Question 5
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure needs building in from the start to ensure new development is suitably accessible and supported. What infrastructure do you consider is key to the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough? Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Agree with plan period 2020- 2040. The longer the plan period is, the more challenging it can be for communities to respond to social, economic and environmental changes. The fact that local plans need to be reviewed at least five years in accordance with the National Planning Policy, reinforces that the shortest plan period is preferable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable.
The HWPC main objections to development of Flints Field beside the B645 and A1 is the lack of infrastructure in St Neots is already under pressure due to large scale development on the eastern side of the town: Loves Farm, Loves Farm East and Wintringham developments. Hail Weston is classed as a small settlement with Huntingdonshire District Local Plan 2036 and has no facilities. The A1 provides a physical barrier between the town of St. Neots and rural Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Any development in Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire close to the A1 would be blighted by the significant noise and air pollution that the additional traffic on the road causes. The Hail Weston Community Plan 2016-2021 response to Housing and development illustrated 75% of residents were opposed to any development between the village and the A1, The PC do not therefore believe this would align with the residents hopes and aspiration. Lack of infrastructure in the area: Schools The local schools in the area of Cambridgeshire are oversubscribed. Medical facilities There are no doctors’ surgeries or pharmacies in the area. The nearest in Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire is already totally overwhelmed with a 3 week wait for appointments, so many people travel to use acceptable facilities further afield in Great Staughton, Kimbolton Cambridgeshire using local roads B645 through Hail Weston village.
Infrastructure shapes our lives – it is the foundation upon which our economy is built. It vital that we are determined to deliver better infrastructure to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country. Transport links get us where we need to be, energy systems power our homes and businesses, digital networks allow us to communicate and infrastructure supplies us with clean water / takes away our waste. It is vital to improving our quality of life and integral to the creation of vibrant new places to live and work. Suitable and appropriate infrastructure provisions have taken on an ever-increasing importance in the light of recent global COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the growth location (see Question 4 and answer), appropriate transport and service infrastructure will be needed including new roads, dedicated and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, providing assistance for vulnerable road users, EV charging facilities, sustainable drainage systems, schools, doctors and dentist premises, convenience shopping facilities, sports and recreation facilities and community facilities. Suitable and appropriate employment uses commensurate with the scale of the growth option would be desirable. Care needs to be given when considering strategic transport solutions for growth as it has potential to irreversibly damage the intrinsic beauty and character of the Bedfordshire countryside particularly along the Ouse Valley. It is difficult to see how any significant growth can be accommodated north of Bedford town as without improved transport infrastructure it would either result in further disruption, delays, noise and pollution to existing residents in villages such as Bletsoe adjacent the A6 or necessitate new transport infrastructure which would be at odds with the vision set out in the Issues and Options consultation.
Maintenance of the existing road network infrastructure, especially in the rural areas, should be a major priority for the Borough, also adding localised infrastructure e.g. doctors surgeries, schools, shopping facilities, sporting/recreational facilities, community centres etc. would help meet the needs of local residents and help reduce the requirement to use the car to access them. Defining what is meant by ‘growth’ would have been useful i.e. sustainable growth that looks to improve the quality of life for existing residents as a priority, by access to green space, improved air quality, new recreational facilities and services etc. would all be supportable growth aims. Poorly located and/or growth for growth’s sake initiatives would not be supported.
Green Infrastructure is key to delivering sustainable growth in Bedford Borough. The National Planning Policy Framework defines Green Infrastructure (GI) as: A network of multifunctional green space, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental and quality of life benefits for local communities’. Please find Natural England’s guidance on GI here: http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/35033.
I have not seen anything regarding the safety and protection of Bedford Hospital...... This wonderful Hospital has supported Bedfordshire for many many years, the Shire has grown but the Hospital hasn't (hardly) I understand that the Government is making demands for new housing and we have to comply to these demands, but surely someone has to realise the pressure this puts on the Hospital.... If the last few months have taught us anything it has to be that the NHS staff and Hospital are VITAL, so why oh why do we keep putting pressure on. Is there anyone within the council that is looking out for this problem ? Are there any plans for more walk in centres? How many new Doctors Surgeries are being built ? These all seem to be issue's that in my opinion should really be addressed before any new building plans are put into action.
