Issue 75 April 2017 ALKof the OWN T T‘Helping make Dunstable a Better Place’ Toyah HEADLINING ‘PARTY IN THE PARK’ Dunstable’s New Splash Park and Café Coming Soon www.dunstable.gov.uk DUNSTABLE TOWN COUNCIL Meet the Councillors CENTRAL WARD ICKNIELD WARD Cllr Patricia Russell Cllr Lisa Bird Cllr John Chatterley Cllr John Kane Cllr Gloria Martin Cllr Sid Abbott Cllr Nigel Warren 44 Mayfield Road 124 Chiltern Road 36 Roslyn Way 2 Ripley Road 70 Crabtree Way 3 The Paddocks 41 Lowry Drive Dunstable LU5 4AP Dunstable LU6 1ET Houghton Regis Luton Dunstable Friars Walk, Dunstable Houghton Regis 07717 192398 01582 478078 LU5 6JY LU4 0AT LU6 1UR LU6 3FQA LU5 5SJ 01582 867536 01582 510048 01582 666910 01582 947345 01582 864396 Cllr Pat Staples NORTHFIELDS WARD Mandelay 10 The Paddocks Dunstable LU6 3FQ 01582 650018 MANSHEAD WARD Cllr Emma Simmons Cllr Terry Colbourne Cllr Jeannette Freeman Cllr William Tookey Cllr Steve Elliot 27 Pipers Croft 70 Crabtree Way 77 Hillcroft 32 Meadway 43 Beech Green Dunstable Dunstable Dunstable Dunstable Dunstable LU6 3JZ LU6 1UR LU6 1TT LU6 3JU LU6 1EB 01582 933591 01582 666910 01582 756060 01582 699208 01582 639241 WATLING WARD Cllr Des Moffatt Cllr Eugene Ghent 44 Longfield 1 Fox Dells Harpenden AL5 1QF Dunstable LU6 3LD 07947 221156 01582 703036 Cllr Jessica Castle c/o Dunstable Town Council, Grove House, 76 High Street North, Cllr Peter Hollick Cllr Liz Jones Cllr Claire Meakins-Jell Cllr Ann Sparrow Cllr Andy Whayman Dunstable LU6 1NF 1 Carlisle Close 82 Jeansway 11 Bernard Close 23 Staines Square Birch House Dunstable Dunstable Dunstable Dunstable 32a Bull Pond Lane LU6 3PH LU5 4PP LU5 4HL LU6 3JG Dunstable LU6 3BJ 01582 665133 01582 472044 07583 888001 01582 602386 07905 100932 Dunstable Town Council Committee Membership Finance and General Purposes Community Services Grounds and Environmental Councillors Peter Hollick (Town Mayor) Councillors Peter Hollick (Town Mayor) Councillors Peter Hollick (Town Mayor) Gloria Martin (Deputy Town Mayor) Gloria Martin (Deputy Town Mayor) Gloria Martin (Deputy Town Mayor) John Kane (Chairman) Liz Jones (Chairman) Pat Staples (Chairman) Andy Whayman (Vice-Chairman) Sid Abbott (Vice-Chairman) John Chatterley (Vice-Chairman) Sid Abbott Lisa Bird John Chatterley Lisa Bird Jessica Castle Terry Colbourne Jessica Castle Jeannette Freeman Eugene Ghent Terry Colbourne John Kane Liz Jones Jeannette Freeman Des Moffatt Claire Meakins-Jell Eugene Ghent Des Moffatt Emma Simmons Claire Meakins-Jell Patricia Russell Ann Sparrow Patricia Russell Ann Sparrow Nigel Warren Pat Staples Emma Simmons Andy Whayman Nigel Warren Dunstable Town Council facebook/dunstablecouncil DISCLAIMER: Whilst every care has been facebook/grovecornerdunstable taken in compiling this publication and the Grove House, 76 High Street North, Dunstable LU6 1NF facebook/creaseypark statements contained herein are believed to be Tel 01582 513000 Fax 01582 890606 correct, Dunstable Town Council cannot accept @dunstabletc @dunstableevents responsibility for any inaccuracies and do not Email [email protected] Web www.dunstable.gov.uk @dunstabletown @creaseypark Opening Hours 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday @prioryhouse @bennettssplash endorse any particular products. Welcome DUNSTABLE TOWN COUNCIL The Mayor’s David Welcome Ashlee Councillor Peter Hollick Town Clerk and Chief Executive It is said that as one grows older, time passes more quickly. When one Welcome to the spring edition of Talk of the Town. is kept busy, that also helps time go by. Put the two together and my Mayoral year seems to have slipped by. Over 120 engagements later, This is always a very important time of year for the on top of the usual Council meetings (the Mayor attends the three main Council as it is the period in which the Council agrees its committees and chairs the full Council), there are already another 16 annual budget. This year the Council has been able to engagements in the diary up to 14 May , the day before I will hand over set a budget at a nil per cent increase on the Dunstable to the next Mayor. Town Council element of your council tax bill whilst also After a quiet period post-Christmas into the middle of January, more improving and increasing the range of quality of life outside engagements, invitations from other Mayors, businesses and services delivered by the Council in Dunstable. other organisations, were slotted into the diary. Along with the Mayoress, I have been especially pleased to visit the Sea Cadets (one of my If you live in a Band D property in Dunstable you will pay charities) on two occasions. The first was to the Dunstable Unit Mess an annual charge of £175.21 to Dunstable Town Council, (Trafalgar) Dinner; the second to their Awards Evening. It is always good no increase on last year’s charge. An illustration of the to see a smart turn out and witness young people, in this case, the cadets services