Support

Representation ID: 7873

Received: 23/09/2021

Respondent: Central Bedfordshire Council

Due to the early stage of these proposals, we do not intend to make detailed comments on specific sites at this stage. However, we do wish to continue to be involved throughout the process. Effective and ongoing engagement will be vital to the success of new development in both of our authorities due to the close links and interconnected nature of the two. We look forward to reviewing the future stages of work, once the detailed evidence is available to support the emerging proposals. We would like to request to be kept informed of decisions relating to sites and would request early engagement where a site is likely to affect Central Bedfordshire or our residents.

We note that the proposed strategy will not include allocations for small sites (of less than one hectare), on the basis that evidence shows the number of dwellings built on small sites is consistently above the 10% required by the NPPF. Whilst the national policy requirement is being met, BBC may wish to consider a smaller threshold to ensure that it can appropriately plan for growth and vitality in smaller villages and towns, rather than relying on windfall.