Sandy annual town meeting and Mayor’s Awards

The meeting was attended by Cllr P Sharman (Deputy Mayor), together with 8 other Town Councillors, Mrs N Sewell (Town Clerk), the Town Council’s Administration Team, Central Bedfordshire Ward Councillor for Sandy, Cllr Pashby, Cllr Steve Watkins, Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) Executive Member for Assets, Business and Housing and members of the public.

During the meeting, Cllr Hewitt highlighted the various events that had taken place in the 2024/2025 mayoral year. She commended the council for working collaboratively with CBC, the police, the library, schools, community groups, local businesses, volunteers and churches to undertake community and national commemorative events that have been hugely successful.

The mayor was pleased to announce the completion of multiple projects such as the commissioning of a new mosaic to celebrate the life & reign of Queen Elizabeth II which is now mounted on the wall of St Swithun’s School. In addition, CCTV coverage at the Skate Park on Sunderland Road has been extended with the installation of additional cameras amid safety concerns. The vegetation on the old railway embankment next to the Skate Park was also recently cut back to make the area even safer.

Cllr Hewitt went on to say that after a long and painstaking search for land suitable for allotments, Sandy Town Council, in collaboration with CBC and the Allotment Association, has identified a site which is being developed with the help of a local farmer. She added that leases are being prepared and the current timescale is Spring 2026.

Additional projects include repointing of the churchyard wall at St Swithun’s Church, launching and running the Incredible Edible planting scheme, mounting town maps in 3 locations around the town and the extension of the Sandy Cemetery which has now reached the tender stage. The current timescale for this is late Summer 2026.

Cllr Hewitt ended her submission by welcoming the latest councillor, Su Lee, who brings the council membership to a full complement of 15.

Ward Cllr Pashby was invited to answer questions from attendees which included queries on flooding and potholes in Sandy. He promised to reiterate these issues at CBC meetings to draw more attention to the need for urgent action to be taken. Cllr Hewitt read a report on behalf of David Lace from Bedfordshire Police which covered what the police has done to address antisocial behaviour in Sandy.

Cllr Watkins took over with a question-and-answer session on CBC’s Sandye Place Consultation where he answered residents’ burning questions and addressed their concerns. He encouraged them to respond to the consultation to make their voices heard.

The mayor took the opportunity to present the Mayor’s Awards to the deserving winners in recognition of their efforts to make a positive difference in Sandy. The Community Group Award went to Asahi Shotokan Karate who have, for the last 35 years, leveraged the art of karate in teaching children (and adults) the value of discipline and respect. Perry G

The meeting ended successfully as it reinforced the council’s commitment to serving the people of Sandy. The minutes of the meeting will be available on the council’s website.