Like many organisations in the sector, employees at Bedford BC have grasped  ‘hybrid' working options with both hands.  Feedback from most teams has been positive and anecdotally they have reported improved work-life balance, reduced commuting costs, and I know we are seeing a much more diverse workforce applying for roles. Moving forward, we are embedding hybrid working as part of the way that we operate.

But more than this it has also given us a challenge with our office space. Our headquarters building, Borough Hall is large with six floors of office space just across the river from Bedford Town Centre and can accommodate over 1,100 people.  Current occupancy rate is roughly 20% capacity. Will this change? I think it is unlikely that we will see the majority of our workforce coming back fulltime. Instead Bedford BC is looking at more innovative ways to maintain space for staff, while working with our local partners.