Support

Representation ID: 8065

Received: 03/09/2021

Respondent: Wilshamstead Parish Council

This document represents the considered response of Wilstead Village Neighbourhood Plan (NP) Team to the strategic proposals set out by Bedford Borough Council in their consultation conducted June to September 2021.

Wilstead Neighbourhood Plan Team believes that all of the Borough should contribute to the housing need identified in Bedford Borough Council’s Local Plan 2040.

We are supportive of sharing some development across the rural communities surrounding Bedford, together with development within the urban area. This sharing should include some development in the communities north of Bedford and should not concentrate solely on development along the A421 corridor.

We recognise that the A421, A6, East West Rail and Midland Mainline railway are travel corridors which would support development along part of their routes south of Bedford but would also point out that the A6, EWR and Midland Mainline go north from Bedford as well and therefore should attract their fair share of development along this part of their routes.

Wilstead is a relatively small village with a rich history and heritage and local residents are attracted to the village by its proximity to the countryside. This rural character must not be affected by large-scale development in the future. In particular we ask that the Settlement Hierarchy review takes into account the anomalies in what has been produced so far, and the relatively small size of the village (now that it is separated from Wixams).