Support

Representation ID: 8040

Received: 24/09/2021

Respondent: North Northamptonshire Council

In respect of spatial options, firstly the Draft Plan appears to have moved away from the ‘Brown’ and ‘Red’ options that would have had the most potential negative impacts on North Northamptonshire (NN). The four preferred options set out in the Draft Plan are centred around Bedford town and the A421 with nothing presented further north towards the NN boundary in the vicinity of the A6. Growth around Bedford town and the A421 would have significantly less cross-boundary impacts on NN in comparison with the other previously considered options.

It is noted that since the publication of the Issues and Options consultation Bedford Borough Council (BBC) have developed the Bedford Borough Transport Model (BBTM) which has been used to test options initially put forward and to therefore inform the preferred options presented in the latest plan.

The production of the BBTM is welcomed and it is noted that the modelling has shown that the preferred options presented in the Draft Plan are those that result in the least impact on the highway network compared to the others tested. This modelling including testing of the option at Colworth Garden Village (CGV), which when tested concluded that any new settlement(s) in this location would result in significant congestion and delay on the A6. More detailed observations on the BBTM are outlined in the North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) Highways comments, which are set out overleaf.

As mentioned, the Plan’s move away from exploring options of significant development at CGV, Rushden and areas around the A6 to the north of the BBC authority area, means there are likely to be fewer significant implications for NN. This is not only in terms of impacts on traffic and congestion on the highways network, but also with regard to other issues previously identified such as coalescence with Wymington, sustainable transport routes and impacts on Green Infrastructure corridors and the SPA, the latter of which will help reduce the impact of wider growth. Natural England (NE) are becoming increasingly concerned regarding functionally linked land to the SPA. There is a need to understand the interaction with the SPA and surrounding land as well as the impact from visitors. Officers from NNC and BBC are engaged in proactive discussion with NE regarding the SPA and it is considered that the move away from growth close to the NN border is likely to release some pressures on it.

Conversely, the absence of any significant development towards the NN boundary would negate the need for a new railway station at Wymington Loop. As per the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Committees (NN JPC) response to the Issues and Options consultation a new deliverable station here could have presented future opportunities that may have benefitted NN in light of Policy 17 of the JCS North Northamptonshire’s Strategic Connections which identifies investigating the longer-term potential for a railway station at Irchester. Notwithstanding this, it is noted that page 29 of the Development Strategy Topic Paper suggests that there is an ‘absence of currently deliverable railways stations’ within this location.

Despite the above, given the greater housing need in BBC due to the increase on its Local Housing Need (LHN) consideration will need to be given to future iterations of the Plan, particularly when it comes to the allocation of housing sites. It is noted that the annual housing requirement for BBC will increase from 970 dwellings p/a to 1,275 dwellings p/a and therefore, discounting existing commitments, the new local plan will need to allocate land for a minimum of 12,500 dwellings. It will be important for NNC to continue to engage with the BBC Local Plan 2040 as it progresses through the plan-making process to consider whether any potential future housing allocations may be of significance to NN due to their proximity to the authority boundary.

It is recognised that the BBC Local Plan 2040, Draft Plan is still in its early stages in terms of its development and there is still scope for it to change. Notwithstanding this, current proposed growth options illustrated within this consultation are considered to no longer present NN with any significant negative implications with regards to potential cross-boundary issues. On this basis NNC supports the alternative development scenarios presented.