COMMUNITY
council news Bedford River Festival and Kite and Motoring Festival Postponed Bedford Borough Council has announced that the Bedford River Festival and the Kite and Motoring Festival are being postponed until 2022. With ongoing uncertainty about big outdoor events this summer due to COVID-19 and the months of planning required to organise the River Festival particularly, as one of the largest free
festivals in the UK, the Council has decided to postpone these events. The planned new date for the next River Festival is 23rd & 24th July 2022. The Council will continue to keep traders, exhibitors, local residents and businesses informed.
eCargo Bikes In Bedford Borough Following a successful funding bid to the Department for Transport, Bedford Borough Council has purchased six eCargo bikes to help the Council work in a greener way. eCargo bikes are electric bikes that have two or three wheels and a container for carrying items. They can be used to transport bulky items in a cleaner and greener way compared to traditional transport. Four of these bikes will become part of the Council’s vehicle fleet within the Sustainable Transport Team
and their work with schools and at events, within the Street Cleansing Team, and at Harrold-Odell Country Park for park maintenance. The other two have been loaned to the University of Bedfordshire and Flamme Rouge Cycles. The eCargo Bike Grant Fund scheme is funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by the Energy Saving Trust. The bikes were purchased following the award of £27,838 from the Department of Transport to Bedford Borough Council.
Council accepts £1.86m Getting Building grant from SEMLEP Bedford Borough Council has received £1,867,500 from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) to deliver a green energy park at a former landfill site in Elstow.
Alongside allowing the Council to make more efficient use of the 30-ha site, this project will generate more construction jobs locally and stimulate the local job market in the growing energy technology sector.
The Bedford Green Technology & Innovation Park project will deliver low carbon, clean energy generation technologies and encourage others to reduce carbon emissions, adopt innovative technologies and improve air quality.
The Council will be able to generate revenue through supplying onsite buildings and local businesses with low carbon, clean energy. In future, they plan to bring more commercial development opportunities through providing nearby distribution centres with green electricity.
The project will also provide an education and training resource through partnership working with the University of Bedfordshire, Cranfield University and local colleges, alongside promoting wider acceptance of renewable energy technologies. 4
The Council has started works to cap the ground with clay in accordance with the planning approval for this site, with the project due to be completed early 2022.