provided by the Council and how the Council and Marines, receive awards for their many achievements. is working with its partners towards ‘Making Dunstable a Better Place’ is given later in this edition. My Charity Dinner was held on Friday 24 February at Hospitality Central, Central Bedfordshire College. One hundred and twenty two The spring sees the launch of the Council’s events of us enjoyed an excellent meal prepared and served by the staff and programme and this year the Council will be starting catering students. King’s Jazz added colour with their skilful playing to things off with two events in April and May. St George’s the evening. It was pleasing to have received so many compliments Day will be celebrated with an improved range of activities about the dinner which raised money for my three charities – Sorted, centred in Priory Gardens and May sees the return of the Signposts and the Sea Cadets. very popular ‘Around the World’ event that will also take Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) brought together some of the town’s place in Priory Gardens. Please note that the Beer and businesses. Spicer & Co., Deakin-White, HQ Sports Bar and Crepe Cider Festival will take place in August this year and I am Cottage organised, hosted and provided the pancakes for 18 teams to delighted that the Council can announce Toyah Willcox as show their running and tossing abilities. A team of PCSOs and one from our headline act for this year’s Party in the Park in July. the College catering department also took part. HQ Sports Bar won the race with the students worthy runners-up. June will see the opening of the much anticipated splash park and associated cafeteria that the Town Council The Mayor’s Civic Service was held at the Priory Church on Sunday 19 has made possible by working in partnership with March. I thank the Reverend Richard Andrews, Gemma Palmer and the Central Bedfordshire Council through their Market Town Ardley Hill Academy choir which sang ‘One World’, Isabella Clawson- Regeneration Fund. I am particularly pleased with this Maila who sang Pie Jesu, the standard bearers and the Sea Cadets and project which I think will be very popular with our residents Marines, the Town Clerk and Chief Executive who read one of the lessons judging by the amount of positive comments we have and the Priory Choir for their contributions to the Service. Also thanks to received on the Council’s Facebook page. I also believe the Trefoil Guild for their help with the refreshments after the Service and that it will attract more visitors to the town centre thereby the Mayoral and Democratic Services Officer for the administration. contributing to the Council’s efforts in trying to regenerate The A5-M1 Link road and the Woodside connection are destined Dunstable. to be opened in April. Once open, improvements to our High Street can gradually take place. In the forthcoming months Dunstable will I hope readers will take the time to look at the centre pages have a completely refurbished Leisure Centre, a new Library and of this edition as the photo montage clearly illustrates why community rooms, more shops, a cleaner town, improved signage, Dunstable is prospering and why the town featured in continuing improvements to our two town centre gardens and cemetery, the top 10 list of house price increases over the past 12 a refurbished area around our War Memorial, themed markets and an months. events programme for which any town would be proud. I hope you enjoy this edition of Talk of the Town and please Work has started in Bennet Memorial Recreation Ground to build the feel free to comment on any of the Council’s services using splash park and the café which are destined to be ready this Summer – the comment form at the back of this edition or by visiting let’s hope for some good summer days. our website www.dunstable.gov.uk or following us on I do thank all those who have kindly supported me in so many ways in my Twitter and Facebook. Mayoral year; my Mayoress, fellow councillors, officers, individuals from local businesses, organisations and friends. It has been a partnership and for me has resulted in an interesting, informative and enjoyable year. Happy reading! Thank you all. TownDavid Clerk and Ashlee Chief Executive TownCouncillor Mayor of Dunstable Peter Hollick HELPING MAKE DUNSTABLE A BETTER PLACE 03 DUNSTABLE TOWN COUNCIL NOTICE BOARD News, Announcements and Items of Interest for Residents of Dunstable 10 Years of Croquet at Priory Gardens This year Dunstable Croquet Club will be Beecroft celebrating 10 years of playing croquet at Priory Gardens and we are holding various events to celebrate Community Centre this occasion. Licensed bar all evening and weekends with The club was initially started through a suggestion to hold various activities including bingo, quiz nights a croquet competition, which is now held annually during and discos.