Object

Representation ID: 8882

Received: 30/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Peter Mills

I object to the presentation of the 4 options in the summary leaflet that residents received regarding the draft plan. There is just one small statement saying that other options are available in the summary leaflet and we believe this is misleading – most people will only respond based on the summary document and are unlikely to look up the alternative options.

We also object in the strongest terms to the fact that Dennybrook (site 977) (land west of Wyboston) is presented as a development of only 2,500 homes and it is not made at all clear in the summary leaflet that this is the first phase of a large town of 10,800 homes.

It is stated in the Council’s Draft Sustainability Appraisal, dated June 2021 (DSA) that all spatial options have been assessed. However, options 2b, 2c, and 2d clearly identify two new settlements. In order to fully consider the social, economic and environmental impacts associated with these two proposed settlements, their impacts need to be assessed separately and fed into the draft SA. At present, the options testing within the draft SA are not accurate as a result. Accordingly, Bedford Borough Council have not robustly assessed the options, and therefore have not adequately evaluated the likely significant effects on the environment, contrary to The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004.

1.18 100 word summary
The consultation on the draft plan is misleading. It is not sufficiently clear that alternative options can be proposed other than the 4 presented. It is not made clear that the new settlement at Dennybrook would be the first phase of a development of 10,800 homes. The full impacts of Dennybrook and Little Barford as new settlements should be fed into the assessment of the options independently.