Object

Representation ID: 10097

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Andrew Chinn

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Objection to Policy EMP6 Business Park,
Land at Water End and St Neots Road, in Bedford Local Plan 2040

I wish to register my objection to the proposal for a business park on land at Water End and St Neots Road, reference Policy EMP6, sites 761 and 764. I am a resident of Green End Renhold who lives close to the proposed business park and, like many others, will be directly impacted if this development goes ahead.

Renhold is a tranquil rural community with no light pollution from streetlights or large office complexes, which help maintain clear star lit skies. The noise, air pollution, and light pollution that the proposed development will bring will damage the current rural environment. The proposals would be visually intrusive on the local landscape, and harmful to its character and qualities. The resulting impact on the daily lives and amenity spaces of the nearby residents in Green End and Water End, and for all residents along the main road through Renhold, will be significant.

I see no need for a business park at this location. Water End and Green End consist primarily of low-density residential housing surrounded by agricultural land. The proposals would be out of keeping, out of scale, and disproportionate. With so many other under-utilised sites and empty offices in and around Bedford, I fail to see the requirement for a new business park at this location. The proposed sites are not gateway locations into Bedford and are not on the urban boundary of Bedford. Instead, site 761 adjoins the settlement policy area of Renhold Green End, and site 764 does not adjoin any settlement policy area.
Whilst the proposed sites are intended to accommodate research and development activities, the draft policy also makes provision for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution operations. I have a concern that the manufacturing, warehousing and distribution elements will ultimately dominate the sites, if not immediately, then over several years as businesses come and go. This will lead to an even greater negative impact on the local community and environment, bringing more noise and pollution, especially from increased traffic and HGV activity.

I work in a small business park near Cambridge and have witnessed firsthand how a business park originally built to attract small research and technology companies, has evolved into a site dominated by large warehouses and distribution units, with a significant increase in traffic and noise throughout the day. There are also issues with lack of car parking during the day, and HGV’s using access and local roads as overnight lorry parks. Despite the best of intentions, how can you ensure that this will not happen in and around the proposed business park?

I also see more vacant offices on the business park where I work, as more technology companies adopt hybrid working practices with more people working from home. Do we need to build more research and development offices in this climate? If the proposed development it is at all questionable, then why would the council allow it to go ahead, destroying local green spaces and creating additional unnecessary environmental issues?
My biggest concern is the impact on local road infrastructure and traffic through and around Renhold village. The village already has serious traffic problems. The local highway network is already exhausted and at capacity. The proposed business park would result in a significant increase in traffic movements with additional commuter traffic, delivery vans, and HGVs, in and around the village of Renhold, bringing with it pollution and road safety issues, detrimental to the local area.

Huge congestion already exists on the A421 roundabout adjacent to the sites throughout the day, particularly at peak times. Queues on the A241 slip roads and the A4280 St Neots Road can be horrendous. There is a TRO through Renhold that is primarily to restrict the volume of traffic using the village as a “rat-run” to and from the A421 bypass roundabout. However, this is not enforced and is largely ignored as motorists use the narrow road through Renhold to avoid the congestion.

Even if the A421 bypass roundabout is redesigned, the proposed development will only add to the volume of traffic. With the greater congestion at the A421 bypass roundabout that the proposed business park will bring, the traffic situation through Renhold will only get worse. Commuters, delivery, and HGV drivers travelling to the park, especially from northern regions around Bedford will inevitably, start using the Renhold village road as their “rat-run”. The situation would quickly become unsustainable.
I also foresee an increase in traffic along Wentworth Drive, Norse Road, and through Bedford as office workers, delivery vans and HGVs approach the business park from routes other than the A421 bypass. Increased traffic past Renhold Lower and Mark Rutherford schools are likely.

Existing traffic volumes and the crumbling village road network are not suitable for the additional traffic that the business park will bring. The Renhold village road through Green End is very close to the front of the people’s homes, is narrow, unlit, and the path merges into the road and disappears altogether in some places. Increased traffic through the village as a result of the proposed business park will introduce new road safety concerns.

The additional traffic noise and pollution that residents in Renhold will be subjected to, and the impact on their living quality and amenity spaces must be considered. A study should be undertaken to investigate the impact of vibration caused by an increase in HGV traffic on houses close to the road through Renhold and Green End, especially the multiple listed buildings. The council should not be entertaining any plans that will lead to increased use of the local road through Renhold as a “back-door” into the business park. As a minimum, the TRO must be properly policed and enforced, and HGVs banned from using the Renhold village road.

A proposed new road layout, where Water End is blocked off and the village road diverted to join a new access road into the business park off the A421 bypass roundabout is dangerous. Residents travelling from Renhold to the A421 bypass roundabout will be faced with a right turn across the main access road into the proposed business park. Whether this is a right turn at a junction or a mini roundabout, it introduces a new road safety risk.

The sites are not in sustainable locations with lack of footway and cycleway provision and infrequent public transport connection with lack of bus stops. Alternative modes of transport, including walking, cycling and public transport, should be promoted, however, the sites’ access would be clearly dominated by vehicles due to their proximity to the A421, therefore failing to meet the key, high-level objective of the NPPF of ‘achieving sustainable development’.

I trust that you will understand my point of view and that you accept that the proposed development would do nothing to enhance the village of Renhold. Please seriously reconsider the construction of a new business park at this location.