Support

Representation ID: 3810

Received: 26/08/2021

Respondent: Mr R W Harland

I note that the Strategy Paper defines Option 2a – 2d as the preferred options. These options suggest that a significant number of dwellings should be built in the “Southern Parishes” (Cotton End, Elstow, Kempston Rural, Shortstown, Wilstead and Wootton).

I am a long-time resident of Wilstead and strongly object to the proposed new houses in Wilstead.

I provide, below, further details to support my objection to further building in Wilstead.

All these parishes have been subject to developments in recent years so should not have to bear further developments.

Wilstead has been designated a Key Service Centre, but the village should never have designated as such. The scoring methodology originally used to determine this needs to be updated. The village no longer has a weekly doctor’s surgery. The village is quoted as being on a bus route to and from Bedford. A large proportion of the village is located more than 800 metres from the nearest bus stop and there are no longer any services down Cotton End Road (except once, on one day a week). There are two bus companies and the services are hourly but within 10 minutes of each other. There is no bus service on a Sunday and during the week the services are predominately in the mornings and early afternoon. The last service from Bedford to Wilstead is at 7pm.

The local Primary School is full to capacity and cannot accept any additional pupils. It was hoped that Secondary education would be available at Wixams Academy but this is already at capacity without additional houses being built in either Wixams or Wilstead.

It is noticeable that the villages in the north of the Borough are, in the main, excluded from the Plan. A 10% increase in housing for each village would be much more equitable without increasing the strain on those villages. The Borough Council could also allocate more houses to larger villages that have existing better facilities and infrastructure (e.g. GP Surgeries, shops and schools) already in place.

There have been significant developments in Wilstead recently and whilst these developments appeared to be acceptable at the time, the incremental addition of houses with no associated increase in facilities (school places, GP service, public transport etc) has meant that the village cannot accept any further houses. Just recently, there has been a large development (off Whitworth Way) which has caused traffic chaos around the local school.

Wilstead should not have to contribute any more houses to the Borough Plan.