Question 1
We agree with the proposed scope of the Local Plan review. However, there should be support for Neighbourhood Plans equivalent to the policies set out in the Local Plan 2030. This is essential to allow Neighbourhood Plans to continue to deliver and evolve in accordance with strategic policies that should define the settlement housing allocation.
The proposed scope of the Local Plan Review is very extensive and is supported. The inclusion of matters such as addressing climate change improving quality of developments and repurposing (diversification) of the town centres are all welcome. This Council’s particular interest is in the development of a new spatial strategy and the six alternative potential growth strategies that are proposed.
The recently published White Paper proposes significant changes to the town and country planning system, among them a simplification of the plan-making process. Eclipse Planning Services generally supports this approach. There are many areas of policy, in this particular Local Plan and generally, which do not need to be reviewed. In this case, the Council should concentrate its efforts on the issues of the amount and distribution of development and of infrastructure.
The lack of integration with the future Oxford- Cambridge (even though the details are unknown), coupled with possible changes to Government policy risks making the BBC Plan redundant. Given these limitations the scope of the Plan is broadly satisfactory.
2.1 We broadly support the scope of the Local Plan review. It is of vital importance that this review utilises updated guidance relating to establishing a robust housing requirement based on Local Housing Need attained from the Standard Methodology. In August 2020, the Government published its updated methodology for undertaking the standard methodology. Against the new methodology, this would increase the housing requirement to at least 1,153 dwellings per annum. Local Housing Need is a policy-off requirement and forms the starting point of calculating a housing requirement. 2.2 Of particular relevance to Bedford is its location within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Whilst the consultation documentation published by the Council sets out that the Government have not specifically set out that Bedford needs to increase its housing requirement (as is the case for all authorities), the publication of the revised Standard Methodology shows that without upward adjustment, the joint ambition to deliver a million new dwellings to 2050 within the Arc, will not be met. If all of the Arc authorities use the base Local Housing Need, as established from the Standard Methodology, this target will not be met, with a shortfall of over 156,000 dwellings. This can be easily remedied by increasing the level of growth above the Local Housing Need in each Authority to meet the shortfall, through negotiation, or by simply increasing the housing requirement proportionately to the level of housing need. For example, Bedford’s Local Housing Need is 4% of the entire Arc, so 4% of 156,000 dwellings would lead to an upward adjustment of 6,240 dwellings, only 208 dwellings per annum up to 2050. This would align with the Governments ambition to significantly boost the supply of housing. 2.3 The Council also have an opportunity to positivity allocate sites where Neighbourhood Plans have failed to be made, or to allocate additional land where made Neighbourhood Plans deliver below any updated requirements necessary as part of this review. Any Neighbourhood Plans not adopted by the time the review goes to publication should have allocations made in the Local Plan. This is considered a fair compromise given the standard times to deliver a Neighbourhood Plan and the likely timeline remaining in the Local Plan review. Given the likely timescales to a publication draft of the Local Plan review, the Council should indicate clearly and early that it is its intentions to do so, for the avoidance of unnecessary or wasted work by the Neighbourhood Plan groups. It would be considered unsound to continue to rely on Neighbourhood Plans which have still not come forward.
The Local Plan Review needs to consider existing and future needs for outdoor sport, based on the outputs from the recently commissioned outdoor sports facilities strategy (2020) and the review needs to give more prominence to encouraging development that makes provision for informal and formal sport and physical activity, to improve the health of the population and reduce the burden on the NHS.
All development policies should conform to clear standards on climate change, biodiversity net gain and environmental net gain. Review also needs to consider how to incorporate the requirements of the Environment Bill currently going through Parliament
I have a few concerns about the Local Plan,which are as follows: - We need better and more traffic reduction measures, with the pedestrian being at the heart of planning rather than cars and lorries.This means better and more comprehensive public toilet facilities across the town/urban areas .
Odell Parish Council strongly objects to a number of proposals in the consultation document. The fundamental issue is that the plan appears to have been developed without a strategic vision related to the wider infrastructure needs and the recognition that Bedford is now a substantial commuter location serving London employment needs. The proposed medium and larger sites for housing development will generate substantial additional demands for road and rail transportation and this is particularly critical to the villages of North Bedfordshire. One example of this is that it appears highly illogical that the plan shows a much reduced allocation for the regeneration of the former Stewartby Brickworks with growth estimated at only 100 dwellings in the revised Local Plan period, compared with 1,000 in the period 2035. This is a brown field site, in relatively close proximity to the A6, A421 and the M1 and the opportunity to generate improved roadways. Use of this site for the original number of dwellings could significantly ease the proposed disproportionate allocation of new houses on the urban areas. The proposal to accommodate 600 new homes in Sharnbrook and adjacent villages unacceptably impacts further on the already existing significant traffic constraints within the infrastructure of Sharnbrook itself and will also have a very damaging effect on the adjoining villages, including Odell, with significant traffic using small village roads to access the A6 or A428.
Generally, yes. However, with a view to encouraging visitors and non-town dwellers, the following need to be considered:- 1. Improvement of hygiene and cleanliness in the town centre by extending the supply and availability of toilets and handwashing facilities - not least their hours and accessability; 2. Banning the feeding of pigeons in the bus station, Church Square and adjacent areas; 3. Opening up a Tourist & Information Centre at the bus station or it's vicinity; 4. Regular cleaing of the bus station and Church Square to make the area more visitor friendly.
Yes, I agree the scope of the Plan.
