Object
Local Plan 2040 Draft Plan - Strategy options and draft policies consultation
Representation ID: 4543
Received: 01/09/2021
Respondent: Mrs Kathryn Smith
The scoring system used appears to score the same for 7 of the 15 criteria for all options including protecting a maintain biodiversity and landscape character.
The criteria / scoring system is insufficiently sensitive if it produces so little variation between the options.
In options 2a to 2d, it seems that BBC have failed to properly consider / reflect in their scoring the true impact of new settlements (incl. Dennybrook (site 977)) on promoting Bedford as a town centre, landscape character, loss of good agricultural land and greenfield land.
In options 2a to 2d, it seems that BBC have not considered the true impact of new settlements (incl. Dennybrook (site 977)) on:
a. Promoting Bedford as a town centre – all options 2 and 3 score the same, but new settlements such as Dennybrook will push people to St. Neots, not Bedford. However this issue is recognised in options 4, 5 and 6.
b. Landscape character – all options score the same. The words fail to fully recognise the devastating impact of new settlements on the existing landscape.
c. Maximum development on brownfield/avoid loss of agricultural land – despite the loss of agricultural land at Wyboston being highlighted in the words, this is not recognised in the scoring of 2b and 2d as these are the same as 2a. Shockingly the words say for all
options:
“Although most new development is likely to be on greenfield land” – it seems that Bedford Borough Council readily accept this and have made no effort to maximise use of their stock of brownfield land (eg. 70ha at Twinwoods) – contrary to the NPPF.