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Representation ID: 8042

Received: 24/09/2021

Respondent: North Northamptonshire Council

The NN JPC response to the Issues and Options consultation suggested that consideration should be given as to whether an end date of 2050 for the new BBC Local Plan to align with the Arc would be beneficial. It is noted that the Draft Plan end date is still 2040, however it is recognised that para 1.5 of the Plan states “the Council’s view is that 2020 - 2040 is an appropriate time period for this plan. With a requirement now for five-yearly local plan reviews there will be sufficient opportunity to plan beyond 2040 once the regional planning context is clearer” and the context of the Arc is well considered throughout.

Within the context of the above, it is noted that the Arc Spatial Framework (ASF) sets out at para 5.3 of the ‘Creating a vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc’ consultation document that in parallel to the development of the Spatial Framework, the government is also exploring options to speed up new housing and infrastructure development in the Arc to help meet its ambitions, where evidence supports it. This includes examining (and where appropriate, developing) the case for new and/or expanded settlements in the Arc, including options informed by possible East West Rail stations between Bedford and Cambridge and growth options at Cambridge itself. In relation to this, it is also noted that an advisory panel for the Arc has been set up to explore potential opportunities for sustainable and economic growth in the Arc, with the Bedford-Cambridge area as its primary focus. From this, it is likely that the route of E-W rail between Bedford-Cambridge will be a potential location for new settlements, which will influence the longer-term development within Bedford Borough in future local plans. NNC will continue to engage in plan-making through the Duty to Cooperate to ensure ongoing consideration of cross-boundary issues.