Question 2
I fully endorse and support the Council's visions regarding the protection of existing and creating of new green spaces within the Borough. I am pleased to see that the countryside is viewed by the Council as part of the Borough's "intrinsic character and beauty" and would like to emphasis the importance of the vision as set out that locally important green spaces and valued local landscapes will be protected and enjoyed by all. Recent events have shown the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and many local residents have taken to gentle exercise in the surrounding green spaces in the Borough. It is vitally important that access to local open space and facilities which enable public access are promoted and protected in the strongest ways possible and that development on such areas in either the rural or urban communities is not allowed and that the Local Plan clearly sets this out so that there can be no doubt to any developers who may be seeking to build on these important spaces.
It would be helpful to comment on how this links into plans in neighbouring authorities.
The vision is a positive statement and I particularly support the following items: • The green agenda – the vision should embrace zero carbon housing development, electric cars with electric charging points and high speed broadband for all properties in the borough. Sustainable transport (especially walking and cycling) is key to this agenda so locations for development that provide this are critical. • Maintaining and developing Bedford town centre. • It is essential to recognise and safeguard the borough’s countryside, its intrinsic character, valued local landscapes and tranquil retreats. Any development in such areas must be sensitive to these key aspects of the borough. • The Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway is an ideal way to increase blue-green space and healthy living for new developments and it will bring business and tourism directly into Bedford town centre.
In the last six months we have seen an acceleration in challenges to our ideas of what town centres will be like in the future. We are still struggling to create visions that take on board increased home working, decline of retail stores etc. People value outside space more than ever. What we want from homes may change. The lockdown highlighted how poorly planned some appartments are and lacking in outside access. Legislation is planned by central government to streamline the planning process. Whatever changes are made could weaken the role of planners in ensuring that adequate affordable housing is created. There need to be design codes that make sure everyone has an acceptable amount of space and access to amenities.
Greater emphasis should be placed o the protection of the great River Ouse, and associated valley areas., and related environmental benefits. The vision seems to be primarily focus on benefits to the Town and urban area.
I do not agree that there is a need for the development of East-West Rail through Bedford; this requirement is based on stale data that was already dubious and now is irrelevant given the significant change to working practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase in people being able to work from home, which it is agreed will continue post-pandemic, means that there is no need to transport people back and forth across the country. The environmental impact is too great given the lack of business benefit. The improvements to the A428 between the Black Cat and Caxton Gibbet will provide adequate infrastructure to support the limited need to connect with Cambridgeshire and beyond. The statement that "The borough's countryside, its intrinsic character and beauty including areas of tranquil retreat will be recognised" is contradictory to the statement regarding the East-West Rail development, given that the currently favoured route passes through an unspoilt rural landscape north of Bedford. I fully agree that the countryside must be protected, and as such the railway concept should be scrapped. More emphasis should be put on developing the 'brown-field' sites in Bedford town centre.
With the change to online shopping, the retail experience in Bedford is likely to be very different. In the past people lived in the centre of towns, once again town centres could become residential spaces. In the previous call for sites, a late submission for a site near Elstow in the A421 corridor was not included. The site would fit with the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s preference for development along the A421 corridor, where there are already good road and rail infrastructure.
The emphasis on the east-west corridor is not on the existing east-west links. Development should be around the new A421 road system. Wixams rail station should be built and should provide north-south and east-west connectivity. There should be a much stronger commitment to protecting the countryside and protecting against the urbanisation of the villages.
The vision appears to be quite extensive. It is noted that this focuses upon east/ west connections; e.g. east/ west rail (with A421 corridor) and green infrastructure opportunities; particularly the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park and Forest of Marston Vale. The vision appears to have an overwhelming southern focus. It does not address opportunities that could be opened up through enhanced north/ south connections; e.g. along the Midland Mainline/ A6 corridor. It is noted that further consideration is being given to opportunities in the northern parts of the Borough; e.g. related to the strategic growth proposals at towns in close proximity to the Borough Boundary – Rushden, St Neots and Wellingborough, but it is emphasised that any such proposals should be properly supported through significant infrastructure provision.
Ensuring that the Historic features of Bedford's town Centre are retained and not turned into gutted shells by big corporations as was done in Chester.
1. We broadly welcome the aspirations of the Draft Vision for the future of the borough, (with one major omission which we deal with below) but the Vision has no practical significance if it is not explicitly connected to the policies to be developed in the revised Local Plan. This could be put right by expanding the heading as follows; By the end of the plan period, and by the application of the new policies developed within it: The borough will have become etc. etc.. 2. The omission which concerns us is the future health of the Great Ouse and the health of the entire water courses and groundwater system within the borough. Increasing water demand, pollution from waste and surface water run off and the increasing effect of weather extremes pose serious threats to the health of the Great Ouse and its tributaries and to agriculture, natural ecosystems and the built environment through extremes of high and low flows and the reliability of groundwater levels. If the Vision is to be credible as a comprehensive view of the borough then it must include explicit reference to the natural water system linked to plan policies designed to protect it from the impacts of new allocated development.
