4.77
Comment
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission
Representation ID: 9084
Received: 04/07/2022
Respondent: Mrs Wendy Tuxill
Improvements to the A600 between Shortstown and the Wallis Way roundabout are essential if further building takes place near Shortstown as the present road is already inadequate to cope with the existing volume of traffic. Further development at Shortstown will excacerbate this problem.
If the Gallagher development at College Farm, adjacent to Shortstown, providing over 1000 houses, goes ahead, the A600 road will need to be upgraded. Since the Bellway and other housing developments have taken place at New Cardington in the past decade, the volume of traffic using the A 600 has increased dramatically. If potentially another 1000 cars are to use it as a result of the College Farm development, the infrastructure is not there to cope with this volume of traffic. Harrowden crossroads is already an accident black spot, cars persistently turn right off the A 600 into Harrowden Lane towards Cardington, even though this is not allowed. For the residents of Old Harrowden Road where I live, turning either right or left onto the A600 is now problematical because of the volume of traffic. Traffic calming measures need to be introduced if further building takes place along the A600. To ignore this problem and allow building to be allowed without improving the A600 is both negligent and irresponsible.
Support
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission
Representation ID: 9422
Received: 29/07/2022
Respondent: L&Q Estates Limited
Agent: Pegasus Group
Expansion of Wixams is supported. L&QEstates is promoting land to the East of Wixams which would support the delivery of the south of Bedford Strategy Policy Area. Wixams East is proposed to accommodate at least 1,800 dwellings, a local centre and a primary school. Access is proposed via two existing roundabouts along the A6. The access strategy promotes access to and from Wixams and the scheduled Wixams Station for all modes of transport with particular emphasis on walking and cycling. It is proposed that Wixams East will be an extension to Wixams and one community will be formed long term.
These representations have been submitted by Pegasus Group on behalf of L & Q Estates Limited in response to the Local Plan 2040: Plan for Submission consultation
These representations are made in relation to our clients' interests in land to the East of Wixams, which forms the proposed residential site allocation HOU16.
The following sections set out our comments on relevant sections and policies in the plan.
Paragraph 4.77 Growth locations on the EWR / A421 transport corridor and with the potential for rail-based growth
Paragraph 4.77 includes the overarching vision of the south of Bedford Strategic policy area.
The role played by the expansion of Wixams is supported. L&Q Estates is promoting land to the East of Wixams which would support the delivery of the south of Bedford Strategy Policy Area. Wixams East is proposed to accommodate at least 1,800 dwellings, a local centre and a new primary school. Access is proposed via two existing roundabouts along the A6. The proposed access strategy will also promote access to and from Wixams and the scheduled Wixams Station for all modes of transport with particular emphasis on walking and cycle. It is proposed that Wixams East will be an extension to Wixams and one community will be formed in the longer term.
Wixams East will create new parks and spaces that will provide links to the surrounding countryside and provide extensive public open space. The most significant green infrastructure provision will be the creation of a new linear park. We will maximise the connection with the existing and new community to ensure that this regional park will be accessible via all modes of transport for the enjoyment for all. The linear park creates the opportunity to ensure long term biodiversity net gains through habitat enhancement and creation.
Comment
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission
Representation ID: 9497
Received: 29/07/2022
Respondent: The Forest of Marston Vale Trust
The existing government designation of the Forest of Marston Vale (one of England's Community Forests) and the corresponding approved Forest Plan provides a pre-existing framework for pursuing a strongly environmentally-led approach to any vision for further development within the Forest area (including the proposed South of Bedford policy area). We welcome the positive references to the Forest of Marston Vale within this vision, but believe that there should be stronger, more explicit references to development being "environmentally-led" in this area, so as to ensure full alignment with the approved Forest Plan.
The existing government designation of the Forest of Marston Vale (one of England's Community Forests) and the corresponding approved Forest Plan provides a pre-existing framework for pursuing a strongly environmentally-led approach to any vision for further development within the Forest area (including the proposed South of Bedford policy area). We welcome the positive references to the Forest of Marston Vale within this vision, but believe that there should be stronger, more explicit references to development being "environmentally-led" in this area, so as to ensure full alignment with the approved Forest Plan.
Object
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission
Representation ID: 9786
Received: 22/07/2022
Respondent: Mrs Jennifer Bean
Legally compliant? No
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? No
Wootton has had a huge amount of additional housing, warehousing etc in recent years. It is no longer a ‘villiage’. There isnt enough school places for local children as it is now and with additional housing, that demand is going to put further strain on the local schools. There also isnt enough doctors surgeries in the local area, its already extremely difficult to get an appointment. Again the additional housing is going to cause additional strain on local services. My husband and i dont feel our kids are as safe anymore in the villiage. The roads are not built for as many cars as there are and all the green spaces are disappearing. Global warming is being made worse by additional housing going up on our green spaces. People want to move into viliages to have the luxury of green spaces that are quiet and healthy to explore. We are in a global pandemic of obese people and children. Building on more of these areas is going to add to the limited spaces we already have for exercise in open areas. The wildlife in wootton has struggled in the last few years with all the extra houses being built and building further in this area is going to have a further detrimental effect on this. I stongly feel this land should be left as green space in order to preserve the wildlife we have left and to stop gardens from flooding as mine now does since the houses have been built behind our home. (It didnt flood before as the excess ran off on to the fields behind).
Further building needs to be done elsewhere and more apartments rather than houses to preserve as much green land as possible.
Object
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission
Representation ID: 9790
Received: 23/07/2022
Respondent: Mr Steve Evans
Legally compliant? Not specified
Sound? Not specified
Duty to co-operate? Not specified
Kempston Rural has already been disproportionally affected by development over the last 10 years. The national increase in population over that period was fractionally less than 6%. Bedford Borough increase was 17.7%. Kempston Rural had an explosion over 100% in population since 2011.
I would like to express my opposition to the planned increase in population and destruction of our communities as detailed in the Proposed Local Plan 2040.