 per cent affordable housing, equivalent to 45 homes if all 149 homes are built.

• Public open space and children’s play provision.

• A new village gateway and speed reduction feature on Bedford Road. We already have Wilstead signs so I’m not sure we need the ‘gateway’ but cushions would certainly work.

• A new pedestrian and cycle crossing on Bedford Road.

• New footways linking the development with Cawne Close and Jubilee Way.

• A new shared footway and cycleway towards the A6 underpass.

• Sustainable drainage and biodiversity improvements, with the biodiversity areas managed for at least 30 years.

The fixed financial contributions total £2,316,564.50 before indexation, plus the outdoor sports contribution.

This is not £2.3 million handed directly to Wilstead.

Much of the money is restricted to specific services serving the development, including facilities in Wixams or neighbouring areas.

But as I said above the wording is specific to serving the Wilstead community, and it’s index linked, both are important as we have too many poorly drafted S106 agreements leaving villages high and dry.

I will press for full transparency over where every pound is allocated.

Wilstead must see the benefits, all of them, rather than simply carry the burden.

29/08/2026

GOOD NEWS FOR MOSS LANE AND SOUTH AVENUE

A resident contacted me about the high kerb at this junction. Her partner uses a mobility scooter and cannot safely access the opposite footpath. This forces him to travel briefly in the road.

I raised the issue with the Council’s highways team. I am pleased to confirm the crossing improvement has now been added to the work programme, with delivery expected before the end of March 2027.

The Council will confirm the exact date once the work has been programmed.

This will provide safer access for mobility scooter users, wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.

Thank you to the resident who brought this to my attention.

27/08/2026

EV CHARGING IN WILSTEAD, GOOD IDEA OR THE WRONG LOCATION?

Bedford Borough Council has received £1 million of Government funding to install public electric vehicle charging points across the Borough.

Connected Kerb has identified Whitworth Way Car Park as a proposed location, with installation planned within the next three to six months.

Public charging would help residents who own electric vehicles but do not have off street parking. However, the charging bays would be reserved for vehicles using the chargers. This would reduce the number of spaces available for general parking.

The principle sounds sensible. The real question is whether Whitworth Way is the right location and whether local demand justifies the impact on existing parking.

What do you think?

• Support the proposal.

• Support electric charging, but prefer another location.

• Oppose the loss of general parking spaces.

Please comment below. I will ensure residents’ views are passed to the Council.

25/08/2026

I’ve been speaking to a lot of residents in Wilstead over the last few days, and one common theme keeps coming up. People simply don’t know when the Parish Council meetings are.

The next meeting is this Thursday at 7pm in Wilstead Village Hall.

Meeting dates are published on the village noticeboards, the Parish Council website and the village website, but I’ll also try to put a reminder on this page before each meeting.

There is an open forum at the start of each meeting, where Wilstead residents can come along, ask questions and raise issues directly with the Parish Council.

The Council cannot make a decision on something which is not on the published agenda, but you can still raise an issue, ask a question or bring something to councillors’ attention.

You don’t need an invitation. It is your Parish Council, and you are welcome to attend.

Thursday, 7pm, Wilstead Village Hall.

25/08/2026

Cadent - Cotton end Road

Here's an extract from the latest update from BBC:


Unfortunately the contractor has not progressed the works as expected. We have expressed our concerns about the progress of this work in the strongest possible terms as we are aware that they will not complete all of the planned works by the published end date.

We have therefore challenged and reviewed the current works and have agreed the following :

The company will bring in extra resources to complete reinstatement works over the bank holiday weekend.

The works will be removed and the closure lifted by the end of play on Tuesday 1 September.

They have agreed to bring in a Comms Team over the next couple of days to let everyone know of their plans for this road.

The remaining replacement works will then have to re-programmed for the summer of 2027. .

It appears that unexpected issues have thrown everything off kilter, BBC and Cadent are working together to get things fixed asap and the road open and that remaining works will be resheduled.

I hope that when the road closure is applied for next time, one way traffic will be negotiated where possible as we really don't want all this again.

As any when i get further updates, i'll share them.