Question 13
Referring to the Bedford Borough Council (BBC) Draft Housing Strategy 2021-2026 (paragraph references in [ ]) o [5.2.1.] A Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was produced in 2016 in support of draft Local Plan 2035 and updated in 2018 to take into account a change of plan period to 2030. [5.3.1.] The Council will need to update the SHMA to provide data on housing needs such that it can reliably inform future housing strategies, policies and for the Local Plan review. A new Local Housing Need Assessment (LHNA) will be required to provide the housing needs evidence base for the new Local Plan. o [5.3.2.] The demographic information contained within this Housing Strategy is based upon the census data collected in 2011. A new census will be undertaken in 2021 and it will be necessary to consider the updated information it provides and establish whether and how changes in demographics impact upon housing objectives and incorporate into housing strategies as they are renewed and updated. o It is therefore hard to see how the Local Plan review can be carried out with any certainty when the Council do not have current information or forecasts on which to confidently base the review? The consultation and Local Plan review should be postponed until the results of a new SHMA, LNHA and the 2021 Census are available? BBC estimate that they will not consider these results until 2022/23! • Delivering the Vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc: o [6.3.3.] In its Budget 2020, the Government announced its intention to examine and develop the case for up to four new Development Corporations in the Arc at Bedford, St Neots / Sandy, Cambourne and Cambridge to accelerate new housing and infrastructure development. Geographically located at the centre of the Arc, the Council will need to be a key partner in considering the potential for growth and ensure its best interests are represented - including in discussions regarding the potential formation of a new Development Corporation covering the Borough. o What is known about these Development Corporations? Who will be their members, how will they be funded and what powers will they have? Will they be required to follow planning policy/rules and comply with the Local Plan, or will they have more extensive powers? 2. 2020/069 Local Plan Review Issues and Options Paper. • As stated in my email yesterday; We are horrified by the “Brown – Urban based growth” proposal contained in the document and wish to register our total opposition to this proposal. There are NO advantages to the Brown option and I have identified at least 15 major disadvantages. • Should the Brown option proceed then it will completely destroy our parish and our way of life. • The scale of the proposal needs to be understood; this is not a few houses on a new estate, but a massive urban development. BBC state that they need to make new housing allocations for between 5,000 and 15,000 additional new dwellings over a plan period to 2040. The Brown option splits these new houses between Bedford, adjacent to Rushden and our parish. We could therefore see a development of up to 5,000 new houses in our parish – this larger than the St Neots Loves Farm (1,200 houses) and the new Winteringham (2,800 houses) developments combined! • There is no infrastructure, services or facilities in the parish to support any new development. Reliance would have to be put on existing facilities in St. Neots, which are wholly insufficient to cater for the increased demand, or would have to include complete new infrastructure, services and facilities in the development. It seems incredible that in making this proposal that BBC do not even know if St. Neots would support expansion in Bedford Borough adjacent to St. Neots. • A key advantage for the Loves Farm and Winteringham developments is their proximity to St Neots railway station. A major unknown in this plan is the route of the East-West railway and the location of its new stations. There are significant advantages in developments being situated close to railway stations or other existing infrastructure, allowing new residents to make sustainable choices about transport (e.g. walking, cycling).
I feel as though we are approaching a health crisis. I really want to see a concerted effort to get people in Bedford moving. It would be great to see a strategy to improve access to greenery and outdoor spaces such as creating outdoor fitness parks like these - https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/outdoor-gym-equipment
Policies for dealing with permission in principle recently announced by the government should be covered as part of this review
BBC’s policies should promote good and improved health, especially healthy eating and exercise to tackle the major national obesity problem. Our parish of Staploe provides many opportunities for exercise, walking, dog walking, hiking, running and cycling in safe off-road environments. These also improve mental health. It has been striking during the COVID-19 lockdown how so many people from the parish and from nearby St. Neots have taken up and enjoyed these pursuits during the period by making use of our local countryside. The Brown proposal for a new urban settlement west of St. Neots would destroy this environment and countryside to the serious detriment of residents’ physical and mental health.
Not aware of anything
Farmers growing vegetables locally on Class 1 Council land have seen it reclassified to Class 3 to enable it to be earmarked for gravel extraction. After the gravel is removed the land is effectively an agricultural desert and useless for crop production due to subsoil compaction.
Life has moved on since you adopted the last local plan to such an extent that it looks archaic and out of step with the times. Sustainability should be the key but that requires different thinking and a comprehensive review of what is being proposed to ensure it makes sense in the world we live in now. Destroying the countryside is not the answer.
It is understood that Bedford Borough will be covered by a single Local Plan, containing both strategic and more detailed/ site specific non-strategic policies. The Local Plan ought to prioritize strategic matters, with localised site specific issues delegated to Neighbourhood Planning. The benefits of this approach to scoping for the Local Plan would be twofold: • Minimise the risk of the plan being delayed due to site specific/ land use matters such as the extent of zonal designations (e.g. Local Green Space, settlement boundaries); and • Incentivise communities to prepare Neighbourhood Plans where these could help to deliver local priorities or aspirations.
Just stop the food industry ripping us off by keeping us all continuously HUNGRY. This LOW FAT CON is making us all ILL. Promote the KETOGENIC diet where the body burns FAT as a fuel and eliminates hunger. Setup local education centres where KETO meal preparation can be taught.
No comment
The publication of the Issues and Options Consultation Document precedes the Government’s White paper ‘Planning for the Future’ as published on 6 August 2020. Whilst, we acknowledge that this recent government publication is at a very early stage in terms of planning reform and in particular a new approach to plan-making, should the local authority be seeking to address the simplified land use plan reforms in order to remain on track with the adoption of the plan in 2023?
