O&H are the promoters of Wixam Park, the planned southern expansion land of Wixams new settlement and have an outline planning application lodged with Central Bedfordshire Council (planning ref: 21/00148/OUT). This application benefits from an approved master plan document which guides the principle of development. One of the key aspects is the provision of a deep landscape buffer along the eastern edge to preserve views from villages to the west.

The Bedford Borough Council proposal for Land South of Wixams touches the edge of Wixam Park on the western corner. The landscape and visual impact of residential development at Land South of Wixams has not yet been considered, indeed, page 194 of the Sustainability Appraisal Appendices acknowledges that the impact of the proposal on landscape and the sense of place in settlements is unknown with the appraisers reporting that, “It is uncertain how the proposal will affect this objective”.

Consideration should be given to the impact of this allocation on the local landscape as well as the functional relationship with planned development in Central Bedfordshire Council. Wixams is a cross-boundary new settlement and it should be shown in its entirety on Figure 8. This small change would allow all parties to assess the impact of further growth at Wixams.