Object

Representation ID: 9778

Received: 22/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Rupert Gates

Agent: Taylor & Co Land & Property Consultants

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? Yes

Duty to co-operate? Yes

The broad approach to the development strategy in Local Plan 2040 retains the initial focus for growth in the urban area, including suitable, previously developed ‘brownfield’ sites. The strategy then focuses on growth based around the rail network, taking advantage of the opportunity to enable people to live and travel sustainably. This includes two new settlements at Kempston Hardwick, and at Little Barford. Other development sites are allocated south of Bedford, where new sustainable connections to existing or planned rail stations at Kempston Hardwick and Wixams, and to nearby Bedford, can be achieved.
In relation to the rural areas, the Local Plan 2040 Spatial Strategy (at Policy DS2(S)) relies upon the completion of the strategic Key Service Centre and more limited Rural Service Centre residential development that was identified in Local Plan 2030 on sites which are allocated in neighbourhood plans (together with the completion of Local Plan 2030 Policy 27 Land north of School Lane, Roxton).
Policy DS3(S) outlines the amount and timing of housing growth, with over 62% of growth profiled in the period from 2030. There is a small error in the calculations and, as such, the total dwellings for the period 2025/2026 to 2029/2030 should read 5,250 instead of 4,850. Correction of the error does not, however, alter the concern at the late profiling of growth due to dependency on the delivery of infrastructure. Whilst this dependency must be recognised, it is also relevant that other sites (that are not proposed for allocation) have much more immediate development potential (improving the five-year land supply position).
Policy DS5(S) outlines the distribution of growth by location, and takes into account existing commitments. This factors in the growth envisaged by adopted neighbourhood plans in rural areas, and it recognises that some Parish Councils may choose to allocate further sites for development in their neighbourhood plans to meet particular local needs.