Support

Representation ID: 8592

Received: 27/09/2021

Respondent: Elstow Parish Council

4. URBAN AREA - SAFEGUARDING Elstow
Elstow Parish Council is passionate when it comes to the amazing historic, gem of a rural
village that Elstow is.
Local authority Planning Policy Officers have been involved during meetings with Parish
Councillors to hear first hand the importance of safeguarding Elstow, whether it is protecting the
green buffer area behind Thomas James Close, or the magical setting of Elstow Abbey.
As a village proudly steeped in history, Elstow Parish Council as part of their response have
worked on ensuring these elements, plus many more, are presented to this Local Plan 2040
consultation, as it is important that it is all formally recorded. Not just for this consultation
process, but for those that will follow, why Elstow must retain its unique setting given its
abundance of character. This part of the Parish Council response looks to set out clearly the
many different, but all equally important factors, of why Elstow’s rural identity must be kept.
Village Development History Overview
Elstow has seen change of a massive scale in recent years. There is the development of
Progress Way/Hillesden and Abbeyfields estates [which quadrupled the number of residents
living in Elstow], the huge Interchange Retail Park, which is expanding further with the B&Q and
M&S additions, whilst the access road is nowhere near suitable. The development of the A421
bypass split the village and the construction of the BP station and hotel simply added to the
police crime list. There have been a number of infill developments within the village with more in
the “pipeline”, including the old school site. There is also the park and ride, the massive Health
Care Logistics/Audi complex, in addition to the large retirement complex.
Apart from the re-location of the school to its current site, and increased size, in Abbeyfields,
there has been no increase at all in the facilities in the parish as a result of these changes, in
fact there's been a decrease following closure of the Swan pub, a middle school, and shop at
Peartree View.
There has continued to be significant increases in through traffic and their speed in the village,
to the disadvantage of local residents, and clearly this would increase if further development
were to come to Elstow or the surrounding area.
The Parish Council's aspiration, and the strong feelings amongst residents, is that Elstow is
essentially a very unique and historic village. The Parish Council want to protect the character of
the village, including the ancient Abbey and Moot Hall, and to prevent any further damaging
coalescence with Bedford or changes to the village parish boundary. It has to be taken into
account that Elstow has a fantastic conservation area and adopted Plan which is designed to
protect the village, and its history, and it cannot be right to add further development, to a village
which must rank as the most developed village in Bedfordshire, which, by any view, is entirely
detrimental and contrary to such a Conservation Plan.
Important Local Planning Information
The Parish Council would like to draw Officers attention to the recent planning application for
development of 34 houses at Village Farm, which was recommended for refusal by Borough Officers. This again re-enforces the supporting planning policy reasons as to why these areas
are so important in terms of Elstow’s character and history. Below is the extract from the 2015
report prepared by Planning Officers:
The Urban Gap was identified in the Urban Area Boundary Review as a means of preventing
coalescence and to contribute to the separate character and identity of the settlement. The
quality of the landscape is not considered in the designation of an Urban Gap. Whilst the Urban
Area Boundary Review states that the green spaces cannot be considered countryside due to
being surrounded by development, it does identify this particular area of Elstow as having a
rural-like character, which is contributed to by the historic farm buildings that front onto Wilstead
Road. It notes generally that the Urban Gaps in this area provide a separation between the
historic core of Elstow village and the more suburban character of more recent surrounding
development.
The proposal does not allow for the retention of any green corridor to the northern Urban Open
Space, occupying as it does the entire space between the rear of the buildings on Wilstead
Road to the west and Elstow School to the east. The proposal includes an area of open space
between the southern and northern parcels, but this does not address the reasons for the
Urban Open Space and Gap designations. The site assessment that was completed as part of
the Allocations and Designations Local Plan acknowledged that the site would represent
development into an open space that provides a buffer against coalescence, a point backed up
by the reason for the Urban Open Gap designation. In its present form the proposed
development would conflict with the rural “feel” of the area. It would effectively remove the
green corridor linking in to urban open space in the north as well as the gap between the
suburban development of Abbeyfields and the more rural feel of Wilstead Road and it is
considered that this compromises the purpose of the Urban Open Space and Urban Gap. - 83 -
Heritage Issues
Section 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 imposes
a statutory duty on LPAs to have special regard to the desirability of preserving listed buildings,
their settings and any features of special architectural or historic interest they may possess; and
preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a Conservation Area. Saved Local Plan
Policies BE11 (setting of Conservation Areas), BE21 (setting of listed buildings) and Policy
CP23 of the Core Strategy reflect those duties. Chapter 12 of the NPPF sets out the
Government's national policies on the conservation of the historic environment. The site lies to
the southeast of the designated Elstow Conservation Area and the Grade I listed Hillersdon
Manor, also a Scheduled Monument. There are numerous listed buildings along Wilstead Road,
including Acacia Cottage, Village Farm and curtilage listed barns, 193 Wilstead Road, Merrick
Cottage and Lynn Farmhouse, all listed Grade II.
Part of the significance of these listed buildings is their historic interest. The character of the
road, including both the settings and contexts of the above heritage assets, is the semi-rural
nature of this ribbon development. This road distinguishes the change in character on entering
and leaving Elstow Conservation Area. Therefore, the retention of the semi-rural character of
this area is important both to the context of the Elstow Conservation Area and the setting of the
identified listed buildings.
A development of 34 dwellings on the site would undermine the semi- rural character of this
area and would thus create a much more urban setting to the identified listed buildings. The
semi-rural setting of Village Farmhouse and associated traditional agricultural buildings is
important to the historical development of the original farm complex and further erosion of the
setting would be considered harmful to this identified significance. Two access points into the
development have been proposed, in particular that adjacent to Village Farm barns has the
potential to over formalise this area through the hard landscaping required. This could further undermine the semi-rural character of the settings of the identified barns and Village
Farmhouse. The historical significance of the ribbon development pattern along Wilstead Road
would also be further undermined by the infill of land to the rear of the properties to the east of
Wilstead Road.
The Conservation Officer therefore advises that that the application would fail to preserve or
enhance the setting of the identified listed buildings.
The proposed development site is located in an area of cropmarks comprising a number of ring
ditches and linear features some of which have been previously investigated both as part of the
bypass investigations and also the school to the east. The investigations identified remains of
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age ring ditches, an Iron Age settlement, and settlement from the
Saxon through Medieval period also. In addition to this the HER records the presence of a
possible small Quaker burial ground within the site, traces of gravestones are recorded as being
visible possibly as late as the 1950s in local newspaper articles.
In conclusion, the proposed built development would result in a significant incursion into the
urban open space and gap which would be harmful to the character and appearance of the
area. The development would also undermine the semi- rural character of the area and would
thus create a much more urban setting which would be detrimental to the setting of the Grade II
Listed Buildings at Acacia Cottage, Village Farmhouse and barns, 193 Wilstead Road, Merrick
Cottage and Lynn Farmhouse. It would thus fail to meet the statutory duty under s66 of the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to have special regard to
preserving the setting of listed buildings.
RECOMMENDATION: Refuse Permission for the following reasons:-
1. The proposed built development would result in a significant incursion into the urban open
space and gap which would erode the visual break between the historic core of Elstow village
and the more suburban character of more recent surrounding development and result in the
loss of the green corridor linking in with the urban open space to the north. The development
would therefore compromise the purpose of the urban open space and urban gap and be
harmful to the character and appearance of the area, contrary to saved Policy BE30 (i) of the
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2002; Policy CP21 (iii, vii) of the Core Strategy and Rural Issues
Plan 2008; and Policy AD43 (viii, ix) of the Allocations and Designations Plan 2013. - 90 -
2. The proposed development, by virtue of its scale, siting and layout would undermine the
semi- rural character of the area and would thus create a much more urban setting which would
be detrimental to the setting of the Grade II Listed Buildings at Acacia Cottage, Village
Farmhouse and barns, 193 Wilstead Road, Merrick Cottage and Lynn Farmhouse. The
development would therefore be contrary to saved policy BE21 of the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2002 and policy CP23 of the Core Strategy and Rural issues Plan 2008.

