| First of all, let me thank you all for coming to this public meeting, to discuss the future of our town. |
| Our first speaker is Shona Ferguson, from Barford town council. |
| Shone. |
| Thank you. |
| First I'll briefly give you some background information, |
| then I'll be asking you for your comments on developments in the town. |
| Well, as you don't need me to tell you, Barford has changed a great deal in the last 50 years. |
| These are some of the main changes. |
| Fifty years ago, buses linked virtually every part of the town and the neighbouring towns and villages. |
| Most people used them frequently, |
| but not now because the bus companies concentrate on just the routes that attract most passengers. |
| So parts of the town are no longer served by buses. |
| Even replacing old uncomfortable buses with smart new ones has had little impact on passenger numbers. |
| It's sometimes said that bus fares are too high, |
| but in relation to average incomes, fares are not much higher than they were 50 years ago. |
| Changes in the road network are affecting the town. |
| The centre was recently closed to traffic on a trial basis, making it much safer for pedestrians. |
| The impact of this is being measured. |
| The new cycle paths separating bikes from cars in most main roads, |
| are being used far more than was expected reducing traffic and improving air quality. |
| And although the council's attempts to have a bypass constructed have failed, |
| we haven't given up hope of persuading the government to change its mind. |
| Shopping in the town centre has changed over the years. |
| Many of us can remember when the town was crowded with people going shopping. |
| Numbers have been falling for several years, |
| despite efforts to attract shoppers, for instance by opening new car parks. |
| Some people combine shopping with visits to the town's restaurants and cafés. |
| Most shops are small independent stores, which is good, |
| but many people prefer to use supermarkets and department stores in nearby large towns, |
| as there are so few well-known chain stores here. |
| Turning now to medical facilities, |
| the town is served by family doctors in several medical practices - |
| fewer than 50 years ago, but each catering for far more patients. |
| Our hospital closed 15 years ago, |
| which means journeys to other towns are unavoidable. |
| On the other hand, there are more dentists than there used to be. |
| Employment patterns have changed, along with almost everything else. |
| The number of schools and colleges has increased making that the main employment sector. |
| Services, such as website design and accountancy, have grown in importance, |
| and surprisingly, perhaps, manufacturing hasn't seen the decline that has affected it in other parts of the country. |
| Now I'll very quickly outline current plans for some of the town's facilities, |
| before asking for your comments. |
| As you'll know if you regularly use the car park at the railway station, it's usually full. |
| The railway company applied for permission to replace it with a multi-storey car park, |
| but that was refused. |
| Instead, the company has bought some adjoining land, and this will be used to increase the number of parking spaces. |
| The Grand, the old cinema in the high street will close at the end of the year, |
| and reopen on a different site. |
| You've probably seen the building under construction. |
| The plan is to have three screens with fewer seats, rather than just the one large auditorium in the old cinema. |
| I expect many of you shop in the indoor market. |
| It's become more and more shabby-looking, |
| and because of fears about safety, it was threatened with demolition. |
| The good news is that it will close for six weeks to be made safe and redecorated, |
| and the improved building will open in July. |
| Lots of people use the library, including school and college students who go there to study. |
| The council has managed to secure funding to keep the library open later into the evening, twice a week. |
| We would like to enlarge the building in the not-too-distant future, |
| but this is by no means definite. |
| There's no limit on access to the nature reserve on the edge of town, |
| and this will continue to be the case. |
| What will change, though, is that the council will no longer be in charge of the area. |
| Instead it will become the responsibility of a national body |
| that administers most nature reserves in the country. |
| OK, now... |