Bus planning

I went to a Central Beds consultation on the local area transport plan with Alan Morris.  Please note that the Central Beds officers described it as a 'wish list'. I don't know if there are any bus fairies around but here goes anyway. 






Alan reports:

A meeting took place at Eversholt Hall on Thursday 6th October attended by Parish Councillors Alan Morris and Laurence Pollock, Central Beds Councillor Alan Bastable together with councilors from Marston, Millbrook and Ridgmont.  The meeting was hosted by Jim Tombe with presentations given by Manouchehr Nahvi both Officers from Central Beds Council.  The purpose of the meeting as explained by Jim Tombe was to discuss the transport ‘wishes’ of the villages in the western end of CBC.  The formal minutes of the meeting are attached to this email.

On behalf of Cranfield Village the following points were emphasised:
1. That the bus services linking Cranfield with Bedford and locations in the Central Beds area are being seriously reduced due to cuts in the financial support given to bus operators.  It was made clear that this deteriorating situation was unacceptable and that any new transport plan should endeavour to rectify this as a priority matter.

2. In dealing with future bus services the Cranfield representatives encouraged CBC to look for ways forward that matched the needs of the village communities through the employment of imaginative solutions.  It was pointed out that discussions had been opened by Cranfield Parish Council with Milton Keynes and Arriva for creating an effective service linking Cranfield to MK which would come into effect next year and might involve the creation of an express commuter service to MK station.  This could be considered by CBC for an express service from Cranfield via Marston to Flitwich station.

3. The importance of creating a cycle and pedestrian link between Cranfield Village and Cranfield University to allow students and staff to cycle or walk to work was explained.