Object

Representation ID: 5912

Received: 08/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Tom Tagg

The selection of the options for consideration should be based on the following criteria:
• We are in a climate emergency. All measures to reduce our impact on the climate should be the first priority.
• The natural environment should be protected and maintained, especially good quality farmland needed for food production.
• Any new development should take place on brownfield land before greenfield.
• Rejuvenation of Bedford town centre by changing use to residential to bring people into the town.
• Minimisation of car use/travel/CO2.
• Design standards for new houses to be carbon neutral avoiding heating using fossil fuels.

Applying these principles gives the following:
• The major brownfield site of Twinwoods must be considered as an option. So far it has been dismissed due to 100% junction capacity traffic congestion at the A6/Manton Lane junction. While this congestion will occur, it will occur in 2030 under the current adopted local plan 2030 and the impact of Twinwoods on this congestion will be a minimal increase of 1-6% (as shown in BBC’s AECOM transport studies). This congestion is a current BBC issue that needs to be resolved by 2030 and is totally independent of any new Local Plan 2040 developments, so this is not a reason to reject Twinwoods for consideration.
• I support option 2a as it uses brownfield land at Stewartby, develops homes in and close to the urban area and to railway stations and so will reduce the amount of car use/travel/CO2 compared to other options.
• I could support option 2b if the new settlement was at Little Barford, close to the new EWR station, thus reducing car journeys. I would reject this option if Dennybrook were included due to the destruction of high quality farmland and the increase of car use needed for people to access the new EWR station.
It should be noted that all options that include the proposed Dennybrook new settlement are MISLEADING as they fail to properly describe the correct build-out rate for Dennybrook (2,500 houses stated, yet the developer is planning for 5,150 houses to 2040 and 10,800 houses to 2050).
It should also be noted that the residents of Staploe parish have NO REPRESENTATION by a Borough Councillor. Our Borough Councillor, Tom Wootton, is conflicted regarding the proposed site at Dennybrook (site 977) as his family is offering land to the developers! I therefore request that an alternative Borough Councillor is permitted to represent Staploe and to vote on the matter in Tom Wootton’s place.
I would also request that the decision about which sites to choose for development be made at full council with Borough Councillors being given the opportunity to vote on it before it reaches the “is it sound and is it legal” stage of the plan – regulation 19. I would ask that the decision is therefore not made by the Mayor of Bedford’s executive powers.