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Representation ID: 8744

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Agent: Barton Willmore

1.1 These representations have been prepared by Barton Willmore LLP on behalf of the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (“the Trust”). These representations respond to the Bedford Borough Council (BBC) Local Plan 2040 Regulation 18 consultation, specifically the Draft Plan: Strategy Options and Draft Policies consultation document (June 2021).

The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

1.2 The Trust is a key stakeholder within Bedford, providing essential healthcare provision to the population of the town and the wider area from their established sites at South Wing (Kempston Road) and North Wing (Kimbolton Road). In addition to their role as healthcare provider, the Trust is a major landowner and employer within the Bedford area.

1.3 Bedford Hospital merged with the Luton and Dunstable Hospital in April 2020 to become the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The merged Trust aspire to provide high quality care to the population of Luton, Bedford, Bedfordshire and further afield. Core services on both sites will remain, such as Accident and Emergency (A&E), maternity and children’s services.

1.4 The Trust is part of a regional integrated care system – Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes (BLMK) ICS. BLMK ICS is made up of commissioning groups, local authorities, Acute Trusts, Community Trusts, Mental Health Care Providers and Ambulance Trusts who all have a health footprint across BLMK. A number of regional priorities have been agreed and continue to be delivered. They include illness prevention and health promotion and the provision of high quality primary, community, social and secondary care. A number of the priorities link to capital development, including proposed construction at Bedford Hospital.

1.5 The clinical strategy is an evolving document, responding to local health needs and population health requirements, as well as regional and national strategy and best practice.


Engaging with the emerging Local Plan 2040

1.6 We appreciate that the Local Plan 2040 will be a partial update, focused on the Development Strategy and delivery of growth; town centre and retail policies; and some updated development management policies (paragraph 1.14).

1.7 The provision of high quality healthcare is essential to the growth of the Borough, highlighted particularly during the recent Coronavirus Pandemic. Ongoing investment and development of Bedford’s healthcare infrastructure, including the Hospital’s sites, is therefore an important objective looking forward over the next 20 years. As set out within this Representation Report, we consider that this objective should be more explicitly acknowledged within planning policy. In land use planning terms, we believe that the development and improvement of the Hospital’s sites warrants their specific identification and allocation as a ‘Special Policy Area’.

1.8 The Trust is keen to engage with the Council in the emerging Local Plan. We note from paragraph 1.45 that BBC plans to prepare an ‘Infrastructure Delivery Plan’ alongside the site allocations. The healthcare and social infrastructure aspects of this would be particularly relevant to the Trust, and we would be happy to discuss any matters in further detail.

1.9 This Report is submitted in response to the formal public consultation and relates specifically to the Draft Plan: Strategy Options and Draft Policies consultation document (June 2021). Section 2 of this report provides comments on the Vision and Objectives; and Section 3 relates to the Growth and Spatial Strategy Options. Section 4 relates to Site Allocations and Sections 5 and 6 provide further information regarding both the South Wing and North Wing sites. Section 7 provides comment on relevant Development Management Policy, and Section 8 sets out a summary of our Representations, and the conclusions.