It is essential that the Infrastructure Delivery Plan includes environmental infrastructure, including water services infrastructure and green/blue infrastructure. This will need to take a strategic and holistic approach to water management in order to fulfil the planned increase in growth. Existing flood risk infrastructure that either the new development or existing developments should be considered within the definition of ‘infrastructure’. There are some significant flood risk assets within the Borough that will require investment to maintain the standard of protection provided, or improve it to manage the increased flows due to climate change. Another aspect of flood risk infrastructure is our telemetry assets that allow us to issue timely warnings. If development is allocated (or windfall allowed within the floodplain) then they will be reliant on our telemetry infrastructure to provide the warning necessary to keep people safe. The forms the middle of the Great Ouse catchment and this provides the opportunity to provide strategic flood risk management solution that will benefit the Borough and those districts downstream. Although there is no current proposal to provide such assets, it would be worth considering the planning policy position on the potential provision of such infrastructure within the district.
Infrastructure including high speed broadband and connectivity by road and rail are considered key considerations in the delivery of employment growth in Bedford Borough.
Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough. As set out in Countryside Properties' Call for sites submission, there is sufficient space within the promoted land to provide education health and community facilities as well as opportunities for community food production and all necessary infrastructure improvements, should Great Barford be a focus of further growth over this extended period.
Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough. The allocation of larger sites can make a more substantial contribution towards much needed infrastructure.
This form is submitted on behalf of 3 landowners who are currently promoting sites in Neighbourhood Plans in the Borough: Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough.
4.8.1 It is recognised that Bedford’s central location within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc will provide the opportunity to plan for strategic improvements to road and rail infrastructure in the area. Infrastructure planning for the Local Plan Review should however also embrace a wide range of community and social infrastructure, including that associated with an increased prevalence of remote and home working. The spatial strategy should positively seek opportunities to improve the sustainability of all settlements in the Borough by fully exploring the role that new development can take in supporting the delivery of new community infrastructure and the sustainability of existing facilities as set out in paragraph 4.7.2 above.
This form is submitted on behalf of 3 landowners who are promoting opportunity sites in the Borough: Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough.
7. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) advises that local planning authorities (LPAs) should take a proactive, positive and collaborative approach to ensuring that a sufficient choice of school places is available to meet the needs of communities and that LPAs should give great weight to the need to create, expand or alter schools to widen choice in education (para 94). 8. DfE encourages BBC to identify and safeguard land for the provision of new schools to meet government planning policy objectives as set out in paragraph 94 of the NPPF. When new schools are developed, local authorities should also seek to safeguard land for any future expansion of new schools where demand indicates this might be necessary, in accordance with Planning Practice Guidance and DfE guidance on securing developer contributions for education.1 We would be happy to share examples of best practice. 9. BBC should also have regard to the Joint Policy Statement from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Education on Planning for Schools Development2 (2011) which sets out the government’s commitment to support the development of state-funded schools and their delivery through the planning system. 10. In light of the above and the Duty to Cooperate on strategic priorities such as community infrastructure (NPPF para 24-27), DfE encourages close working with local authorities during all stages of planning policy development to help guide the development of new school infrastructure and to meet the predicted demand for primary and secondary school places. Please add DfE to your list of relevant organisations with which you engage in preparation of the plan. 11. Please note that there are two routes available for establishing a new school. Firstly, a local authority may seek proposals from new school proposers (academy trusts) to establish a free school, after which the Regional Schools Commissioner will select the successful trust. Under this ‘local authority presumption route’ the local authority is responsible for finding the site, providing the capital and managing the build process. Secondly, school proposers can apply directly to DfE during an application round or ‘wave’ to set up a free school. The local authority is less involved in this route but may support groups in pre-opening and/or provide a site. Either of these routes can be used to deliver schools on land that has been provided as a developer contribution. DfE has published further general information on opening free schools as well as specifically in relation to opening free schools in garden communities. Site Allocations 12. At this early stage of the emerging Local Plan, additional site allocations and locations for growth have not yet been identified and drafted. The next version of the Local Plan should seek to identify specific sites (existing or new) which can deliver the school places needed to support growth, based on the latest evidence of identified need and demand in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. The site allocations and/or associated safeguarding policies should also seek to clarify requirements for the delivery of new schools, including when they should be delivered to support housing growth, the minimum site area required, any preferred site characteristics, and any requirements for safeguarding additional land for future expansion of schools where need and demand indicates this might be necessary. 