As residents who have made our decisions to move to the new housing development Bidwell West, we had done so with the expectation of a brand new primary school facility being built. This was guaranteed to us by Central Bedfordshire council in February 2023. However, the council’s sudden decision to put a hold on it only 6 months later is deeply unsettling. We have a young, growing community here - 55% of the 277 children in this area counted in a survey are 4 years old or younger. This swift decision by the council leaves these children and their educational futures in the lurch. Moreover, the current situation has resulted in 42% of households with multiple children having to be segregated across different schools. The scope for easy, efficient school runs have taken a hit - forcing about 70% of our residents to resort to cars, given the lack of good connectivity. This is not the sustainable, community-centric development that we were promised. The instant need to address these issues led us to start this petition. We implore the Central Bedfordshire Council to rethink their decision, and to prioritise and expedite the delivery of the promised primary school at Bidwell West. Join us in securing a brighter educational future for the young residents of our community and sign our petition!