Object

Plan for submission evidence base

Representation ID: 9318

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Bedfordia Developments Ltd and Marcol Industrial Investment LLP

Agent: Lichfields

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Representation Summary:

The Local Plan is not legally complaint owing to its failure to comply with the duty to co-operate and fails to meet the tests of soundness. Our review of the New Settlements Assessment finds that the chosen spatial strategy is not positively prepared or justified. The Assessment contains factual errors, is inconsistent in its approach and does not represent a suitable, fair and objective assessment of the new settlement options. Further, the SA objective scorings within the Assessment are contrived to bolster the planning and sustainability case for Little Barford, impacting the chosen spatial strategy as a whole.

Full text:

The Local Plan is not legally complaint owing to its failure to comply with the duty to co-operate and fails to meet the tests of soundness. Our review of the New Settlements Assessment finds that the chosen spatial strategy is not positively prepared or justified. The Assessment contains factual errors, is inconsistent in its approach and does not represent a suitable, fair and objective assessment of the new settlement options. Further, the SA objective scorings within the Assessment are contrived to bolster the planning and sustainability case for Little Barford, impacting the chosen spatial strategy as a whole.