Tempsford - an opportunity to create a safe and low-crime town

Bedfordshire public sector leaders have written jointly to the Secretary of State to urge that safety, resilience and community wellbeing are placed at the heart of plans for the proposed new town at Tempsford.

In a letter signed by John Tizard, Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Trevor Rodenhurst, Chief Constable Bedfordshire Police, Councillor Jacqueline Burnett, Chair of Bedfordshire and Rescue Fire Authority, and Andrew Hopkinson, Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and chair of Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum, the signatories welcome the opportunities presented by the development but stress that it must be about more than simply building homes.

The letter calls for crime prevention, emergency preparedness, fire safety, infrastructure resilience and the capacity of local public services to be embedded into the design and delivery of the new town from the outset. It also highlights the need for long-term government investment to ensure emergency services and resilience arrangements can keep pace with growth.

A copy of the letter can be viewed below: