Houghton Regis town councillor steps down
Houghton Regis town councillor Pam Burgess has resigned, potentially triggering a by-election.
A vacancy on Houghton Regis Town Council has arisen after she tendered her resignation at the weekend, saying she thought “more might have been achieved in our ward”.
Former councillor Burgess stood as a Houghton Independent in Parkside ward at the local elections in May 2023.
One of four candidates elected to the town council from this ward, she topped the poll with 355 votes. The turnout was 22 per cent with an electorate of 4,003.
She posted on social media: “I feel it’s only right that I let the electorate who voted for me know that I’ve resigned from being a Parkside town councillor.
“I’ve done four years and thought more would have been achieved in our ward, but hey-ho. I remain chairman of Parkside Action and will be still working for our community.
“That includes doing ‘free play’ for kids in the holidays, We’ll hopefully be putting on a couple of events in the summer and continue doing everything I can to obtain a community space.”
A by-election will be held if requested by ten electors from Parkside ward by May 28th 2026. If no request is made, the vacancy will be filled by co-option by the town council.
This electoral process is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. If a valid request is received, an election will be held by July 30th.
Parkside ward is made up of the Houghton Park estate, Parkside estate and the Barratt Homes estate, and includes the town’s Kingsland campus.