Object

Representation ID: 8063

Received: 03/09/2021

Respondent: Wilshamstead Parish Council

We reiterate here points made by Wilshamstead Parish Council which we fully support.

Both Wixams and Wilstead are included in the draft Local Plan as “Key Service Centres”.
These KSCs are spread around the perimeter of Bedford with gaps between them. Only 2 KSCs are immediately next to each other i.e., Wixams and Wilstead separated only by the width of the A6.

Wilstead should not be a KSC. Its facilities are suited to the existing size of the village – not to any expansion e.g., there is no Primary School capacity, only one small shop and the bus service only covers part of the village and passes more than 800m from most residents

It is believed that the designation of “Key Service Centre” to Wilstead is based upon incorrect assumptions. For example, the village is shown in the Settlement Hierarchy document as having 3200 residents. This must be incorrect, as there are only approximately 1100 dwellings in the village and, of those, 196 are park homes for people over the age of 50. It is possible that the figure of 3200 relates to a population size including residents of Wixams; therefore, allocating Key Service Centre status to both Wixams and Wilstead is double counting some of the residents and some facilities. It is recognised that Option 2 does not take into account KSC designation but, nevertheless, the size of Wilstead vs other communities (and therefore its capacity to accept further development) must be more accurately assessed.

Another incorrect assumption is the presence of a part-time GP surgery. This no longer exists. A statement just received from Oliver Street Surgery in Ampthill is as follows: “We unfortunately had to close the branch surgery we used to hold at the Methodist church last year as the facilities are not fit for the purpose of a GP surgery.”

Also the bus service in the village is very limited and should not rate a high score: there is no East West service despite the village stretching nearly 2 miles in that direction. In addition, bus stops for the service to Bedford are located more than 800m from the majority of residents.

The above should mean that Wilstead be given Rural Service Centre status.

The Parish would submit that Wilstead is in a similar situation to Oakley, a Rural Service Centre, which sits in open countryside between Bromham and Clapham, both Key Service Centres.