Comment

Representation ID: 9570

Received: 20/07/2022

Respondent: L&Q Estates Limited

The draft Local Plan document sets out the broad vision and objectives for the district, which are derived from the following four themes:
• Theme 1: Greener – Working towards making Bedford a net zero carbon emissions borough whilst improving, enhancing and creating green infrastructure and spaces
• Theme 2: More accessible – Encouraging sustainable travel as well as taking the opportunities offered by strategic infrastructure for greater regional and national
connectivity
• Theme 3: More prosperous – Supporting new innovative businesses, educational and employment opportunities
• Theme 4: Better places – Developing high quality, well-designed and beautiful places for all to use and enjoy
In particular, we note that the objectives for Theme 4 includes the following:
• Deliver the level of housing growth required by the Government’s standard methodology calculation.
• Support and create a high quality, inclusive and safe built environment which promotes
• Encourage the re-use of land that has been previously developed where it is viable and sustainable to do so.
• Provide appropriate amounts and types of housing to meet the needs of the borough’s urban and rural communities over the lifetime of the Plan making the housing stock more adaptable and resilient.
As a group with a long-term future interest in the Borough, we support the overall vision for Bedford set out in Chapter 2 of the Plan, and in particular the objectives of Theme 4, which plans for the delivery of sustainable housing growth. In our view, the optimisation of housing
delivery on a site-by-site basis requires flexibility in some policy areas to ensure schemes are viable.