Comment

Representation ID: 10251

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Central Bedfordshire Council

3. Climate Change
3.1 It is noted that Bedford Borough Council is seeking to incorporate carbon neutrality in all its strategies, including the Local Plan 2040 and this is welcomed and supported by CBC. Having declared a Climate Emergency, Bedford Borough Council has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030. This will require decisive actions and strong targets for new developments to ensure carbon neutrality is achieved without the need for retrofitting in the future.
3.2 Within the submission local plan, the proposed spatial strategy for growth to 2040 proposes a pattern of development which seeks to encourage fewer greenhouse gas emissions, by focussing development in the urban area and at locations with greater accessibility to new and existing rail stations and through the creation of walking neighbourhoods. Whilst this approach is broadly supported, the climate change section of the submission plan could be clearer about what tools and evidence have been used to support policy decisions. It is also considered that the policy could be strengthened by:
a) drilling down to local Carbon Budget data expressed by the Tyndall tool for the Bedford Borough area;
b) the inclusion of an additional policy point on infrastructure related to the decarbonisation of heat, power, and transport;
c) positive messaging that retrofitting should be encouraged where possible; and
d) setting clear policy expectations in regard to embedding considerations such as lowering and offsetting carbon.
3.3 It is also considered that the plan would benefit from a borough-wide energy strategy that could inform policy actions and targets as well as identifying infrastructure requirements to meet the commitment to became carbon neutral by 2030. CBC would be interested to understand if consideration has been given to identifying sites within the Borough for renewable energy infrastructure such as wind and solar farms, or if the Council have made the conscious decision not to do so.
3.4 Furthermore, CBC considers that specific reference could be included within the plan in relation to water resilience and the Bedford to MK Waterway, particularly given the benefits that could be realised with regard to climate change and carbon reduction due to proposed allocations within close proximity to the waterway.