Wixams was originally conceived as a self-sufficient and sustainable new community — a place where residents could live, work, learn, shop and access key services and facilities without needing to travel elsewhere for everyday needs. That principle remains as important today as it was when the community was first planned. However, despite Wixams growing into one of Bedfordshire’s largest new communities, the current Town Centre plans do not include a leisure centre, swimming pool or dedicated gym. Residents have consistently identified these facilities as a priority. In community surveys, a leisure centre with swimming pool and gym was one of the most requested facilities for Wixams. The absence of these facilities means residents must travel outside the town for activities that should be available within their own community. The nearest facilities are: 🏊 Kempston Pool & Fitness Centre – approximately 3.5 miles away 🏊 John Bunyan Sports & Fitness Centre – approximately 4 miles away 🏊 Flitwick Leisure Centre – approximately 11 miles away For many residents, these journeys require a car. Children, teenagers, older residents and those without access to private transport are particularly disadvantaged. This situation is also inconsistent with the original vision of Wixams as a sustainable community. Encouraging residents to make regular car journeys for swimming lessons, fitness activities and recreational sport is neither environmentally sustainable nor aligned with the principles upon which Wixams was founded. The impact is already being felt in local schools. Because Wixams has no swimming pool, schools must transport pupils by coach to facilities outside the town for swimming lessons. This creates additional costs, additional travel and lost learning time, while increasing traffic and carbon emissions. As Wixams continues to grow, these challenges will only become greater. The wider area around Wixams is expected to accommodate thousands of additional homes, creating a community of well over 20,000 people. Communities of this scale require more than housing. They require the infrastructure that supports healthy and active lives. We recognise that the current Town Centre plans are now progressing through the planning process and support their delivery. However, we believe planning for the future of Wixams must not stop there. The opportunity to provide leisure facilities in the future depends on safeguarding sufficient land today. Once land around the Town Centre is allocated for housing, the opportunity to deliver a leisure centre and swimming pool may be lost permanently. This petition calls on Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council to ensure that the long-term leisure needs of Wixams are properly planned for. Our Request We support the delivery of the current Town Centre as Phase One. We ask our councils to protect the opportunity to deliver a leisure centre, swimming pool and gym for the Wixams of 2040. Because a truly sustainable community should not require thousands of residents — including school children — to leave their town to access basic leisure facilities. Deliver Phase One. Plan Phase Two. Safeguard the future of Wixams.

I want the UK Government to stop putting foreign and world burdens only on the shoulders of UK tax payers. UK Government should create a deal to source fair funding of defence of these locations from the residents there or cease providing protection and arrange a hand over of local defence to them. UK Tax Payers are currently being squeezed for every penny whilst every UK government promises extra Military Funding. UK currently has deals in place to be the key protectorate of all it's Overseas Territory (EG: Gibraltar, Falklands & more) without charging tax at these locations to fund it. The burden of costs purely comes from the UK MOD funded by UK tax payers. It is unfair on the British Tax payer to continue funding billions in defence of colonial remnants in 2026 under such conditions.

The published results should include the actual concentrations of PFAS, Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), nitrates, pesticides, lead and other significant contaminants. The Government should introduce stronger statutory PFAS standards based on the latest scientific evidence, require routine monitoring and public reporting of TFA, and require bottled water producers to publish the same contaminant information so consumers can make informed choices. Everyone has the right to know what is in the water they and their families drink every day. Every day, millions of people across the UK turn on the tap and trust that their drinking water is safe. Yet most of us are never told what contaminants have actually been found in the water we drink. We are simply told that it meets current regulations. If I buy a bottle of water, a carton of milk or a can of soft drink, I can see what it contains. Why shouldn't I have the same information about the water coming into my home? PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down naturally and can remain in the environment for decades. They have been used since the 1940s in firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging and many industrial processes. Some PFAS pesticides can also break down into Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), another highly persistent fluorinated chemical now being found in rivers and drinking water. Scientific studies have linked exposure to some PFAS with higher cholesterol, reduced immune response, thyroid disease, liver damage, reduced fertility, lower birth weight and some cancers. Scientists are also investigating possible links with children's brain development, including attention, learning and behaviour. TFA has recently been classified by European scientific experts as toxic to reproduction because evidence indicates it may harm fertility and the unborn child. Because PFAS build up in the environment and in our bodies over time, people living near airports, military bases, firefighting training areas and other contaminated sites often have higher levels than the general population. People have a right to know whether PFAS, TFA, nitrates, pesticides, lead and other contaminants have been detected in their drinking water, how much has been found and whether levels are changing over time. This is especially important for families with babies and young children, pregnant women and anyone with health concerns. Other countries are already introducing stronger PFAS standards and greater transparency. The UK should become a world leader in giving people a simple right to know what is in their drinking water. Clean water is essential to life. Transparency should be too.