Given the current unprecedented circumstances, we consider that the Vision should be altered to reflect the impact of the pandemic in regard to planning for new homes and addressing changes to working patterns. It is apparent that we need to build more resilient and healthy homes and neighbourhoods as a necessity, providing spacious, adaptable houses, walkable neighbourhoods and access to green space given the development context. We consider that the Vision should look to address this since this is a more pressing priority. In addition to the above, the Vision should make avoiding areas of high flood risk as a priority. Flooding is expected to increase in the future due to the increasing effects of climate change and whilst climate change is referred to within the Vision, we consider that the matter of flooding should be more explicitly detailed within the Vision statement since this is ever increasing issue within our Parish and the Borough as a whole. The Vision excludes any mention of improved road infrastructure in the north of the Borough, any development sites which come forward in the plan period need to address the lack of infrastructure in this area. We are concerned that if sites are brought forward through the new Local Plan in this part of the Borough without investment in road infrastructure this will result in villages such as Carlton increasingly being used as ‘rat-runs’ for those traveling to the surrounding towns, a scenario, that the Parish Council would wish to avoid. Finally, the Vision acknowledges that rural communities will embrace sensitive development through neighbourhood plans that provide and support much needed housing and employment. This may, however, go against the main thrust of the Vision of creating a greener and more sustainable place to live given the greater reliance of cars in rural settlements as a result of the limited bus services available in villages such as Carlton.
The draft vision is rather bland and could describe many different places; it does not encapsulate what is unique to Bedford. The vision needs to include 1-3 sentence which encapsulates the character of Bedford, including its history and heritage, as well as its modern-day character and its ‘USP’; what sets us apart and makes us special compared to other towns, in particular neighbouring towns. For example:- Bedford’s key defining landscape is its picturesque, Victorian Embankment and riverside with colourful flower displays, which provides a relaxing setting for many different leisure pursuits, from walking, rowing, eating out and attending various organised events. The High Street in the town centre is also defined by its Victorian shop units as all as a Victorian arcade and across the town there are many independent retailers. The large outside pedestrianised area, connecting the shops with the river, which provides an outdoor space for markets, organised events and to simply sit and relax. It is the unique historic buildings and riverside setting that will continue to attract visitors to Bedford and which will be protected and provide a cornerstone for future development design.
People move to Bedford for lots of reasons - the range of good schools, the town centre with its markets and the Embankment and the easy commute to London. However the countryside surrounding Bedford is just as important. I don't think the weight given to this is enough in the draft. During the recent lockdown due to Covid 19 walks in the countryside have benefitted the health and well being of many residents. An environmental disbenefit will be caused by the current route of East West Rail. This has not been taken into account. A great deal of work has been done by local residents to ensure they have a neighbourhood plan stating what development etc is appropriate in their area. Neighbourhood plans should be fully taken into account otherwise confidence in the system will be lost.
On the whole, the plan is good, but I think that recent developments as a result of Covid will mean greater emphasis on conversion of commercial properties in the centre of Bedford to housing development should mean less building in the historic villages of North Bedfordshire and greater protection of the rural environment, including agriculture, river and woodland and leisure development. There is also insufficient emphasis on public transport and traffic reduction.
The vision is a positive statement and I particularly support the following items: • The green agenda – the vision should embrace zero carbon housing development, electric cars with electric charging points and high speed broadband for all properties in the borough. Sustainable transport (especially walking and cycling) is key to this agenda so locations for development that provide this are critical. • Maintaining and developing Bedford town centre. • It is essential to recognise and safeguard the borough’s countryside, its intrinsic character, valued local landscapes and tranquil retreats. Any development in such areas must be sensitive to these key aspects of the borough. • The Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway is an ideal way to increase blue-green space and healthy living for new developments and it will bring business and tourism directly into Bedford town centre.
On the whole it is good, but it does not emphasise enough the beauty of the Ouse Valley and North Bedfordshire historic villages, which are also Jewels in the Crown.
The vision looks good. When regenerating the town centre it would be good if most of it was car free. What about more Park and Ride to help achieve this plus better public transport and making Bedford more user friendly for bicycles? Niche shops are a good idea but control the number of fast food outlets - encourage those selling 'healthy food'. Out of town retail parks are difficult to get too without a car so do not help the environment. It seems the change in shopping habits to more on-line has the potential to reduce unnecessary travel.
You mention the Embankment area in Bedford as being significant, but no mention is made of the River Great Ouse in the rest of the BBC area. The river valley is an important green space area in respect of biodiversity and recreational terms and needs to be protected.
