Support

Representation ID: 8590

Received: 27/09/2021

Respondent: Elstow Parish Council

The consultation references a significant number of accompanying policy documents 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.
Housing growth allocation numbers calculated by BBC that have been identified are of concern
to the Parish Council. 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.
Given Elstow’s locality the Parish Council will set out in 4. Urban Area Boundary Safeguarding
Elstow further specific feedback to the part of the consultation regarding the urban area
boundary.
Frustratingly, with the limited resources of the Parish Council it has not been possible to study in
greater depth all the detail within these documents which relate to Elstow However, there are
some specific policy items that it is wished to raise, these are set out below.