Object

Representation ID: 10495

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Bedfordshire Police

Agent: West Mercia OPCC

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Bedfordshire Police’s previous representations recommended that the Local Plan’s Vision be amended to acknowledge the need to create a secure and low crime environment for all in the Borough. However, this was not done. Unless the amendment is made the Vision’s consistency with the following paragraphs of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is at risk:

• Paragraphs 8, 20, 35-37, 92 (b), 97 and 130 (f) of the NPPF (July 2021);

In addition, the absence of the requested amendment jeopardises support for the need for design measures and additional infrastructure to ensure safe, secure and crime free communities. Support for this viewpoint is provided by paragraphs 92 and 130 of the NPPF, which both state that planning policies and decisions should:

‘Create places…where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion.’

Furthermore, paragraph 20 of the NPPD states that local planning authorities should plan for the provision of community and security infrastructure for their areas.

The above demonstrates that the Vision would benefit from a much clearer commitment to creating a safe, secure and low crime environment for all in the Borough. This would also ensure consistency with the following:

• Bedford Borough’s Sustainable Community Strategy 2009-2021 – Section 5; and

• The following legislation and national planning practice guidance:

Planning provides an important opportunity to consider the security of the built environment, those that live and work in it and the services it provides.

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended) requires all local, joint and combined authorities (as well as National Parks, the Broads Authority and the Greater London Authority) to exercise their functions with all due regard to their likely effect on crime and disorder, and to do all they reasonable can to prevent crime and disorder.

Paragraph: 009 Reference ID: 53-009-20190722
Revision date: 22 07 2019

It should be noted at this juncture that the ‘Bedford Borough Community Safety Partnership – Community Safety Partnership Strategic Plan – 2020 – 2023’ states that the critical objective is:

‘Tackling crime, disorder, anti-social behavior, drug and alcohol misuse and increasing perceptions about safety and well-being in our communities.’

Therefore it is essential that the Vision of the Local Plan accords directly with the above to ensure its delivery in the Borough.

More generally, the Local Plan’s Vision contains other aspirations such as sustainable development, being more attractive and greater prosperity. However these and other aspirations will not be achieved if those same developments and communities are not safe, secure and low crime.

Consequently, BP is not convinced that the Local Plan’s Vision as currently worded is compliant with Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended) or the other documents cited above. Therefore, BP considers the Vision to be ineffective, inconsistent with national planning policy and consequently unsound as currently drafted.