Bedford Borough Council officers and councillors have claimed they do not yet have critical information needed to assess the impact of the East West Rail project through Bedford, during a public meeting with residents.
Opening this week’s meeting (20 January), Bedford mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) told attendees that the council was stepping in because East West Rail had been “less than fruitful” with the information it had been disseminating to the public.
“I feel we are your trade union and we’re sticking up to East West Rail to try to get the best deal for you but also to try to get some answers,” he said.
“Because there’s an awful lot of questions and smoke and mirrors about East West Rail… It’s been very difficult to get straight answers. ”
Council officers confirmed they are still awaiting updated technical material, and at times, information provided by East West Rail has been inconsistent.
Jo Branson-Budd, head of capital projects, infrastructure and sustainable travel, said that although the council had requested modelling on the six-track versus four-track layout, “that has not yet been forthcoming,”
Community engagement officer, Antigua Riley Corion, told residents: “The information that we have been provided from East West Rail actually contradicts the maps that have been provided to residents within the area.
“Again, this is just further demonstration of the confusion, I will say, in working with East West Rail and trying to collect data and information that is accurate.
“Rather than going off of hearsay or what we think may have happened because of something that was raised unclearly in a meeting.”
Hospital impact
Serious concerns were raised about hospital access and the proposed multi-storey car park near Bedford Hospital.
Local Natalie Christian-John, who stood as a councillor in the 2024 Riverfield by-election for the Conservatives, warned of risks to vulnerable patients and carers, saying: “I really don’t feel that East West Rail has addressed that.”
Ms Branson-Budd said these were “very valid” concerns, adding: “We have asked a number of questions about the timing of the East West Rail proposals and the hospital proposals in terms of expansion of their elective care
centre.
“The car park needs to be constructed clearly before the hospital [works] so that the interim parking plans can be agreed.
“It’s obviously a pinch point in terms of traffic congestion, etc., and it only takes the slightest thing to have an enormous impact on the highway network.
“Proposals seem to change, and we need an update; that’s a question that we’ve definitely asked,” she said.
Political divisions
Political divisions within the council were also laid bare. Cllr Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden), portfolio holder for environment, told the meeting that in November, she was unsuccessful in an amendment motion to have the council stop supporting the northern route.
“However, the majority of the council would not support that… although it opposes demolition,” the Independent councillor for Renhold and Ravensden said.
“East West Rail have consistently said that the northern route will equal demolitions.
“It will not just equal demolitions, it will equal chaos… People have got no idea what will befall our town.
“I do not support the northern route. The northern route is destructive, environmentally damaging, economically crippling, and unnecessary, let alone costly.”
The meeting also heard that recent changes under the Planning Infrastructure Bill remove residents as statutory consultees at the pre-application stage of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, although residents can still register as interested parties later.
An EWR Spokesperson said: “We were grateful for the attendance at the public meeting we held in November and would be more than willing to attend other meetings where we can provide up-to-date information on the project.
“We continue to work closely with Bedford Borough Council, and we are in regular contact with affected residents and local stakeholders to keep them informed about our latest proposals.
“We are also holding a further two events in Bedford in February, where our latest designs will be on display. These events will be attended by our team of experts who will be on hand to talk through the proposals and to answer questions from the public.”
Further East West Rail engagement events in Bedford are scheduled for February 2026, ahead of a planned DCO submission in 2027. Full details of the events can be found here.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