13. Viability assessment should inform options analysis and site selection, with site typologies reflecting the type and size of developments that are envisaged in the borough/district. This enables an informed judgement about which developments would be able to deliver the range of infrastructure required, including schools, leading to policy requirements that are fair, realistic and evidence-based. In accordance with Planning Practice Guidance, there should be an initial assumption that applicable developments will provide both land and funding for the construction of new schools. The total cumulative cost of complying with all relevant policies should not undermine deliverability of the plan, so it is important that anticipated education needs and costs of provision are incorporated at the outset, to inform local decisions about site selection and infrastructure priorities. 14. While it is important to provide this clarity and certainty to developers and the communities affected by development, retaining a degree of flexibility about site specific requirements for schools is also necessary given that the need for school places can vary over time due to the many variables affecting it. DfE therefore recommends the Council consider highlighting in the next version of the Local Plan that: - specific requirements for developer contributions to increasing capacity of existing schools and the provision of new schools for any particular site will be confirmed at application stage to ensure the latest data on identified need informs delivery; and that - requirements to deliver schools on some sites could change in future if it were demonstrated and agreed that the site had become surplus to requirements, and is therefore no longer required for school use. Evidence Base 15. As there is currently no explicit position on the provision of schools, land for schools and securing developer contributions, it would be useful if the Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan could set out clearly how the forecast housing growth at allocated sites has been translated (via an evidence based pupil yield calculation) into an identified need for specific numbers of school places and new schools over the plan period. This would help to demonstrate that the approach to the planning and delivery of education infrastructure is justified based on proportionate evidence, and will require engagement with the County Council. 16. Given the potential cross-boundary movement of school pupils between BBC and adjoining areas, DfE recommends that the Council Ground. This should be regularly updated during the plan-making process to reflect emerging agreements between participating authorities and the Council's own plan-making progress. covers this matter and progress in cooperating to address it as part of its Statement of Common Developer Contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) 17. One of the tests of soundness is that a Local Plan is ‘effective’, meaning the plan should be deliverable over its period. In this context and with specific regard to planning for schools, there is a need to ensure that education contributions made by developers are sufficient to deliver the additional school places required to meet the increase in demand generated by new developments. DfE notes that BBC has a Planning Obligations SPD, and that the Council may wish to review this, as well as CIL rates to ensure appropriate rates are levied and the right infrastructure is secured across the borough. 18. The Council should set out education infrastructure requirements for the plan period within an Infrastructure Funding Statement8. Where additional need for school places will be generated by housing growth, the statement should identify the anticipated CIL and Section 106 funding towards this infrastructure. The statement should be reviewed annually to report on the amount of funding received via developer contributions and how it has been used, providing transparency to all stakeholders. 19. Local authorities have sometimes experienced challenges in funding schools via Section 106 planning obligations due to limitations on the pooling of developer contributions for the same item or type of infrastructure. However, the revised CIL Regulations remove this constraint, allowing unlimited pooling of developer contributions from planning obligations and the use of both Section 106 funding and CIL for the same item of infrastructure. The advantage of using Section 106 relative to CIL for funding schools is that it is clear and transparent to all stakeholders what value of contribution is being allocated by which development to which schools, thereby increasing certainty that developer contributions will be used to fund the new school places that are needed. DfE supports the use of planning obligations to secure developer contributions for education wherever there is a need to mitigate the direct impacts of development, consistent with Regulation 122 of the CIL Regulations. 20. We also request a reference within the Local Plan’s policies or supporting text to explain that developer contributions may be secured retrospectively, when it has been necessary to forward fund infrastructure projects in advance of anticipated housing growth. An example of this would be the local authority’s expansion of a secondary school to ensure that places are available in time to support development coming forward. This helps to demonstrate that the plan is positively prepared and deliverable over its period. DfE would be particularly interested in responding to any update to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan/Infrastructure Funding Statement, viability assessment or other evidence relevant to education which may be used to inform local planning policies and CIL charging schedules. As such, please add DfE to the database for future consultations on relevant plans and proposals. Conclusion 22. Finally, I hope the above comments are helpful in reviewing BBC’s Local Plan, with specific regard to the provision of land and developer contributions for schools. Please advise DfE of any proposed changes to the emerging Local Plan policies, supporting text, site allocations and/or evidence base arising from these comments. 23. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding this response. DfE looks forward to continuing to work with BBC to aid in the preparation of a sound Local Plan.