You mention the Embankment area in Bedford as being significant, but no mention is made of the River Great Ouse in the rest of the BBC area. The river valley is an important green space area in respect of biodiversity and recreational terms and needs to be protected.
Reference is made sustainable food production in the context of climate change. The Anglian Water region is both low lying and has low rainfall. As such it is particularly susceptible to climate change as outlined in our Climate Change Adaptation Report. We would therefore recommend that the vision including reference to long term resilience of infrastructure from the effects of climate change due to an increased risk of drought and flooding from intense rainfall events.
Wootton Parish Council considers the Vision should address the impact of the pandemic in regard to planning for new homes and addressing changes to working patterns as highlighted within the recently published White Paper ‘ Planning for the Future’. We welcome the inclusion that future growth should avoid areas of high flood risk which is a priority for our parish. The Vision refers to Bedford town centre providing a wide range of uses that add to the variety and broader visitor experience that will make the town centre more diverse and sustainable. Changes in consumer demands, the rise of online shopping, rising business rates and the collapse/closure of household name retailers have led to a challenging time for retail-led town centres such as Bedford. We consider a key objective to secure the future of the town centre is to encourage a mix of uses on the high street. Bedford Borough Council has an important role to develop a positive frame work to secure the future of the town centre attracting funding, reducing business rates and encouraging more independent shops to be present in the town centre to offer a diverse retail offer to distinguish from retail destinations in the locality including Milton Keynes.
Increased cycleways along the european model should be compulsory on all developments, and linking all developments to something else. The Forest of Marston Vale is all very well, but is in a position of great access to employment and transport links and considerably more housing in this area should be considered.
There is a lack of cohesive vision for how people will live and work within the structure. Where will people work, from home? business parks? town centre? what jobs? how will they get there? how will these business be sustained?
It would be helpful to distinguish between the vision statements (the Whats) and the objectives (the Hows) which if the latter are fulfilled will achieve the vision. An example is found in paragraph 7: The vision would be to achieve healthier lifestyles, increased tourism, increased river transport and enriched ecology. An objective that would contribute to this vision would be completion of the Bedford to Milton Keynes waterway park.
Clearly the Vision is high level however it does need to be a bit more detailed. Some terms must be defined, for example 'Sustainable' and 'Green Infrastructure' mean what exactly? There is nothing about Financial Sustainability and providing Borough Residents with Services which are Fit for Purpose and Cost Effective. Health Facilities need serious attention. Most Primary Care facilities are in out-dated buildings with poor access. The South Wing site is clearly obsolete and a new modern facility is needed with the prospect of redevelopment of the existing site. The statement 'The Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park will provide (etc)' is just not believable within the Plan timescale to 2040.
Tranquil villages are attractive because of their timeless quaint appeal. Don’t kill them by forcing new development on them, or the village will morph into a small town with the inadequate infrastructure that evolved from medieval origins. If you want a modern village then create a new purpose designed sustainable Garden Village, with fully integrated infrastructure and green credentials. The Bedford town centre has evolved around a Victorian ethos before the dominance of personal transport and the freedom gained by the motorcar. As such the town centre is no longer an attractive experience for many visitors as it does not meet the requirement of easy access for the car. Out of town retail parks dominate shopping footfall as they are accessed directly door to door, home to shop, by car, with easy on-site free parking. Unless the town centre is reinvented to mimic the convenience of out of town shopping, there will be no appeal to encourage larger shops back into the town. Niche shops by their very nature cater for a limited market, and being prone to the current fashion / flavour of the day can be short lived. Cater for the car and shopping visitors will return. Punish the motorist, and the shoppers will stay away.
Tranquil villages are attractive because of their timeless quaint appeal. Don’t kill them by forcing new development on them, or the village will morph into a small town with the inadequate infrastructure that evolved from medieval origins. If you want a modern village then create a new purpose designed sustainable Garden Village, with fully integrated infrastructure and green credentials. The Bedford town centre has evolved around a Victorian ethos before the dominance of personal transport and the freedom gained by the motorcar. As such the town centre is no longer an attractive experience for many visitors as it does not meet the requirement of easy access for the car. Out of town retail parks dominate shopping footfall as they are accessed directly door to door, home to shop, by car, with easy on-site free parking. Unless the town centre is reinvented to mimic the convenience of out of town shopping, there will be no appeal to encourage larger shops back into the town. Niche shops by their very nature cater for a limited market, and being prone to the current fashion / flavour of the day can be short lived. Cater for the car and shopping visitors will return. Punish the motorist, and the shoppers will stay away.
In principle, I agree with the ideas proposed in the draft vision. I would like to emphasise that due care and attention should be paid to the infrastructure around any planned development, and home builders should be contractually obliged to improve as and where necessary.
None