Dunstable Skatepark official opens on 21st March 2015

I was so proud to have been at the hand over of Dunstable Skatepark this morning, from Maverick Industries and Central Bedfordshire Council to Dunstable Town Council and from the 21st of March the Skatepark will be handed over to everyone that wants to use it.
Please excuse the lack of editing as I am new to videoing wink emoticon
The Skateboard is having its finishing touches done over the next week and will be OPEN for fun on 21st March 2015
Here is a short video with Josh,... Pete, Cllr Nigel Young, Dunstable Mayor Cllr Terry Stock and other Cllrs and other involved parties.
Photos to follow.....

https://youtu.be/HzroP6-lX9w

Regeneration Investment in Dunstable

Regeneration Investment in Dunstable		Private Investors	Developer S106 / CBC	Government	Total
A5 M1 Link Road			£45,000,000	£135,000,000	£180,000,000
Dunstable / Luton Busway			£5,000,000	£86,000,000	£91,000,000
Pro Logis Distribution Centre(s) Boscombe Road		£80,000,000			£80,000,000
Woodside Link Road			£20,000,000	£25,000,000	£45,000,000
Houghton Regis Independent Living			£26,000,000		£26,000,000
New Leisure Centre and Library			£15,000,000		£15,000,000
83 Elderly Living Apartments Church Street			£11,000,000	£4,000,000	£15,000,000
CB College Refurbishment		£3,000,000		£12,000,000	£15,000,000
Local Sustainable transport (Travel Choices)				£10,000,000	£10,000,000
Holiday Inn		£8,000,000			£8,000,000
Croft Green, Creasey Park Affordable Developments			£8,000,000		£8,000,000
White Lion Refurbishment		£5,000,000			£5,000,000
Incuba Centre			£3,066,000	£1,934,000	£5,000,000
New Roads (Boscombe Gyratory, Poynters Rd, Court Drive)				£1,960,000	£1,960,000
New Household Waste Recycling Centre (Thorn Turn - 2016)				£1,500,000	£1,500,000
Grove Skate Park (£230 K Developer + £30 K DTC)			£250,000		£250,000
BBC 3CR		£250,000			£250,000
HQ Sports Bar		£250,000			£250,000
		£96,500,000	£133,316,000	£277,394,000	£507,210,000

More good news for Dunstable.

We have been advised that Central Beds Council proposes to spend £15 Million on a new Leisure Centre and Library for Dunstable, subject to consultation.

Good News for Dunstable!

On a much more positive note ........
We have been doing some homework and have this to share with you:

New Shops in the last 6 months

1 New barber on High Street North

2 New Will preparation shop High Street North

3 New Deli High Street North...

4 New Sports Bar Grove Gardens

5 BBC 3CR moving to Grove Gardens

6 New Dress shop Eleanors Cross

7 New Perfume Shop Eleanors Cross

8 New Cake / Wedding 'Claire's Cakes' shop
Eleanors Cross

9 New Deli Church Street

10 New Sun Tan shop Church Street

11 New Greengrocer 'Roses' High Street North

12 New/relocation of Bath Store Brittany Court

13 New Grocer High Street South

14 New Coffee Shop Icknield Street

15 New EE Shop Quadrant

16 New Vodaphone shop Quadrant

17 New Catering outlet Lisa Roberts
Ashton Square
18 Brantano Shoes White Lion (Application)

19 JD Sports White Lion (Application)

20 Wren Furnishings White Lion

21 New Next White Lion (Application)

22 M & S Simply Food White Lion (Application)

23 B & M Luton Road

24 Woolies High Street South to be rebuilt in
Edwardian style – Apartments with new retail below

25 Moores acquired for Apartments with new retail below

26 Relocation to Boscombe Road Larger Premises
for Dunstable Laminates.
27.
Nicola Debenham photography (Ashton Square) above cake house.


CBC Investment in Dunstable

28. Ruby Tuesday Too

29. Leveloff Foods Church Street

1 £45 M (Developer) for A5 M1 link road (Total £170 M)

2 £20 M Woodside Link Road (Total £42 M)

3 £5 M Busway Links Dunstable to Railway (London)
& Airport attracting significant investment in Dunstable

4 £15 M New Leisure Centre and Library (Consultation)

5 £15 M 83 Elderly Living Apartments Church Street

6 £250 K Grove Skate Park (£230 K Developer + £30 K DTC)

CBC Support and attract

£15 Million CB College Refurbishment

£50 Million + Pro Logis Distribution Centre Boscombe Road

And of course this new video..... Please watch and let's make it go #viral

Dunstable: The next chapter.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpPi0rITWw4

Green light for new sheltered housing scheme

Central Bedfordshire Council has received permission for a purpose-built housing scheme in Dunstable.

