Object
Local Plan 2040 Draft Plan - Strategy options and draft policies consultation
Representation ID: 7424
Received: 20/09/2021
Respondent: Ms Barbara Beard
Dear Sirs, I am concerned about the future planning of Bedford Borough for the village of Wilstead and wish to express my objections for the following reasons,
1. Many people have bought homes in Wilstead because they wish to live in a village , but if the Borough build 1424 houses within the village and 4790 outside the boundary , we will no longer be a village.
2. Over 90% of people living within the village have stated that they do not want massive developments.
3. Where will children from these houses go to school? There is no space to extend the existing school therefore children will be denied places.
4. There is no doctor's surgery in the village. Currently a doctor attends the village one morning a week or residents have to go to Ampthill. Trying to get an appointment is currently almost impossible so will become even worse if so many houses are built. Numbers at the Ampthill surgery have recently doubled - there is no room for more patients.
5. The main road through the village is already getting filled with parked cars, making travel through the village difficult. If there are more residents, Cotton End Road will become impassable.
6. When our group of houses were built, a special drainage system was installed. If all the threatened houses are built , the risk of flooding will become inevitable. The drainage will become overloaded and people moving in to the village will not be able to get insurance.
7. Why is development being threatened on the South of the borough and not the North. There is surely more room for development round the villages such as Bletsoe, Thurleigh, North of Sharnbrook etc.
8. The Wilstead Village Plan has not identified and areas for new developments. Although this has not yet been adopted, the views of the existing villages should still be honoured. Already there have been developments in the village of 105 new properties, which is an increase of over 10%. This is enough. let the village remain a village community.