We call on the council and the landlord to work together to make this possible so that we can transform our town centre to the benefit of our community.  We need Wallington to be a destination, not a place to pass through. We need improvements to the high street and Wallington Square to make our area more welcoming, encourage local business and improve footfall.  We have an amazing community in Wallington and if we come together we can improve and protect our high street.

Ravi suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a severe muscle‑wasting condition with a very short life expectancy.  Every day Ravi remains in hospital is another day he is prevented from living his life, working, seeing friends and family and exercising the independence that many people take for granted. Ravi is just 37 years old. He has been medically fit to leave Royal Brompton Hospital, London since 11 September 2025, yet he has now spent 11 months stuck on a hospital ward because the specialist care he needs to live safely at home has not been put in place. Ravi has full mental capacity and wants to return to his own home; not move into a care home. Before this, he lived independently with a Personal Health Budget, worked part-time for a charity, loved football and enjoyed an active life. Now, without the support he needs, Ravi says he feels he is "rotting away" in hospital. His physical and mental health have deteriorated, and with a limited life expectancy, every unnecessary day he spends there is time he can never get back. The ICB has stated that decisions in Ravi's case have not been driven by cost but by clinical safety, governance responsibilities and the need to secure a safe long-term solution. Regardless of the reasons, the outcome remains that a medically fit disabled man continues to be detained in hospital when he wants to live at home with appropriate support. Hospital is not a home. Disabled people should not remain in hospital indefinitely because suitable community care has not been secured. https://www.gofundme.com/f/raise-funds-for-ravi-to-get-legal-help-to-leave-hospital

Southall already suffers from high temperatures due to the loss of gardens and lack of larger green spaces when compared to the rest of the borough.  This lack of mature greenery also slows the overnight cooling as the heavily concreted environment holds onto heat and releases it more slowly.  The addition of the new data centres will multiply this problem, resulting in greater risk to the health and well-being of Southall residents and those who work in this community. I have lived in Southall, West London for over 30 years and watched front gardens and green spaces disappear under paved drives and concrete back gardens.  Mature trees lining our roads have been removed to make way for new builds.  As the summers get warmer, the heat trapped in the concrete and brickwork continue to keep temperatures high well into the night.  And yet despite this, Ealing Council has agreed to the construction of three new data centres, known for their heat pollution and high demand for water.  Many Southall residents live in high rise flats, with little means of cooling their homes during heatwaves. Adding the data centres to an already known heat trap is further risking the health and safety of Southall’s residents. Please tell Ealing Council to withdraw their permission for the new data centres.

The English National Travel Concession scheme provides passes that offer free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people.  But on weekdays, free travel only applies from 09:30 am for pensioners, and 09:00 am for disabled people.  (A few areas use local discretion to allow for an earlier start, but all seem to have some morning restiction). My rationale is that during very hot weather it's obviously better - and less risky for the elderly and the vulnerable - to get things done early, before the worst of the heat builds up.  But  pensioners (or disabled people)on a tight budget, relying on bus passes to get around, can't go to the shops till after 9:30 (or 09:00), and the heat is really building up by the time they get home and into the shade. High temperatures are dangerous, especially to people who are sick, disabled or elderly.  A recent Met Office report estimated that the heatwaves in May and June 2026 caused 2,700 more deaths than would have been expected without the heatwaves.    The report quotes Dr. Malcolm Mistry, Assistant Professor in Climate and Geo-spatial Modelling, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM): “We are still in the first half of summer in the UK and large parts of England and Wales have already experienced two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, triggering extreme heat-health alerts across England. With climate change driven by human activity making summer heatwaves more frequent and more intense, these spikes of extreme hot weather are rapidly evolving into a major health risk for people in the UK. “It is vital that action on adapting Britain’s homes, workplaces, and critical infrastructure to extreme heat outpaces these health risks, especially if we are to protect those most vulnerable to its impacts, such as older people, babies, and children.”   One quick and simple helpful adaptation to our transport infrastructure would be to lift the morning time restriction for bus passes when there is a health alert for excessive heat.  This would enable pensioners and disabled people to get to the shop and get home again in the early morning, before the worst of the heat builds up. So I’m asking the new government – with its well documented interest in buses – to change the rules to enable earlier bus travel for pensioners and disabled people in the heat.  If that would take time, as an interim measure, local councils and Mayors could do this for their own areas under discretionary powers.  There should be little or no extra cost – this would change the time at which pensioners travel, rather than add to the number of journeys made. And any cost would be trivial compared to the cost to the NHS of emergency treatment for heat-related problems.