The council was granted planning permission for the two-storey development  in Croft Green, which will offer 23 flats, as well as a lift, laundry, kitchen, guest suite and a communal lounge and enclosed gardens for tenants and older residents living nearby.

Eight bedsits, a two-bedroom flat and a communal lounge forming part of a housing scheme will be demolished to create the site for the modern new building, with work due to begin in the summer and be finished in late 2016. When it is finished, it will offer 14 more homes than the existing accommodation there.

The new scheme is an example of the council’s commitment to improve the housing offer for older people, so they can continue to live independently for longer. It is a positive outcome from the review of our existing sheltered housing provision that we have been undertaking in partnership with our existing sheltered tenants. It is one part of a complete and wide ranging offer for older people.

Councillor Carole Hegley, Executive Member for Social Care, Health and Housing, said: “I am really pleased that permission has been granted for this new development, which is part of the council’s commitment to a better offer for residents,

“A key priority for Central Bedfordshire is providing accommodation where people can live independently for longer, rather than having to go into residential accommodation, and this is exactly the kind of scheme which will enable us to do that.

“We are committed to providing good quality housing which is suitable for older people, and work is progressing really well at nearby Priory View, which will offer 83 apartments and is on track to be ready in September.” 

The planning approval for Croft Green, which was granted at last week’s meeting of the Development Management Committee, means that work can now begin to appoint contractors and a project manager to carry out the scheme, as well as making sure the site is secure and traffic is limited to only what is necessary.

For more information about the council’s housing programme, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/housing

More Good News for Dunstable residents.

Work completed at housing development for adults with learning disabilities

A group of adults with learning disabilities have received an early Christmas present with the news that they can move into their new purpose-built homes in the new year.

The £2.43million development in Dunstable was commissioned by Central Bedfordshire Council and marks the final stage of the local authority’s programme to move tenants out of outdated care homes into flats and houses where they can live independently with support.

The two-storey development has been built on the site of a former care home, and provides eight bedsits, two one-bedroom flats and four two-bedroom flats and a large communal space and landscaped garden.

Central Bedfordshire has provided £2.43million of Department of Health capital grant to cover all development costs.

Councillor Carole Hegley, Executive Member for Social Care, Health and Housing at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “One of the council’s key priorities is to ensure that people can live independently, rather than in residential accommodation, for as long as possible, and this new development will help residents to do just that.

“I was delighted to be able to look around the new accommodation, which is bright, airy and just feels like a great place to live. I hope that the residents share my enthusiasm when they move in early next year.”

Aileen Evans, Managing Director of MacIntyre Housing Association, which will run the scheme, added: “We are so pleased these tenants will be able to enjoy up-to-date facilities and thrive independently with support from our housing officers. This is just the sort of accommodation which we are so desperately short of around the country.”

The development is located on the site of a former care home which had been closed since 2007 and had become a target for vandalism.

The first stage of the development was completed last year in which a four bedroom house was redeveloped on the site.

The second stage saw the former care home, which closed in 2007 and was a target for vandals, demolished and the new accommodation built by Lifebuild Solutions. Baily Garner was the employer’s agent for the project and the architect was Kyle Smart Associates.

Luton application has been dismissed by Judge.

 

Sources have informed us:

The Council's planning decisions on development to the north of Houghton Regis which is contributing significant funding (£45 million) to the Dunstable/Houghton Regis Bypass. Luton had said in Court that they would not have brought the action if Central Beds had provided more social housing for Luton.

Regrettably , Luton immediately asked for leave to appeal against this judgement which Justice Holgate refused.

"This morning High Court Judge, Justice Holgate, has dismissed the legal challenge brought by Luton Borough Council against this Council’s planning decision on development to the north of Houghton Regis.

 

Whilst the challenge was dismissed in its entirety, the judgement was particularly robust in its criticism on four of the grounds raised by Luton which in some cases were referred to as “wholly misconceived” and “utterly inarguable”.

 

Conversely Justice Holgate backed Central Bedfordshire completely. He was satisfied that there was nothing misleading in the Council’s Committee Report, that we had properly exercised our planning judgement and that there were no matters open to legal criticism.  The Council had correctly balanced the very important benefits this scheme would bring against the concerns raised by Luton. 

 

To quote Justice Holgate specifically, “It is most unfortunate that this project, which will deliver much needed development and nationally important infrastructure, has been delayed by a challenge lacking in legal merit.”

 

Regrettably, Luton has already lodged an appeal against this judgement.

 

Whilst Justice Holgate has denied them the leave to apply to the Appeal Court for this to be considered, it is possible that the Borough Council will continue to pursue all legal avenues open to it to press for the their appeal to be heard.

 

We will be alerting local stakeholders, including local Members and the media, to this news today and anticipate some national media interest in the new year.

 

Regards

 

Jason

 

 

Jason Longhurst

Director of Regeneration and Business"