Object

Representation ID: 7419

Received: 03/09/2021

Respondent: Axiom Great Barford Limited

Agent: Axiom Great Barford Limited

This representation sets out a number of comments and concerns with the Draft Strategy Options. These can be summarised as:
• There is a need for clarity over the treatment of emerging Neighbourhood Plan allocations. The inclusion of sites to meet existing Local Plan growth in areas such as Great Barford should be the baseline position for the Local Plan 2040 – whether that be through a successful Neighbourhood Plan allocation or, should the Neighbourhood Plan fail, through an allocation in the emerging Local Plan 2040.
• The Local Plan 2040 needs to be set within a longer-term vision to satisfy NPPF paragraph 22.
• Additional land needs to be identified to provide flexibility and contingency in supply and consideration needs to be given to a potential uplift in relation to wider economic growth in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
• There is support for the identification of the A421 corridor as a focus for growth.
• The two new settlement option is not considered a robust or sustainable approach to meeting housing need.
• There is a concern over the assumed capacity of the urban area/urban fringe and the rail focused options to deliver the stated level of development.
• There is a concern that the assumed delivery of the settlement options may be overstated.
• There is an unjustified split in the parishes along the A421 corridor, with a more appropriate approach being to look at the area as a whole and identify the most appropriate available sites.
• There is a need to increase the level of development focused along the A421 corridor, given the constraints with other growth options.
• The site assessment process needs to be made robust through the use of available evidence allowing a proper consideration of site suitability.