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Representation ID: 8517

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Bedfordshire Police

BP request that the forthcoming Infrastructure Delivery Plan incorporates in full the findings presented
and evidenced in the enclosed BPIP. This is because the delivery of policing services needs to be planned
and funded in advance of a new development scheme, in the same way as utilities, education, health,
transport and other public services. If this does not take place, BP’s resources used for existing
communities in the Borough will have to be ‘stretched’ to serve the new ones being created. This will
lead to the risk of unacceptable dilution of policing service provision across the Borough.
The above negative outcome would contrast starkly with the basic expectation that when people move
into a new housing estate or other type of development, they expect to be protected by policing services
that can operate effectively and efficiently across the area concerned. This applies to all levels of
services, whether they ring 999 should the worst happen, or are simply benefitting from the reassurance
of day-to-day neighbourhood policing for example.
Underlying the above is the fact that the potential impact on the police and other emergency services
from a new development is not simply due to an increase in population, but also the location of where
that new population is arising and the impact it will have on the present disposition of resources.
Delivery of policing in this respect is not just about responding to a crime or incidents, but also providing
other services such as community assurance, protecting the safety of children or vulnerable people and
preventing crimes from happening in the first place amongst many others.
We also want to make it clear that mitigating the impact of a given scheme on BP and other emergency
services is not a false choice between design or infrastructure measures. These in fact go together to
ensure a development is safe and secure. Neither one alone can achieve this. As evidenced at length in
the enclosed BPIP, new infrastructure for the police will be required in many cases across the Borough
alongside design measures therefore.