5. ELSTOW IMPORTANT LOCAL FACTORS
The Parish Council feel it is important even at this early stage of the strategic development
framework process to outline some vital, important local factors, which will enable Planning
Policy and local authority colleagues to be more aware of the issues within the parish when
reviewing potential sites.
In addition to the Conservation area, historic architecture of both Moot Hall and Elstow Abbey,
plus proximity to the urban edge of Bedford, which have been touched on, there are are also
some other items to be aware of.
The village is an established 'rat run' which is well documented, as traffic comes into the village
travelling in huge volumes during peak times. The most popular route is from the A6 travelling
in both directions, along Wilstead Road, onto the High Street, then West End, through to the
Cowbridge junction which even after numerous redesigns still suffers from monumental levels of
congestion. There is also the Progress Way traffic flows which are significant as a popular route
on the local network. The cumulative impact of both these makes highways a real issue in the
local area throughout the week.
The popularity of Elstow Primary School attracts pupils from a wide area. It is located in
Abbeyfields many travel to the school by car and on regular occasions cars are parked and
there is total grid lock at the end of the school day. There has been a number of incidents in
recent years involving pedestrians being knocked down. The school has been extended by two
additional forms to create a primary school which has resulted in further pressure for parking.
Elstow is rightly proud of its local environment, wildlife and heritage assets found throughout the
village. The abundant wildlife along Elstow Brook, in the meadows along Abbeyfields through to
its infamous connection to John Bunyan. The Parish Council have a range of resources
evidencing this which all act as further proof that Elstow is a unique parish. To change the
setting of these world renowned connections that really are at the centre of Elstow would be
devastating.
As mentioned earlier within this response, Elstow sits in a very rich local landscape, any
development would impact negatively, in particularly in regards of visual impact. For example
any current open spaces or green areas in the parish, if development were to be sought then it
would have a visual intrusion on either the John Bunyan Trail, Cardington Air Sheds or Elstow
Abbey. In addition to this, there is the heritage asset of the Medbury medieval village
earthworks.
Much work, effort and volunteer time has gone into improving and strengthening the visual
appearance of the village. The manicured grass at the Playing Field, the award winning
Abbeyfields Roundabout Group with their colourful floral displays, through to the popular tourist
attraction destination of Moot Hall. Growth within a community evolves over many years, it is a
concern of the Parish Council if a large housing allocation were to be be allocated to Elstow
then it would not sit naturally within the close knit community.
In recent years, Elstow has seen a significant change in the local landscape in terms of flooding
and drainage. Reports of issues with watercourses within Elstow have not only become more noticeably frequent but also more wide spread, these have been reported to and followed up by
the Internal Drainage Board as well as the Environment Agency.
Also the local authority need to be mindful of the different, but exceptionally characterful parts of
Elstow which differ greatly. The area off Wilstead Road, around South Avenue has no street
lights, there is a strong sense within that community that if this were to change it would totally
alter the setting.