Object

Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission

Representation ID: 9506

Received: 27/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Leslie Pearson

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Representation Summary:

My comments relate to issues that would directly affect the village of Wilstead (within the Parish of Wilshamstead ) where I have lived for the past 46 years.

I wish to OBJECT to the proposal included in the Bedford Local Plan 2040 to build a further 2100 homes within the Parish of Wilshamstead.

The reasons for my objections are as follows;
(i) The Bedford Local Plan 2040 proposes 2100 new homes within the Parish of Wilshamstead but under the label of ‘Wixams Extension’. This is misleading and needs to be addressed. If this proposal is eventually approved then, in reality, this would result in a massive housing expansion within the Wilstead community and conflict with the Wilstead Neighbourhood Plan 2030.

(ii) If the proposed building within Wilshamstead Parish goes ahead, it will result in the loss of hundreds of acres of rural countryside, much of which is highly productive agricultural land. It is widely accepted, nationally and internationally, that there is a need to grow more food for the growing population, so why remove the ability to do so?

(iii) If the proposed building within Wilshamstead Parish goes ahead, it will totally change the character and nature of Wilstead village away from a traditional rural community. A move in this direction has been fiercely resisted over recent years by the community of Wilstead who wish to retain its rural character in a sensible and sustainable way.

(iv) If this proposed building goes ahead, it will put unsustainable pressure on the ‘Key Service Centre’ of Wilstead. In my opinion Wilstead DOES NOT meet the defined criteria for a Key Service Area. The criteria used for Wilstead to carry this classification have in some cases been over-stated, or are incorrect or simply do not exist in reality. This classification needs to be reviewed.

(v) If this proposed building goes ahead in Wilshamstead Parish, it will place much more pressure on the local transport infrastructure which I fear will fail to adequately to cope with this and other building expansions bordering the parish. A new rail station (long promised but yet to materialize) at the Wixams will do little to help alleviate the road traffic situation to the south of Bedford. In addition, the once ‘pride of Bedford’ Park & Ride Service, which could demonstrably contribute to reducing traffic volume into and out of Bedford, no longer exists as a genuine P&R service despite the very large signs on the A421 and A6 advertising this service.