Object

Representation ID: 10381

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Judy Jacobs

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

We object to this plan to build 1800 homes in the countryside between Wilstead, Wixams and Elstow. The following paragraphs explain the reasoning behind these objections.
Wilstead - Key Service Centre. We object to Wilstead remaining as a Key Service Centre. Whilst being a Key Service Centre was understandable prior to the development of Wixams, as Wilstead was separate from any other village in the area, the continuing growth of the town of Wixams means that Wilstead should now be designated a Rural Service Centre. Nowhere else in the Borough are two Key Service Centres separated by the width of a road (i.e. the A6). Oakley, a similar size village to Wilstead is a Rural Service Centre as it adjoins Clapham, a Key Service Centre. Currently the distance between these two communities is greater than Wixams to Wilstead and still Oakley is a Rural Service Centre.
Descriptions of Proposed Development. It is misleading to describe this site ‘Land East of Wixams, without mentioning its position relative to Wilstead. ‘Land East of Wixams’ designation is likely to reduce any input / response to the Local Plan from those who it is likely to affect i.e. Wilstead residents.
Local Gaps. The gaps between Wilstead, Elstow and Wixams are very important to prevent coalescence between these communities and should be designated Local Gaps. These gaps should include the area between this proposed development and Wilstead as well as that associated with the proposed HOU15 to the west of Wilstead further down the A6.
Use of Prime Agricultural Land. It was understandable that when Wixams was created on the West of the A6 as it was mainly built on Elstow Storage Depot, a wartime bomb factory and subsequently a light industry site. This meant, following decontamination, homes could be provided without taking up prime agricultural land.
In contrast HOU16 would be built on an area of prime agricultural land currently used for food production.
Access. It is not clear what additional access routes to these pockets of development are proposed. Having a single road access to 1800 houses would cause traffic problems especially if this road is blocked by roadworks or an accident. However any such additional access from Wilstead would necessitate going through the remaining open countryside north of Wilstead impacting on the rural characteristic of the village . The newly planted Community Woodland was intended to help maintain this rural gap between Wilstead and Wixams. A new road would produce a large amount of additional traffic through the village as drivers seek to avoid the traffic congestion on the A6.
Coalescence. There must be some protection against the creation of ‘South Bedford’ comprising of the joining up of the villages south of the A421 with each other and the town of Wixams. These are all separate communities and must not become a suburb of Bedford.
Thousands of houses are proposed in an arc to the south of Bedford whilst in contrast there seems to be little planned for the A6 and East West Rail corridors north and north east of Bedford. Previously identified proposed developments to the north of the Borough seem to have disappeared in the Local Plan 2040
We very strongly object to the particular section of this proposed development between the A6 and Duck End Wilstead. This should be removed as this will produce the very coalescence the Landscape Enhancement Area (Wixams) was trying to avoid.
Education. It is noticed that the proposed secondary school is to have a nine form entry i.e. nine forms for each year group. Assuming 30 pupils per year this would suggest nearly 300 pupils per year for 1st to 5th forms plus 150 per year for each sixth form. This would give one child of secondary school age per household. Judging by Wilstead, a slightly smaller community, this would seem to be excessive. What would be the catchment area for such a school and how will they get to school?. With one entrance off the A6, pupils from outside the development won’t be able to walk or cycle to school, so traffic on the already congested A6 at school times will be made worse.

Summary. The proposed development is one of a series of developments proposed for the area south of the A421. One of these is (HOU17) 1000 Houses proposed a field away at Shortstown.
There seems to be an imbalance of development compared with that proposed for the area north of Bedford.
These proposed areas of development would compromise the current open space between Wilstead and Elstow bringing the built up urban area nearer to Wilstead at the cost of good agricultural land. It would also seriously affect off road connectivity between local communities for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
The most western section of this proposed development will bring about the coalescence between Wixams and Wilstead and I strongly object to this part of the proposed development.
This whole HOU16 development is isolated (in terms of accessibility, (i.e. one road in) but providing another route to Wilstead would further impact on the open countryside to the north of Wilstead and bring additional traffic into Wilstead. Any such road would also encourage development along its route. Wilstead already has problems with rat running and speeding in the village.
Alternative ways of pedestrians & cyclists crossing the A6 must be included in any permitted development.
Wilstead shouldn’t be a Key Service Centre. It is immediately next to Wixams which is also currently a Key Service Centre. Wilstead should be designated as a Rural Service Centre. Just naming this site East of Wixams or changing the parish boundary and letting it be part of Wixams doesn’t change the proximity of Wixams to Wilstead or the impact this development would have on Wilstead.