Bedford Elections: Urgent need for better health services says Labour councillor hoping for your vote

A Labour councillor seeking reelection in May has said Kempston urgently needs improved health services.

James Valentine is standing again for the Kempston West Ward, and said if elected he will work with all the town’s councillors to bring improved health services to residents.

“Kempston needs a health centre, we’ve got some very good doctors and nurses who are based around the King Street Surgery,” he said,

“We’ve got just one practice for Kempston, but the accommodation is poor.

“What we would like to see is much better accommodation to both train the GPs and so that patients can see a GP, or see a nurse.

“But we’d also like to bring in both ancillary and some acute services so some health issues could be dealt with locally rather than people having to go to the hospital.

“There’s been two attempts for a health hub in Kempston, but they’ve fallen through. We need to persist with that,” he said.

James was reelected as a borough councillor in May 2019, after being on Kempston Town Council from 2015, including two years as mayor.

“I enjoy being on the town council but I thought I would like to be back on the borough council particularly, because it looks after adults and children’s services,” he said.

“I was involved in children’s services overview and scrutiny when I first entered the council [2011 to 2015] and I thought at the time. I would like to do that again.

“And it turned out that in 2019 the mayor was looking for a portfolio holder for children’s services, so I took that up with great interest.

“It’s a big big task, but it’s something that I felt really privileged to do,” James said.

“I’ve worked with some fantastic people, including social workers and head teachers and I think it’s been really worthwhile.”

There is one project that James would love to continue working on if reelected, and that’s the special educational needs school which is going to be built on the Robert Bruce site.

“We’ve secured the funding for that so we haven’t signed all the papers yet, but we’re very close to seeing that through and I look forward to seeing that opening in autumn 2024,” he said.

James’s campaign can be followed on Facebook (facebookcom/CllrJames.Valentine) or he can be contacted via email [email protected] or called on 07785 336566.

“I’m very much part of the ward, for a start I live here,” James said.

“I’m a governor at Kempston Rural Primary School, I have a lot to do with those involved with the secondary school – I know the governors well.

“I’m a director of Kempston Hammers Sports & Social Club, so I’m well integrated into the community.

“I go for a run practically every morning and I take different routes around the ward every morning so I see people when I’m out running.

“And I’m well known on social media, so one way or another I get to know the residents and get to know what’s going on.

“I do pick up local issues quickly and people know that, so residents tend to come to me about local matters,” he said.

A list of all the candidates standing in the Kempston West Ward can be found here.