Comment

Representation ID: 9844

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Ms Nicola Chapman

I am writing to lodge my concerns regarding the policy EMP5 within the local plan 2040.

The part of Elstow proposed currently has no street lighting and that has been the way the residents have wanted to keep it. By creating this policy there would be a huge amount of lighting within that area. This has the potential to increase anti social behaviour and crime , which is relatively low in this part of Elstow due to the lack of lighting.

The village was bypassed to take traffic away from the village but on a daily basis it is used as a rat run to avoid the traffic jams on the A6. Looking on the maps provided the two access areas are the A6 and the corner of Wilstead Road as you enter the residential area. This corner would be very dangerous and that pathway is used daily by adults and children making their way to schools in Wixams or by Wixams children heading to Bedford Academy. To have lorries potentially coming out of there is an accident waiting to happen. Any cars leaving would certainly head through the village if going towards Bedford resulting in more traffic and pollution. Access from the A6 could have the potential to cause fatal accidents and people turn left off the A421 slip road to head towards Luton to be greeted with a slow moving lorry exiting from the proposed site.

In a village with such heritage and history and with listed buildings within the boundary of the proposed area, this could have damaging effects on the properties with the amount of traffic etc.
Currently this is being used as farm land. Given what is happening in the world and finding that relying on other countries to produce goods can cause major shortages of food or ingredients, surely farm land must be protected from building where possible.

I would urge you to consider removing this policy from your Local Plan.