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Representation ID: 5729

Received: 07/09/2021

Respondent: National Highways

Highways England welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Bedford Borough Draft Local Plan - Strategy Options and Draft Policies consultation which covers the period from 2020 to 2040.
Highways England has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport as a strategic highway company under the provisions of the Infrastructure Act 2015 and is the highway authority, traffic authority and street authority for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). It is our role to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the SRN whilst acting as a delivery partner to national economic growth. In relation to this consultation, our principal interest is safeguarding the operation of the A45 located approximately 2.5km north of the Plan area in Northamptonshire.
We understand that there is a requirement to deliver 1,275 dwellings per year, which equates to a total of 25,500 over the Plan period. There are already 13,000 existing housing commitments leaving 12,500 new dwellings to be allocated. The proposed yearly requirement is higher than currently set out in the adopted Local Plan (970 dwellings).
We have reviewed the interactive Call for Sites map and while we understand that not all of these sites will be allocated in the final Local Plan there are a number which have the potential to impact the operation of the A45 in Northamptonshire:
• Site ID: 896 for 540 dwellings at Land south-west of Rushden
• Site ID: 774 for 70,000sqm B1/B2/B8 employment at Chelveston Renewable Energy Park, Chelveston Airfield, Chelveston cum Caldecott
• Site ID: 939 for 128 dwellings, Land at Poplars Farm, Wymington
• Site ID: 946 for 98 dwellings, Land west of Rushden Road, Wymington
• Site ID: 1002 for 4,500 as a garden village at Land adjacent Colworth Science Park
• Site ID: 918 for 397 dwellings at Land south of Odell Road, Sharnbrook.
Should any of these sites be allocated in the final Local Plan, further assessment work may be required to ascertain the impact on the SRN and to determine the need for mitigation.
There is also a requirement to deliver of 171ha of employment land over the plan period. There is currently available supply for 48ha of employment land, leaving 123ha of land to be allocated in the Local Plan. Furthermore, Policy E1S sets out that a minimum of 8,642 net additional jobs will be provided by the end of the plan period.
We understand that it is expected that some future employment will be brought forward through large scale sites that are well connected to transport networks, including to the SRN. The council are currently considering three business parks of 30ha each with the remaining land allocated to smaller sites for offices and general industry.
Regarding the growth strategy options, we understand that an issues and options consultation took place in 2020 where six options were reviewed. As part of this consultation four options have been presented: 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d. All options seek to focus growth in the Bedford Urban Area and in settlements to the north east of Bedford and parishes south of Bedford. We consider that these strategies may have more of an impact on the A1(T), as opposed to the A45 in Northamptonshire.
We note that further work is required to determine the proposed trajectory for housing and employment in light of infrastructure improvements proposed, including the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement and East West Rail proposals as well as the wider transport strategy set out in the document.
We wish to continue to liaise with Bedford Borough Council in the development of the Local Plan to understand which sites will be allocated and whether there may impact on the A45. If sites identified in the Call for Sites exercise to the north of the Plan area are allocated, consideration will need to be given to the potential impacts on the A45, specifically at the A45/A6 Chowns Mill roundabout. While improvements are underway at this junction, additional assessment work may be required to understand the impacts in light of the greater housing and employment requirements identified for Bedford,