Yes.
We note the review is intended to focus mostly on growth and infrastructure. Given the Borough Council's enthusiastic support for East-West Rail, the Parish Council is surprised there is no reference to the railway in the proposed scope, the most significant infrastructure project the Borough will have seen. Although this is a National Infrastructure Project, the Borough Council through this Review has a wider responsibility to consider the effect of the railway on issues such as community cohesion, landscape character, countryside access, visual amenity and tranquillity, the need for supporting infrastructure, and measures to mitigate the wider effects. This policy area should be added to the list. The ongoing debate about the merits of East-West Rail exemplifies a shortcoming in the forward planning process which the Local Plan Review should seek to rectify. Claims of benefit to the Borough often do not adequately distinguish between urban and rural areas, with benefit accruing more often to the urban area at the expense of rural communities. The scope should ensure all policy areas are tested against this principle to ensure equitable outcomes for all.
1. The suggested scope of the propsed plan appears to be about right. However not enough consideration is being given to the likely impact of major developments on small villages, especially those within the Arc area and whose status could change so drastically. 2. The Council should resist the government housing targets.
Hail Weston Parish Council (HWPC) appreciate that Bedford Borough Council have been given a deadline to review the Local Plan by January 2023 and that it is vital to have a valid Local Plan in place but HWPC feel Bedford Borough Council should request an extension beyond the January 2023 deadline in view of the pandemic. These observations are late, due by 4 September 2020, following a HWPC meeting held 15 September 2020, it is hoped, considering the current situation, they are acknowledged, and included in the responses already received.
One area that should be added to the list concerns the East-West Rail project. The Borough Council need to consider the effect that this will have on the many small villages that are within the Option Route E corridor. Any extra housing, on top of the destruction to rural life caused by the coming of the double line railway, would be detrimental to small villages such as Wilden with no amenities or services. Bedford Borough have fought hard to secure the rail line going North of Bedford, citing the many advantages to the town, however little thought of how this will cause detriment to rural communities within the rail corridor appears to have been given. Beds Borough told East-West Rail “During the preparation of its emerging Local Plan the Council recognised that it would be beneficial to allow the newly created and expanded communities to the south of Bedford to mature before introducing further change. This means that growth opportunities in Wootton, Shortstown, Wixams and Stewartby are limited for the duration of the Plan. WPC consider that this shameful moving of the goal posts in order to curry favour with EWR in order to get the EW rail line to come through Bedford is not conducive to an open and honest Local Plan. Furthermore Beds Borough told EWR “Each site is to the north of Bedford and would be better served by the northern route for EWR through Bedford Midland, as would much of the development potential between Bedford and Cambridge. In the council’s view, therefore there is little or no scope to count further development south of Bedford against the benefits of a southerly route for EWR” Again a blatant touting of Beds Borough being willing to change every aspect of it’s Local Plan to benefit from an EWR ‘yes’ to a northern route and showing that the so-called consultation is nothing but a sham and waste of time.
Agreed response: The proposed scope of the local plan review appears reasonable. The Borough Council must ensure that conditions relating to the achievement of key aims of the Plan imposed on approved planning permissions are not lifted or changed.
Ensure a policy is in place on the climate change/environment/green issues Ensure affordable housing is built with adequate living space and bedroom requirement for growing families. Ensure the character and heritage of rural areas is maintained Ensure that facilities for town events (river festival, kite festival, concerts in the park etc.) are maintained. These events are well attended and enjoyed by those that live in the town and wider bedford borough. Focus upon improving quality and quantity of further and higher education facilities in the borough. A significant number of college and university graduates seek out immediate career opportunities in the area local to their college/university. Equally, as the cost of further and higher education rises, local school-leavers will be looking at education opportunities closer to where they live and grow up. Retaining this knowledge and skill base in the local area could create economic growth in the local areas and so making the educational facilities as good as possible may facilitate this. Ensure that a housing policy is in place for the elderly and vulnerable such as sheltered accommodation and increased number of bungalows. In line with the ageing population.
The Borough has little choice but to have an early review of Local Plan 2030 given the Inspectors instruction to the Borough to have its new Local Plan in place by 2023, which was a condition of the Inspectorate’s approval of the current Local Plan. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as the current policies are vague, lacking in detail and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.
We acknowledge the need for an early review of Local Plan 2030 following the Inspectors recommendation, however, there are a number of matters still awaiting resolution which could have a significant impact on the level of growth required in the Borough, for example, how the growth associated with the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is to be distributed along with the current consultation and review of the standard methodology to resolve the housing requirement via the Planning for the future white paper. There is great concern that these unresolved matters could have a significant impact on the direction of the new Local Plan and, in particular, on the housing figures required for the new period. At the time of this consultation, the preferred route for East - West Rail will be from Bedford Midland station travelling eastwards through Ravensden towards Tempsford and onto St Neots. This proposal does not include a new station in the Borough of Bedford. Therefore, there is no support for urban growth in North Beds as there is no current or proposed road or rail infrastructure available and this would mean that traffic to Bedford, Kettering, Northampton and Milton Keynes would be along the A6 or along rural roads which are narrow and inadequate to accommodate any increase in traffic. Those routes are already used as a rat run for both domestic and large commercial vehicles, damaging the rural road surfaces and in some cases undermining the foundations of the stone cottages close to the road. More policies should be developed that relate specifically to the rural area, which forms a very large part of the Borough, as these policies are vague and very much open to interpretation.