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Some good news for Bushmead!!! 

At last, the lighting on the car park at Bushmead shops has been fixed. We do not know why the  landlords have taken so long but hope they stay fixed this time. Meanwhile we also hope the lights will deter the unwelcome nocturnal visitors who dump their takeaway food leftovers and packaging all over the place. This problem is made worse by our Labour Council not enforcing litter laws anywhere except in the town centre. 

Low traffic neighbourhoods?? Your Liberal Democrat Councillors have been asked to look at the possibility of introducing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in some parts of our area where people living in what should be quiet residential streets say they have far too much unnecessary traffic, mainly people taking a ‘short cut’ or ‘rat run’ to avoid junctions or traffic lights. Please let us have your thoughts on the request, we will report back the response.  

Barnfield & Bushmead Christmas Tree. 

A huge thanks you to all involved in organising the lighting up ceremony for the magnificent Christmas tree outside the Bushmead Hub. Special thanks to the shops, the pub and the restaurant for the welcome support and refreshments provided on the evening. Not forgetting our Police representatives who also came and enjoyed the two choirs who performed for us. But most of all, thank you to the estimated 350 residents who turned out to take part.  

Do Warehouses generate the jobs Luton needs? 

There’s lots of talk just now about what should happen on the vacant site of the former Vauxhall van factory in Kimpton Road. The new owners say their planned development ‘could’ deliver 2,400 jobs. Luton certainly needs a lot more employment opportunities for our growing population, but too many recent developments have given priority to computer & robot-controlled warehouses which they call ‘advanced logistics.’  Many of these employ very few people whilst generating huge amounts of heavy goods vehicle traffic. 

Do you think Luton needs more job opportunities and what should be built on this important employment site? Is more warehousing the answer? Let us know by emailing your Liberal Democrat Councillors at barnfield@lutonlibdem.org.uk 

Speed Watch volunteers 

With speeding traffic vey much back on the agenda, the Police ‘speed watch scheme’ is  always on the look-out for more volunteers. Full training will be given, and you do not have to work on your own street if you don’t want to. Let us have you name, address, email address and phone number, we’ll pass your contact details on to the Police officer who organises the scheme. 

Private Landlord licensing scheme. 

Is Luton Council finally about to introduce the much talked about scheme? Lots of other towns introduced them years ago but our Labour Council has made several attempts which have been legally challenged. What’s the problem that makes our Labour Council get wrong, a legal process which other Councils get right first time? They have spent far too much taxpayers’ money defending their failures in law courts. 

Free – Hair Care Skills for Carers at Barnfield College 

Barnfield College has agreed to a suggestion from Liberal Democrat Cllr. Gillian Fry to start lessons teaching carers how to groom their loved one’s hair. They have agreed to start a program to teach carers the basics of keeping hair clean and tidy.  The free lessons start this month (February 2026) and are open to all people who care for a loved one. To book a place on the course go to  Haircare Skills for Carers | Barnfield College 

GREAT to see you all again!
Many thanks to residents who turned out for our ‘Let’s Talk’ meeting at Christ Church, Bushmead on Thursday 1st May. It was a full house with all the chairs taken and some interesting questions and answers. Council Highways engineers explained the details of the new traffic lights system for the Austin Road/Kingsdown Avenue/New Bedford Road crossroads. 

They have promised us a dedicated right turn system from NBR to match the existing right turn arrangements onto NBR and have promised us improvements between this junction and the Stockingstone roundabout including improvements to the cycleways. We have asked them to look at changes to make it easier and safer for people to turn right out of Graham Gardens.

Sadly, the work on the new traffic lights will mean some major disruptions to traffic at this junction on & off until September. We hope the temporary inconvenience will be worth it.

Barnfield and Sixth Form Colleges
We are now at the time of the year when problems over anti-social behaviour reduce for six weeks and neighbours of the colleges can breathe sigh of relief. Your Liberal Democrat Councillors Amjid, Anwar and David have a meeting in July with the Council, the Police and Sixth Form College managers to try to work out a plan for when the new cohort of 1,600 students arrive in September.

We do understand a majority of the college students are coming to college to learn and are considerate and polite in their behaviour. A small minority leave mountains of litter, are seriously dangerous drivers and use the surrounding roads as a race track. 

We will be trying to get all three authorities to take these issues more seriously than they have been. Noises coming to us from the Police are encouraging and at least one young person is about to be prosecuted for several driving offences.