This response to the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 – Plan for Submission consultation is made by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning on behalf of Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

As per our response to the previous Draft Plan Strategy Options and Draft Policies Consultation, given that the South Cambridgeshire and Bedford Borough boundaries do not adjoin we consider it unlikely that the Plan as proposed would have direct impacts on our districts (noting that Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire are producing a joint plan: strategic cross-boundary matters affecting one district will have implications for the other).

Notwithstanding the above, we note the proposal for a new settlement at Little Barford included in the Plan for Submission, and that the sustainability performance and deliverability of this site are dependent on delivery of the East West Rail Bedford to Cambridge section.

We note the relatively early stage of development of the East West Rail Bedford to Cambridge section project.

For our emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan First Proposals, we identified an expanded Cambourne as a broad location for future growth in the 2030’s to respond to the opportunity that will be provided by the proposed East West Rail that includes a station at Cambourne. We are now preparing a draft Local Plan and in doing so will monitor progress with the East West Rail project and will keep under review implications of any uncertainty of East West Rail delivery.

We would be concerned about the transport and wider carbon impacts of locating a new settlement at Little Barford, including from potential increased traffic on the A428 in Greater Cambridge, should development come forward ahead of an East West Rail station, or in the event that East West Rail was not delivered.