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Representation ID: 8475

Received: 27/09/2021

Respondent: Richborough Estates

Agent: Fisher German LLP

hese representations have been prepared on behalf of Richborough Estates Ltd in respect of their land interests to the east of Newton Lane, Turvey, as illustrated on Figure 1 below.
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The site has been previously promoted through the various stages of the development of the adopted Local Plan and was included as a preferred site as part of the Council’s 2017 consultation paper. Technical documents to support the allocation of the site have previously been submitted including, amongst other documents, a detailed Highways Assessment and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, demonstrating the sites acceptability and deliverability. Despite this however, the adopted Local Plan sought to defer allocations to subsequent Neighbourhood Plans, which would deliver the housing targets set out in the Local Plan.
Turvey is a sustainable settlement designated in the adopted Local Plan as a Rural Service Centre. Turvey is one of the highest scoring Rural Service Centres in the Borough, scoring only a few points less than settlements designated as Key Service Centres. The adopted Local Plan seeks to deliver 25 - 50 dwellings through the emerging Neighbourhood Plans (this is in contrast to the 500 dwellings in the Key Service Centres, which Turvey falls just outside of). In initial iterations of the Bedford Local Plan (2015 consultation paper) the Council produced evidence which demonstrated that the Rural Service Centres could deliver between 50 and 150 dwellings each. The Council recognised the benefits of delivering larger developments in the Rural Service Villages advising that:
“Some villages have experienced the loss of vital services such as shops and pubs in recent years. Changing the current strategy of restraint in the rural policy area could increase the population and change the age profile of rural villages. An increase in activity and spending power would support existing vulnerable village services and facilities, and possibly lead to new provision. Furthermore, larger developments would be likely to bring with them a range of types and sizes of housing, which would provide more choice for existing residents wanting to stay within a village but down-size.” (Development Strategy and Site Selection Methodology Background Paper, September 2015)
The draft policies at that time supported such an allocation. Despite this latent capacity, the Council ultimately sought to reduce the quantum of housing to be delivered within the Rural Service Centres in favour of a new settlement, however, when the viability and deliverability of this was challenged the Plan period was reduced with an early review mechanism. Richborough Estates and a number of interested parties objected to this approach of the new settlement and the thereafter the reduced Plan period allowing the Plan to be found sound with the new settlement removed
Turvey Neighbourhood Plan has since progressed to referendum 15th July 2021. The result was marginal with 52% of votes in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan and 48% against.
The Plan identifies land to deliver 50 dwellings. Notwithstanding this, as has already been evidenced by the Council, settlements such as Turvey remain well positioned to provide additional sites to ensure the Council can meet its future housing needs. Whilst larger strategic sites may be required to deliver longer term development needs, sites in the Rural Service Centres can deliver quickly and ensure that the step change in delivery is met in the initial years of the Plan period whilst maintaining the vitality and viability of the services and facilities these settlements offer.
The land east of Newton Lane can deliver circa 80 dwellings, as demonstrated in the Vision Statement which was submitted alongside the representations to the Issues and Options Consultation in September 2020. It is considered this is commensurate with the size and sustainability of the settlement and combined with the 50 dwellings to be delivered through the Neighbourhood Plan would still be short of the 150 dwellings the Council has previously evidenced the settlement can deliver within the current Local Plan period. Indeed, having regard to the sustainability of the settlement, and its place within the settlement hierarchy, just below those settlements which are expected to deliver 500 dwellings, it is considered that the capacity of Turvey to accommodate new homes could be far greater than 150 dwellings.