4.48 The proposals at TwinWoods complement growth in the area, and the combination of local and strategic infrastructure benefits all users, existing and new. Infrastructure proposed within the development will continue beyond to ensure full integration with the communities in and north of Bedford. 4.49 The need to travel is reducing more and more as technology advances and virtual working, shopping, and socialising becomes easier and more prevalent. As such there are certain decisions made before even choosing to step out of the front door. These can be summarised as: • Can I do it online? • Can I do it online and get it delivered? • Do I need to travel, and if so can I do it locally and in a sustainable way? SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FIGURE 1.3 NEED TO TRAVEL DIAGRAM 4.50 On choosing to travel, the design of the site becomes paramount to influencing and allowing for a range of sustainable travel choices. 4.51 Transport is now the third question after ‘can I do it online’ and ‘can I do it online and get it delivered’. The third question then becomes ‘if I have to travel, how can I do it locally and sustainably’. This will be the focus of the masterplan design at TwinWoods. 4.52 Infrastructure should begin therefore with enabling virtual mobility, followed by providing for classic travel (2 legs/2 wheels), then by mass transit (rail and bus), shared travel (DRT and car sharing/pooling, and with facilitating convenient car travel at the bottom of the hierarchy. 4.53 With consideration to providing all of these modes, the key to growth is the seamless transfer between each mode. TwinWoods can achieve this be it rail to cycle, walking, bus etc, or bus to these modes, or car to rail via the Mobility Hub and designing in the travel modes early in the masterplanning and design stages. 4.54 It is considered that the infrastructure required to enable growth in Bedford Borough should be cognisant of this hierarchy. The focus for growth should begin with reducing the need to travel (fast broadband, 4G/5G) and sustainable travel, and not a position where growth is only enabled through building more highway which would induce supressed demand. 4.55 Bedford Borough Council’s Local Transport Plan (2011) states the following vision for transport in Bedford Borough: “To create a transport system in which walking, cycling and public transport are the natural choices of travel for the majority of journeys because they are affordable, healthy, convenient and safe alternatives to the private car”. 4.56 A clear aspiration of Bedford Borough is therefore in accordance with this hierarchy of travel modes. 4.57 At TwinWoods the key transport related infrastructure is focused on providing for the community, it succinctly comprises walking and cycling corridors, development designed to be accessed by bus, a potential rail hub, and a key sustainable travel corridor between the site and Woodlands Park in north Bedford. This could be a dedicated bus and active travel corridor, or simply an active travel corridor offering a direct and high-quality route to Bedford, linking to the existing infrastructure there. Other external links have been investigated to allow full permeability and connectivity with existing communities surrounding TwinWoods. 4.58 Under the Orange Option, a new rail station is a potential proposal at TwinWoods, forming part of the East-West Rail line between Oxford and Cambridge. This will provide an excellent alternative to many car trips already on the network and reduce other potential new trips from the development site. This is therefore an important piece of infrastructure, however is not imperative to the success of the TwinWoods development, nor is it judged crucial to the growth of Bedford Borough. However, the dedicated link between the site and Woodlands Park is made even stronger in the case where a new rail station is provided. 4.59 Proposed as part of the TwinWoods development is a new A6 bypass of Milton Ernest and Bletsoe. This is an important part of the proposed infrastructure to provide relief to both locations, turning Milton Ernest back to a village. It allows for the delivery of the proposed development without further significant highway works. It is deemed crucial that infrastructure such as this is kept in proportion with the development proposed. 4.60 Mindful that infrastructure should remain proportional to development, it is uncertain exactly what form, nor when external mitigation would be appropriately introduced for TwinWoods in the future. For this reason, the development is ideally suited to a ‘Monitor and Manage’ approach which will sit alongside the Vision and Validate strategy. Monitor and Manage is the process for the delivery of key infrastructure associated with TwinWoods. 4.61 The ‘Monitor and Manage’ strategy will complement the development proposals and will comprise a detailed strategy that identifies potential mitigation measures, real-time targets for movement/mode split, reactive monitoring, and subsequent management. Management will take the form of implementation of the identified measures when and if they are needed only. This approach is justified where, as is the case here, forecasts reach further into the future. This approach has been accepted by the Secretary of State for Arkall Farm (1,000 homes) in Staffordshire.
This form is submitted on behalf of 4 landowners who are promoting sites available for self-build dwellings: Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough.
This form is submitted on behalf of 15 landowners who are promoting small sites in the rural area: Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough.
Infrastructure including education, health, transport, community facilities and open space are considered key considerations in the delivery of growth in Bedford Borough.