Budget allocated to create new French twinning agreement for Biggleswade

A £1,000 budget is available to develop community ties with two French towns and rekindle its relationship with a town in Germany, the local authority’s centre management committee was told.

Biggleswade has enjoyed twinning connections with Erlensee, near Frankfurt, said a report to the committee. “Continuity was lost during lockdown and the subsequent years.

“Council officers have been approached again by Bailly and Noisy-le-Roi on the outskirts of Paris to consider a twinning arrangement with the two towns. The town council decided in December 2023 it would reconsider the approach after this summer’s Olympic Games in the French capital.

“A French representative visited the town council in September and met officers and the committee chairman. That meeting prompted officers to reconfirm the current links with Erlensee, while aiming to redevelop the relationship.

“The approach was warmly received by its mayor, who invited BTC representatives to drop in when visiting Germany. Officers would like to refresh the council’s links with Erlensee and establish formal connections with the two French towns.

“The aim would be to consolidate both arrangements and eventually increase interaction,” explained the report. “Biggleswade would have links to both Germany and France, with the potential to create a three-way twinning agreement.

“Officers would explore the potential for developing mutual youth, civic, cultural, business and educational exchanges. Gradually the long-term potential and scope of such social, cultural, educational, sporting, and economic exchanges and partnerships could be explored.”

A 2025/26 budgetary allocation of about £1,000 would reinvigorate the Erlensee partnership and begin the Bailly and Noisy-le-Roi twinning relationship, according to the report.

“Initial modest activity and connections could include website links, and building a network of interested clubs and associations within the three communities,” added the report.

BTC’s community development manager Ian Campbell told the committee: “It’s all low level and in the early stages because we’ve received this interest from two towns, operating as one, west of Paris.

“We thought it timely to approach Erlensee about whether it’s still interested in a twinning arrangement,” he said.

Town councillor Jonathan Woodhead, who chairs the committee, confirmed: “No final decision has been made, so all suggestions and comments are welcome on that.

“A combination of issues led to the Erlensee partnership being scaled down. I think it was a particular group of people in the town who were keen on this. They were getting older and felt unable to travel, it was partly Covid, and the relationship for Erlensee was changing.

“When we reviewed this about 18 months ago, it was more about the formal support for the concept through the local association rather than severing the council’s links with Erlensee.”

Deputy mayor Gary Barrett suggested compiling a list of what BTC wants to achieve through the links before a twinning arrangement is set up.

The committee unanimously agreed for council officers to continue working on both twinning relationships.