Comment

Representation ID: 10536

Received: 26/07/2022

Respondent: Barton Willmore

Site 896 Rushden Road
The Site is located on the southern edge of Rushden, 12 miles east of Northampton and 17 miles north of Milton Keynes. Rushden offers a range of shops and services, including convenience stores, supermarkets, pubs, primary schools a post office and medical facilities. Additionally, there is also a primary school and pubs in Wymington to the south. The Site is therefore considered to represent a sustainable location for residential development.
The Site is comprised of a number of agricultural fields and an area of existing allotments, and currently extends up to 30.8 hectares. Immediately to the north of the Site are existing properties in Rushden with a public right of way running along the Site’s northern boundary. To the east, the Site is bounded by residential development on Rushden Road as well as Rushden Road itself. Green Lane bounds the Site to the south, beyond which is agricultural fields. To the west are agricultural fields with an existing tree belt along some of the Site boundary.
The Concept Plan (shown within the Vision Document) provides an indicative vision and masterplan for the Site. Following dialogue with the Local Authority, information is provided within the Vision Document which illustrates how the Site could be successfully phased, with the first phase delivering approximately 5.7ha of residential development, alongside landscaping, drainage, infrastructure and community benefits such as public open space in line with the wider proposals.
The overall Concept Masterplan for the Site will retain and enhance existing hedgerows and planting across the Site including extensive new screening planting along the development edge. An integrated sustainable drainage system will be utilised with informal and formal open space accommodated within the development. The existing PRoW will be retained and enhanced to link into the wider network, and the existing allotments within the Site will be retained, with the potential for these to be expanded. The vision for the Site will assist Bedford in sustainably meeting the housing needs of existing and future residents.