You will hear a town council representative speaking at a public meeting about changes in Barford.
First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
First, thank you all for attending this public meeting about our town's future.
Our first speaker is Shona Ferguson from Barford Town Council.
I'll begin with a little background and then invite your comments on plan developments.
As everyone here knows, Barford has altered considerably over the past 50 years.
Let me summarise the main changes.
Half a century ago buses connected nearly every part of Barford with nearby towns and villages, and most residents used them regularly.
Today, however, operators concentrate only on routes carrying the largest numbers of passengers, leaving some districts without a service.
Replacing the old, uncomfortable vehicles with modern buses has made little difference to passenger numbers.
Some people blame expensive fares, but compared with average earnings, fares are not much higher than they were 50 years ago.
The road network has also changed.
The town centre was recently closed to cars on a trial basis, making it safer for pedestrians, though its overall effect is still being assessed.
New cycle lanes separating bicycles from cars on most main roads have proved far more popular than predicted, reducing traffic and improving air quality.
The council has not succeeded in securing a bypass, although we still hope the government will reconsider.
Shopping patterns have changed too.
Many residents remember a town centre packed with shoppers, but numbers have fallen for years, despite measures such as providing additional car parks.
Some people combine shopping with a meal or a visit to a café.
Most local shops are small, independent businesses, which has advantages.
But many customers travel to larger nearby towns, for supermarkets and department stores, because Barford has so few major chain retailers.
As for healthcare, several practices provide family doctors.
There are fewer practices than there were 50 years ago, although each now serves many more patients.
Barford's hospital closed 15 years ago, so residents must travel elsewhere for hospital treatment.
On the positive side, the town has more dentists than before.
Employment has changed as well.
Growth in the number of schools and colleges means education now employs more people than any other sector.
Service industries such as accountancy and website design have become more important, while manufacturing has not declined as sharply as it has elsewhere.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
I'll now give a brief outline of current proposals for several town facilities before hearing your views.
Regular users know that the railway station car park is usually full.
The railway company requested permission for a multi-storey replacement, but the application was rejected.
It has instead purchased neighbouring land, which will provide additional parking spaces.
The Grand, our old high street cinema, is due to close at the end of this year and reopen at a different location.
You may have noticed the new building under construction.
It will contain three smaller screens rather than the old cinema's single large auditorium.
Many of you use the indoor market.
It has become increasingly shabby and was once threatened with demolition because of safety concerns.
Fortunately, it will close for six weeks so that it can be made safe and redecorated before reopening in July.
The library is heavily used, particularly by school and college students.
The council has obtained funding to keep it open later on two evenings each week.
We would also like to enlarge the building eventually, although that proposal is far from certain.
Access to the nature reserve at the edge of Barford will remain unrestricted.
However, the council will stop managing it.
Responsibility will pass to a national organisation that administers most of the country's nature reserves.
Now, let me ask for your comments.
That is the end of part two.
You now have one minute to check your answers to part two.