Walton & Hersham FC has become one of Elmbridge's biggest community success stories. Since 2019, the club has grown beyond recognition, providing football and community activities for thousands of children, families and supporters across the borough and beyond. Yet despite this success, Places for People and Elmbridge Borough Council continue to prevent the club from making even basic improvements to The Hub. The club has been unable to install covered spectator areas, terracing, ‘proper’ floodlights for evening matches or a scoreboard. It also receives no income from bar sales at its own stadium. These ongoing restrictions are holding back a club that is bringing enormous value to the local community. For many local families, Walton & Hersham FC is more than just a football club. Our children play here, our friends volunteer here, and hundreds of local people attend matches every week. It has become a genuine community hub. The first team now competes in National League South, just two promotions away from the Football League, which is an incredible achievement for a community club. Yet instead of receiving support to match that ambition, it continues to face unnecessary barriers. Other councils actively support their local football clubs because they recognise the economic, social and community benefits they bring. Elmbridge should do the same. We are calling on Elmbridge Borough Council and Places for People to: 1. Approve reasonable stadium improvements, including spectator terracing, covered standing areas, floodlights and a scoreboard, subject to normal planning and safety requirements. 2. Agree a fair commercial arrangement that allows Walton & Hersham FC to benefit from matchday bar and hospitality income generated at The Hub.  3. Develop a joint long-term stadium strategy with the club, setting out how The Hub can continue to serve the community while supporting the club's future ambitions. 4. Treat Walton & Hersham FC as a strategic community asset, recognising the thousands of local people who benefit from its youth, women's, grassroots and senior football programmes. Walton & Hersham FC has demonstrated what can be achieved through ambition, volunteers and community spirit. It is now time for the organisations responsible for The Hub to match that ambition by working with the club, not against it, to secure a thriving future for football in Elmbridge.

The Government is going to end the funding for the Jodrell Bank radio telescope. Bernard Lovell built the original structure from spare metal pieces after the war and created a radio telescope to study cosmic rays. He found meteors. Next, they discovered radio waves from the Andromeda Galaxy 2.5 million light years away. Since then, the telescope has expanded and improved, becoming part of a connected network of telescopes around the country. It has recorded the transit of Sputnik, and the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.  Latterly, it has played a role in the study of black holes, quasars, pulsars, gravitational lenses and the origins of the Big Bang.  The science goes on. The Livell telescope is the third biggest telescope in the world, is Grade I listed, and a UNESCO world heritage site. We must appeal to the Government to continue funding for such an historical, and current scientific trailblazer.

The physical presence of a data centre impacts the infrastructure of its surrounding area: • Grid Overloading: Data centres consume unprecedented amounts of electricity. A single large facility can consume as much power as a small city, placing immense strain on local energy grids and increasing the risk of blackouts for residents.  • Water Scarcity: Many facilities rely on evaporative cooling systems to keep servers from melting. This consumes millions of litres of fresh water daily, which can deplete local reservoirs and water tables during droughts. • Chemical Pollution: Data centres rely on massive industrial diesel generators for backup power. Regular testing and prolonged emergency use release high volumes of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter into the local air. 

Providing free bus travel would help ease the financial burden on families during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, making it more affordable for parents to take their children out during weekends and school holidays. Free bus travel would also encourage greater independence for young people, improve access to sports, libraries, and community activities, reduce social isolation, and promote the use of public transport from an early age. Investing in this initiative would support families, strengthen local communities, and ensure that children across Kent have the same opportunities and benefits as those living in London. I  regularly see parents trying to take their children out on the bus during the school holidays, only to be told they must pay a fare for them. Today, I witnessed a particularly upsetting situation. A mother and her son had been waiting at the bus stop, and after a delayed bus finally arrived, the driver informed her that she would have to pay for her son's journey. The mother quietly explained that she simply couldn't afford the extra cost. With no alternative, she had to get off the bus with her son. It was heartbreaking to see how disappointed and anxious the young boy became, knowing that their day out had been cut short before it had even begun. No family should have to experience this during the school holidays. At a time when many households are already struggling with the rising cost of living, free bus travel for school-aged children in Kent would help families access parks, libraries, community activities, and other essential services without worrying about transport costs. Our children deserve the opportunity to enjoy their summer break, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. It's time for something to be done.

This amazing monument belongs to us all - we should have opportunities to visit and experience it without charges. Stonehenge is English Heritage’s largest single income source.  The Estimated annual Stonehenge visitor revenue is £25–38 million. The visitor centre at Stonehenge cost £27 million. We call on English Heritage to create more free opportunities for people to visit Stonehenge and experience the wonderful stone circle without restrictions. At present a visit to view Stonehenge from behind a rope barrier costs upwards of £26. The only chances people get to properly experience this ancient and sacred site (without charge) is at the winter and summer solstices. These can be very crowded events. https://www.sarsen.org/2026/03/the-stones-are-losing-their-pull-whats.html?utm_source=copilot.com