Object

Representation ID: 5537

Received: 06/09/2021

Respondent: EF Wootton and Son

There is an underlying bias towards urban centric growth in the preferred strategy options, which discounts further growth in sustainable settlements in the north.

In setting an arbitrary distance from the edge of the urban area, the preferred strategy options remove opportunities for delivering growth in sustainable villages on the northern edge including the villages of Ravensden and Renhold. The area considered to be adjoining the urban area should also include Parishes on the edge of the urban area to ensure these settlements benefit from some growth to stop them from stagnating, and for the vitality and viability of their existing services and facilities. These Parishes present an opportunity for growth in sustainable locations within reasonable proximity of the urban area, benefiting from existing infrastructure and public transport connections. Our client would like to highlight that he has three sites at Home Farm, Ravensden Road, Renhold, (that fall within the parishes of both Ravensden and Renhold) and which would be ideal for achieving this objective. Land South of Home Farm, (Site 1467) is available for up to 50 dwellings, Land North of Home Farm (Site 657) is available for up to 30 dwellings, and Land to the Rear of Home Farm is available for up to 550 dwellings.

Sites adjoining or close to the main Bedford Urban area offer similar sustainability advantages to sites within it, whilst exhibiting far fewer viability / deliverability issues. We therefore consider that sites adjoining the urban area should be allocated a slightly higher proportion of the housing numbers (2000) than currently suggested.

Our client therefore raises objection to Growth Options 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d as they fail to provide any growth in the north of the Borough which undermines the long-term sustainability of the villages in this area.