Walkers are Welcome Accreditation - Added (27/01/2012)

Sandy Town Council and Sandy Tourist Centre are hoping that Sandy will be the first town in East Anglia to achieve Walkers are Welcome status. This would strengthen the town's status as a place for visitors to come and enjoy the outdoors as well as benefiting the local economy.

To join the other 70 towns and villages across Britain with Walkers are Welcome status it must be demonstrated that the idea iss widely suported by the community so petitions have beenn distributed around the town. The Town Council is asking the community and local shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants and accommodation providers to see whether they are interested in acquiring this accreditation for the town. Petitions can be found in the library, Town Council offices, TIC and around the town.

Precept for 2012/13 - Added (27/01/2012)

At a meeting on Monday 23 January 2012 Sandy Town Council voted to increase the element of the Council Tax for 2012/13 which tax payers in Sandy will contribute to the running of their Town Council. In 2011/12 Sandy Town Council received £91.62 per year or £1.76 per week from each Band D equivalent house in its parish. In 2012/13 the tax will increase to £98.03 per year or £1.88 per week, an increase of 12 p per week. The Town Council uses this money to deliver a range of services to the town such as providing and maintaining footway lighting, recreation grounds, open spaces, play areas and sports facilities, allotments, cemetery, churchyard, public toilets, the town centre car park, CCTV, Sandy Tourist Information Centre and other services.
Mayor Susan Sutton explained “The Council has worked hard to keep its costs as low as possible over the past few years. We have scrutinized our budget very thoroughly and we have made as many savings as we can. Our staff have not had an increase in their rate of pay since April 2009. However, our other costs have been increasing in line with inflation or even more in the case of fuel and utility bills for example. All Town Councils are being asked to take on more responsibilities and Sandy is no exception. The increase in our precept is necessary to allow us to continue our work for the community.”

Sandy Town Council Website - Added (26/01/2012)

We are currently re-developing our website and we apologise for the fact that our website is not complete and out of date in parts. If you want any information about the Town Council please contact us on 01767-681491 or admin@sandytowncouncil.gov.uk.

New Venue for Town Council Surgeries - Added (12/10/2011)

The Councillor's Surgeries have a new venue this year! They will be held in Sandy Library between 10am and 12 noon.

If you have any problems or concerns aout your town please come and speak to one of your Councillors. The next two surgeries are on Friday 3rd February 2012 and Saturday 3rd March 2012.

The Search Goes On For New Allotment Sites - Added (12/10/2011)

Finding a site (or sites) for new allotments is still a priority for Sandy Town Council. Recently the Mayor, Cllr Mrs Susan Sutton, went to see the Chief Executive of Central Bedfordshire Council (Richard Carr). There were many topics of concern on the agenda including our search for allotment land and we are working closely with the unitary authority and the Sandy & District Allotments Association as we continue the search. Several sites have been explored, although unfortunately several had to be discounted because of flooding. A further new site is now under active consideration.

The Town Council’s existing allotments will remain in cultivation at least until October 2012. As plots become vacant they will be let to residents on the waiting list. However, in the longer term the site is not big enough to satisfy local demand as more people want to enjoy growing their own food on an allotment. Also the Town Council will eventually need the present site for an extension to Sandy Cemetery. Let us know if you want to add your name to the waiting list for an allotment.

Sandy Leisure Centre - Added (12/10/2011)

A stay of execution for Sandy Leisure Centre has been announced by Central Bedfordshire Council after much effort by your Town Council, other local stakeholders and members of the community. The Centre, which was due to close next March, will now stay open until at least 2013.

The reason for the proposed closure was that Central Bedfordshire Council could not afford to subsidise the Centre. As well as campaigning to keep the Centre your Town Council has used £9,000 of council tax payers’ money to support the Centre this year. Other local organisations also contributed to the running costs so as to keep the Centre open.

Next year the centre will again be managed by Stevenage Leisure Ltd, a not for profit organisation which runs several other centres in the region. Talks are now going on between all the interested parties to secure the future of the Centre after March 2013.

Policing in Sandy - Added (12/10/2011)

Following a meeting at Sandy Town Council Chief Inspector Neil Waring of Bedfordshire Police agreed to install a temporary Police Pod in the town centre car park. The pod is open every afternoon between 2 pm and 4 pm so that residents can raise general concerns about community safety in Sandy, meet their local Police Community Safety Officers and obtain crime prevention advice. Everyone is welcome to call into the Pod to meet the team but individual crimes should still be reported in person at Biggleswade or Bedford Police Stations or by phone.

The emergency number for the police is still 999 but from now on in Bedfordshire the main number to use to report non-emergency crime and disorder is 101. Calls to 101 cost 15p per call, no matter how long you are on the phone and whether you use a land line or a mobile. You can find out more about this service at www.police.uk/101
101 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The local Bedfordshire numbers for reporting crime will be gradually phased out.

- Added (24/09/2009)

FARMER'S MARKET - Added (18/11/2008)

The Town Council will be holding a Farmers Market on the first Saturday of each month on the Market Square, outside the Post Office from 9am till 1pm with meat, pies, fruit, vegetables, jams, cheeses, chutneys, chillies, bread and cakes available.

The market will be held thereafter on the first Saturday of each month except January.

This Farmer's Market is in addition to the traditional Market held every Friday on Sandy Car Park.

- Added (28/07/2008)

- Added (14/02/2008)

- Added (25/10/2007)

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