General feedback on question 13: A web link to the new Government guidance referred to in the question would have been useful. I concur that the proximity of food outlets to schools in not covered in existing policies in the Local Plan 2030. Other areas of Government guidance that are not adequately covered by existing policies include:- Precise site allocation policies provide clarity and certainty by identifying the total amount of land required for education use, with regard to the Department for Education space standards.
BBC’s policies should promote good and improved health, especially healthy eating and exercise to tackle the major national obesity problem. Our parish of Staploe provides many opportunities for exercise, walking, dog walking, hiking, running and cycling in safe off-road environments. These also improve mental health. It has been striking during the COVID-19 lockdown how so many people from the parish and from nearby St. Neots have taken up and enjoyed these pursuits during the period by making use of our local countryside. The Brown proposal for a new urban settlement west of St. Neots would destroy this environment and countryside to the serious detriment of residents’ physical and mental health.
Encouragement of healthy exercise
If the "eat out to help out" initiative is to be further extended by the government it should not include fast food outlets. These are not "healthy food environments" and just contribute to the obesity problem. A policy about the proximity of food outlets to schools and other locations popular with young people sounds like an excellent idea.
Space for people to be able to walk and play sport as well? Without Bedford park to walk in, I suspect many of us would have gone doolally a lot quicker during lock down. Encourage a relationship between medical outreach and exercise - there seems to be too much short term thinking and not resource given to addressing the root cause of many ailments affecting people's health. Lack of exercise being a critical one. Sorry that this comment is not directly relevant to the plan, but make it easier for people to access physiotherapy as well to address some of the health issues. I am lucky enough to have BUPA coverage through my job and the use of physiotherapy phone appointments and simple exercise programmes for rehabilitation has helped me to recover from injuries without wasting the time of a doctor.
Fewer fast food outlets in the town centre or fast food outlets that sell healthy food.
Whilst Wootton Parish Council acknowledges the need for the Local Plan Review to be undertaken promptly after the adoption of Local Plan 2030, as highlighted under its response to question 1, there are a number of notable unresolved matters which could affect the preparation of this new Local Plan, as such it would question whether the adoption of the plan by the winter of 2023 is realistic.
The impact on medical facilities need to be considered in ANY new development. Are there spaces at the local GP surgery? Can the local hospital cope with additional patients, is there adequate funding for the hospital/Surgery? There needs to be a calculation similar to CIL, an NHS levy, that will create services that are desperately required. It's not just about fresh air and exercise. The installation of minimal LEAPS and NEAPS needs to be curtailed and instead properly thought through areas with real play value, in addition to outside gyms for all ages. Local Councils need to be consulted on these, as many are just white elephants.
No comment.
As Q1, improving Air Quality.
It is clear that the current standards are very low in this regard. Although it is good that Government and council are looking at this much more needs to be done. This is one area where Bedford's planners have really missed the point of their existence. The wider context of building holistic communities is key to improving an area. Many of the proposed plans and indeed developments see each house individually as a unit, and the plan is to make as many units as possible without understanding that the owners of these units will need to work, school and entertain their children, live, eat etc. This is very detrimental to the standard of living and creates huge burdens on transport infrastructure as everyone needs to get in a car to do anything. This in turn has ecological impacts. Semi-rural communities like North Bedfordshire have the worst of both worlds with high density houses, no space for parking, poor environment while having few facilities either. Many with only very limited shopping let alone entertainment or employment opportunities.
Fast food outlets proliferate everywhere. The culture they encourage is not just an unhealthy lifestyle, but food wrappings once taken outside the food outlet, are often indiscriminately discarded for someone else to pick up. You only have to look along road verges and hedgerows to see literally tons of discarded drinks cartons, cans, bottles and food wrappers to observe the problem. We need to keep our green spaces clean and not contaminated by rubbish. Perhaps a “take away packaging tax” needs to be applied to fast food outlets, and money gained used to fund a clean up. Rural health centres need to be fully supported and funded. Medical Hubs serve a wide area, not just the local village. Cross county boundary ties need to be reviewed where medical centres are close to the borough perimeter. This should include shared funding with adjacent councils where the catchment area crosses borders. Emphasis should be given to health and wellbeing, and linking up sustainable transport networks.
Protection of outdoor spaces, natural environments for communities to experience nature are key to mental and physical health of people. Planning approaches don't always pay enough consideration to that and stick to strict interpretation of policy rather than applying common sense
No comment
Not that I'm aware of.
I don't think so, however my view is that government guidance on several matters is far short of what is actually needed - 3 topics in particular:- - green spaces within all development areas & particularly in already over &/or poorly developed areas (again Wixams & Wootton are the prime examples) - robust flood prevention & robust flood defences - designers/developers must be adhere to clear instructions that areas can withstand significant/prolonged heavy/excessive rainfall - waste & pollution, landfill waste has to dramatical reduce. Penalties for dropping litter, fly tipping need, etc must be rigorously enforced
the need to ensure cohort needs, such as the elderly and children, are considered through design. A lot of the needs of different groups overlap, for example the need for level walkways, good lighting. Consideration of such issues would ensure the maximum population could take advantage of green spaces and walkable neighbourhoods, thereby maximising population health at a low cost. Need to sure new developments are designed to be walkable, ie lower priority for cars, local shops and services, no cul-de-sacs, easy to understand road layouts.
No answer given
No views