Full Council votes on 7 October on moving part of Kempston Rural into Kempston Town. Residents opposed it 22 to 8; a Band D bill would rise about £25.
Bedford Borough Council will vote on Wednesday on moving part of Kempston Rural parish into Kempston Town. The change was opposed by most of the residents who answered the final round of consultation. Councillors are still being recommended to approve it.
If it goes through, the area would leave Kempston Rural Parish Council and join Kempston Town Council’s Kempston West ward from 1 April 2027. Households there would pay the town council’s precept rather than the parish’s, which this year would mean a slightly higher bill.
The proposal is item 13.2 on the Full Council agenda for Wednesday 7 October. The meeting starts at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at Borough Hall, and it is webcast.
What would change
The area in question sits in Kempston Rural’s Wilkinson parish ward. Since the 2023 elections it has been in the borough’s Kempston West ward, but for parish purposes it still belongs to Kempston Rural. The move would make the two boundaries match.
The council’s report to Full Council says 2,297 households are directly affected. Each was contacted at both consultation stages, 1,716 by email and 581 by letter.
According to the draft order, the change would:
- take the hatched area on the council’s map out of Kempston Rural parish and its Wilkinson ward
- add it to Kempston Town Council’s Kempston West ward
- come into force on 1 April 2027
- apply to the town and parish council elections in May 2027
Why Kempston Town Council asked for it
The review was started at Kempston Town Council’s request. Its submission, quoted in the report, gives these reasons:
- The Local Government Boundary Commission redrew the borough wards for 2023 using The Branston Way as the boundary, but it had no power to change town council wards, so the two no longer line up.
- Some roads are split, with “immediate neighbours each having different responsible councils and councillors”.
- Some roads can only be reached from Wilkinson Road, which sits in Kempston Rural.
- Elections need special polling arrangements so that residents of one borough ward can vote in different parish elections.
- The “Welcome to Kempston” signs already make the Wilkinson Road estate look like part of the town.
Kempston Rural Parish Council stayed neutral at both stages. It neither supported nor opposed the change.
What residents said
Residents were evenly split at first and then turned against it. The council’s figures are:
| Consultation stage | Keep the boundary | Move it | Unsure | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1: views on the idea | 39 | 39 | not given | 78 |
| Stage 2: views on the formal proposal | 22 | 8 | 2 | 32 |
That is 110 replies across both stages from 2,297 households asked twice.
The written comments, published in the appendices, come back to the same few points:
- Council tax. Several residents expected higher bills, and one said the parish’s lower rate was a reason they bought there.
- Rural identity. Objectors described Kempston Rural as a farming community and did not want to be counted as Kempston’s urban edge.
- Future building. Some feared the change could make it easier to build on nearby land.
- Poor explanation. A number of people, on both sides, said the letter and maps did not make clear what would change.
Supporters said it made sense to have one boundary along the bypass and one set of councillors.
The General Purposes Committee considered the responses on 22 September. It recommended that Full Council approve the change anyway. The report does not explain why the second-stage opposition did not change that view.
What it would cost you
Moving parish means paying a different parish precept. The council’s council tax resolution for 2026/27 sets these totals for the two areas:
| Band | Kempston Rural | Kempston Town Council | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | £1,639.62 | £1,656.12 | £16.50 |
| B | £1,912.90 | £1,932.15 | £19.25 |
| C | £2,186.16 | £2,208.16 | £22.00 |
| D | £2,459.44 | £2,484.19 | £24.75 |
| E | £3,005.98 | £3,036.23 | £30.25 |
These are this year’s rates. The change would not take effect until April 2027, and both councils set new precepts before then, so the real gap could be bigger or smaller. Our Bedford council tax bands page explains how the parish part of the bill works.
What it means for you
- If you live in the affected area, your parish council and your parish councillors would change from May 2027. Your borough councillors would stay the same, because you are already in the Kempston West borough ward.
- On this year’s rates, a Band C or D household would pay about £22 to £25 a year more.
- You can watch the vote on the council’s webcast on Wednesday evening, or attend in the public gallery at Borough Hall.
- Councillors can still say no. The report says Full Council could reject the change or ask for more information, though a delay could put the May 2027 timetable at risk.
We will report the decision after Wednesday’s meeting.
Also at Full Council: Shortstown gets three more councillors
The same meeting will vote on increasing Shortstown Parish Council from 12 to 15 councillors. The parish council asked for it in December 2025 because its electorate has grown since the parish was formed in 2019.
That one has residents’ backing. At the formal proposal stage 43 supported it, 14 opposed it and 10 were unsure. It would also take effect for the May 2027 elections.
Have your say