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Representation ID: 8232

Received: 26/09/2021

Respondent: Amanda Quince

The consultation references a significant number of accompany policy document that are being
reviewed as part of the Local Plan process. Again, this is a huge challenge to fully understand
the terminology, digest the technical nature of the documents, and to fully appreciate and
understand the context of which these policies will be used by the local authority.
These policies will effectively underpin the strategic development through to 2040, so they are
hugely important. The Parish Council understand the need for robust and effective planning
policy documents to support positive experiences for all stakeholders involved within the
planning process. Whilst the Parish Council are sympathetic to the difficulty in balancing all the
different needs and consideration, it is absolutely critical that these policy documents enable the
local authority decision making process to be secure.
Frustratingly, the Parish Council have seen first-hand on numerous occasions applications and
subsequent developments which have been totally harmful to the rural setting. The local
authority must ensure planning policy documents of the highest standard are developed,
reviewed and updated through this Local Plan 2040 process to make sure that they not only
satisfy the Secretary of State inspection process, but equally crucially that they are strong
enough to be referenced and applied within the local planning process and potentially taken to
the Planning Inspectorate.
Given Renhold’s locality, the Parish Council will set out in 4. Urban Area Boundary Safeguarding
Renhold further specific feedback to the part of the consultation regarding the urban area
boundary.
Housing growth allocation numbers calculated by BBC that have been identified are of concern
to the Parish Council, and this has been shared as well by residents. Whilst the Council are not
familiar with the calculations of such data, it was interesting to read Bedfordshire Campaign to
Protect Rural England’s submission to this consultation which raised some alarmingly and most
worrying discrepancies with BBC’s growth when compared to nearby local authorities.
Therefore, the Parish Council wish to seek clarity on the questions raised given the presented
evidence within the CPRE response that clearly show Bedford Borough having a
disproportionate amount of growth.