The aspirational supermarket chain targets urban growth areas, so winning a store would be an accolade for Bedford.
Nigel Keen, the development director of Waitrose, told Bedford Today that it's been his company's “ambition” for a long time to open a store in the town. Planners are meeting to discuss Waitrose's application to convert the former Courts furniture store building on Goldington Road, reports the paper. Courts closed in 2004. 150 new jobs would result from the arrival of Waitrose and the town's supermarket choices would be widened.
A John Lewis Partnership company, Waitrose tends to research developing and gentrifying urban areas in which to site new stores. So selecting Bedford speaks volumes about the town's improving prospects.
The People
Situated in the east of England, the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire has a population of over 600,000 in an area of 1,235 sq km. Locals are known as Bedfordhire Bulldogs or Clangers, the latter deriving from a local meat-filled suet crust dumpling dish.
Bedford is the county town or capital with a town population of around 79,000, and 156,000 in the borough which covers the district. Flemings from Flanders and Hugenots (or protestant French) from France arrived in the Middle Ages, enhancing local lace-making skills. In the 20th Century, a huge influx of Italian immigrants were recruited to work in the town by the London Brick Company and a high percentage of the current population claims Italian ancestry. The Little Italy feel is evidenced by the array of Italian bars and restaurants there.
Situated in the east of England, the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire has a population of over 600,000 in an area of 1,235 sq km. Locals are known as Bedfordhire Bulldogs or Clangers, the latter deriving from a local meat-filled suet crust dumpling dish.
Bedford is the county town or capital with a town population of around 79,000, and 156,000 in the borough which covers the district. Flemings from Flanders and Hugenots (or protestant French) from France arrived in the Middle Ages, enhancing local lace-making skills. In the 20th Century, a huge influx of Italian immigrants were recruited to work in the town by the London Brick Company and a high percentage of the current population claims Italian ancestry. The Little Italy feel is evidenced by the array of Italian bars and restaurants there.
But Bedfordians speak around a hundred languages as later inhabitants arrived from the sub-Continent, Middle East, Southern and Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. This diverse population speaks Italian, Punjabi, Persian, Turkish, Polish, Portuguese, Cantonese and Mandarin and numerous other tongues, creating one of England's most ethnically mixed communities.
Property
The Land Registry of England & Wales reports that to December 2010 the average Bedford residential price was £219,691. That figure is broken down as follows:
Detached £324,146
Semi-Detached £194,465
Terraced £148,210
Flat £109,044.
Haart, Connells and Savills offer estate agency services in Bedford alongside Michael Graham, Harrison Murray, Lane Holmes, Cooper Beard and many others.
History
Originally, this was a wool-producing district which later became known for its lace. It developed a thriving brewing industry too and, by the 19th century, was a prosperous engineering centre.
The River Great Ouse flowing through the centre was an historical asset which connected the town to other regions at a time when unsealed roads became impassable during winter. Today it's a leisure waterway, lined with gardens called The Embankment.
Road, Rail and Air Connections
The A6 trunk road, and A1 and M1 motorways connect Bedfordshire to the rest of England.
Bedford is served by two rail stations at Bedford Midland (connecting the town to Bletchley in Buckinghamshire via the Marston Vale line, and on other lines to Brighton, Leicester, London, Nottingham and Leeds) and Bedford St Johns (also on the Marston Vale line to Bletchley).
Luton Airport in south Bedfordshire is 47 km distant, Heathrow 72 km and Stansted around 88 km away by road.
Education in Bedford
Secondary schools include the independent Bedford School, which educated Paddy (now Lord) Ashdown and Simon Murray (the Glencore Chairman). This school was founded by Edward VI in 1552. Unlike most of England, Bedfordshire operated a three-tier state education system incorporating middle schools, but the Council voted in 2009 to phase these out. There's a wide range of state and other independent schools here.
Bedford is home to a campus of the University of Bedfordshire. Other tertiary institutions are renowned Bedford College and also Stella Mann College, focussing on the performing arts.
Research-oriented postgraduate Cranfield University is also situated in the county to the south of Bedford. Cranfield has just received a £51million boost from the government to set up new centres for innovating manufacturing focused on the pharmaceutical, aerospace and automotive industries.
The Arts
Bedford has a thriving arts scene with a theatre at the Civic, a museum and art gallery, an entertainment venue at the old Corn Exchange, and a range of live music spots including Esquires.
A two-day river festival is held in July every other year which attracts a quarter of a million visitors. The Great Ouse also enables the town to host the Bedford Regatta each May. Other major events in the town include a June kite festival and an August “Proms” musical festival.
Climate and Geography
Despite being inland, the climate here is referred to as maritime, yet it's relatively dry with evenly distributed rainfall of 585 mm throughout the year, but with 1,500 hours of sunshine annually.
Business in Bedford
The town's central geographical position, proximity to London (75 km) and transport connections make it attractive to larger companies. Big local employers include:
- 3M Distribution Centre
- Accenture financial consultancy services
- Argos Distribution
- Aircraft Research Association research & development
- Arrow Electronics electronics distribution
- ASteel Flash electronics manufacturing
- ASDA Distribution Centre
- Axis electronics manufacturing
- Autoglass repairs & distribution
- Bedfordia Group agriculture & eco technology
- Blue Chip information technology support
- Bourns electronics manufacturers
- Box Clever television rentals
- BTP Mailflight post and courier services
- Capita Childrens Services data management
- Charles Wells and Wells & Youngs brewers & pub retailing
- Fujifilm digital photography equipment
- Institute of Legal Executives legal services
- Movianto pharmaceutical logistics
- Sainsbury's Distribution
- SDC Construction
- Unilever research & development
- URS engineering & development
- Wyboston Lakes knowledge & leisure village.
More Enterprise Initiatives
According to Bedford Today, a disused industrial site at the old Camford Engineering Works in Bedford's Ampthill Road could be transformed. The paper says this area is likely to get a “multi-million pound revamp, with a supermarket, garden centre, hotel and 141 new homes.” Business start-ups are envisaged, thus bolstering employment and boosting prosperity.
Supermarket giant Morrisons, already in Bedfordshire at Shefford and Leighton Buzzard, have applied for planning permission. Directly elected Bedford Mayor, Liberal Democrat Dave Hodgson said “I am delighted that Morrisons, a major national retailer, want to open a store here and bring jobs and investment. The site they are looking at is a key gateway to Bedford, and new development could bring great benefits” reports Bedford Today.
Bedford is buzzing. Yet it needs to develop even more private enterprise. The BBC reported in September 2010 the Borough Council would shed 200 jobs and close some leisure facilities to save around £10m. As you can imagine, the added impetus of these fresh initiatives will more than compensate by transferring employment to the productive sector of the town's economy.
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