This consultation was not sound or fair. I object to suggestion in the brown option that our parish is a brownfield site or under utilised land. The entire parish is classed as open countryside for planning purposes. Our three tiny hamlets are not even classed as a small settlement in the Local Plan 2030 definition (6.21) and we are therefore defined as open countryside. Describing the brown option which would see the majority of our parish covered in a large scale, high density, urban development as using brownfield or under utilised land is very misleading. It could compromise the validity of the consultation as those responding would logically propose development on brownfield or under-utilised land over greenfield sites.

I also believe the pros and cons list for the brown option is very inaccurate for our parish. A large development in Staploe parish would not support services etc in Bedford – we are 13 miles away and people would use services in St. Neots which are already under pressure due to large scale development on the eastern side of the town. There would be very little potential for residents here to make sustainable travel choices – we have one bus on Thursday and it would require huge investment to improve public transport. This would not reduce the need for growth in rural areas – we are a rural area and it proposes building all over our parish. Development in our parish would not improve viability of retail and leisure in Bedford Borough. Once the EW rail and Black Cat developments have been completed, people will journey to Cambridge for leisure and entertainment, not Bedford.

We still feel that this is a fair reflection that the issues and options consultation was flawed because it led people to believe that our rural parish was urban with underutilised or brownfield land which is very far from the case.

In addition, the issues and options consultation was conducted during the pandemic when it was not possible to meet more than 6 people outside. The number of responses was pitiful and it brings into further question the validity of the consultation. Bedford Borough Council should be arguing for an extension of time such that the Local Plan 2030 remains “in date” for another year to enable proper consultation, to allow the East West rail route to be announced and for the Oxford Cambridge Arc to decide about development corporations.