3.18

Support

Representation ID: 5663

Received: 07/09/2021

Respondent: Hallam Land Management

Agent: David Lock Associates

Hallam land Management considers that planning for the co-ordinated delivery of sites in and around the urban area and including the most immediate settlements such as Clapham, offers the potential to accommodate additional development that can support the co-ordinated improvement of existing infrastructure.
With much of the hard infrastructure in place Hallam envisages improvements involving enhancements to transport corridors into Bedford to the railway station to access East West Rail and the town centre to reinforce its vitality and vibrancy.
In the context of tackling climate change, locating new development in immediate settlements adjacent to Bedford offers the potential to create the critical mass necessary to support and enhance public transport services with increased frequencies to enable them to become modes of choice. Similarly, development can support investment in active travel infrastructure.
The co-ordinated growth of settlements within a ‘cycle-shed’ of Bedford, as a key part of the overall strategy provides an opportunity for capturing value from new developments alongside access to funding for sustainable transport infrastructure to invest in cycleways – including corridor improvements for continuous links (e.g. wider pavements, on road facilities). Such an approach would contribute significantly towards the England’s Economic Heartland’s Transport Strategy and align with Bedford Boroughs’ own transport principles – in terms of improving public transport networks and local connectivity and accessibility through active travel.
Hallam considers that the approach above further underpins the rationale (as argued by Hallam in its response to the Growth Strategy Options) for the Preferred Growth Option to include a Greater Bedford approach and as such modify the Bedford adjoining areas from an arbitrary limit of 0.5 miles from the urban area boundary to include the most immediate and well-connected adjacent settlements that would benefit from investment in public travel and active travel infrastructure.

Object

Representation ID: 6374

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Paras 3.18 to 3.25 – OBJECT

There is a complete absence of any recognition of the need for a sustainable network of safe segregated cycle routes across the Borough, e.g., north/south linking Wixams (bridging the A421) to Milton Ernest through the centre of Bedford.

There is also no mention of a safe segregated cycle route to Bedford Station. It is deeply unsatisfactory that the there is still no segregated cycle route to Bedford station from any direction.

Cycling is the way forward at a time of climate change and biodiversity loss. It will improve the health and wellbeing of residents.

Object

Representation ID: 6630

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey

Agent: Taylor Wimpey

Accompanying these representations are two notes prepared by TPA on behalf of Taylor Wimpey. Please refer to these documents to see Taylor Wimpey comments and position on these matters.

Object

Representation ID: 6646

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Bedford Borough Councillor

TRANSPORT STRATEGY
3.18-3.25:
We have no issue with the EEH strategy as set out at para.3.22. We do however question its relevance in dealing with the localised problems and pressures that already exist and which will be worsened by the majority of options now being put forward. Adults will still have to get to work, children to school, families to leisure and socialise and each of the options listed, other than 1a and 1b, will increase the pressure on transport networks.

Support

Representation ID: 6663

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Stevington Parish Council

Section 3: Growth and spatial strategy option Subsection 3.18 to 3.28
Transport Strategy
SPC largely agrees with the 5 points of the EEH strategy in section 3.22. However, in light of the recent IPCC AR6 report, the borough council must make sure that it delivers on this commitment in practice, especially the need for decarbonisation which will fundamentally change road as well as rail transport
Road transport: SPC would like more roads and streets to accommodate electric vehicles with many more charging points around town and in villages. We would also like to see far more done to accommodate the needs and safety of cyclists and pedestrians on roads and streets.
Rail transport: SPC wish the Borough Council to ensure that EW Rail transport is electrified from the beginning of the service and that environmental impact and biodiversity loss during construction phase and later in operation is kept to the bare minimum.
Digitalisation: Many residents in Stevington, especially those who run micro businesses and those who need to work from home are frustrated by the lack of speed of data upload and down load. SPC want the Council to support programmes which accelerate installation of optical fibres to all homes and businesses.

Object

Representation ID: 6681

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Willington Parish Council

6. The transport analysis refers to CO2 emissions from private vehicles when discounting some of the options within the Strategy Options and Draft Policies Consultation document. Has proper consideration to the government policy to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans in 2030 been properly taken into consideration in these calculations?

Support

Representation ID: 6691

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: The British Horse Society

The Society supports the overarching principles being adopted but once again asks that equestrians are included within the definition of Active Travel.

To repeat comments already made:

During the Parliamentary Debate on Road Safety in November 2018 Jesse Norman, Under Secretary of State for Transport, stated that “We should be clear that the cycling and walking strategy may have that name but is absolutely targeted at vulnerable road users, including horse-riders.”

It is now acknowledged that horse-riding is as much an ‘active travel’ mode as recreational walking or cycling. At the recent Parliamentary Debate on Active Travel in Westminster Hall, Robert Courts MP proposed that “horse riders…ought to be thought about in the context of active travel as well.” This was endorsed by Michael Ellis, Minister of State for Transport, who confirmed that “Active travel includes horse riders and bridle paths – this debate includes them.”

This has been recognised by other councils within the Arc. For example James Palmer, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor has stated in a recent transport consultation: ‘Active Travel – cycling, walking and horse riding: promoting active and sustainable transport like walking, cycling and horse riding are key objectives at a national, regional and local level.’ Cambridgeshire’s Local Transport Plan defines Active Travel as: ‘Active Travel: Physically active modes such as walking, cycling or horse riding.’

Bedford Borough should do so too.

Object

Representation ID: 8053

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Shortstown Parish Council

Shortstown is dependant on the A600 for professionals to commute to work either
North towards the A421 and Bedford or to the South. However this single link has
proven to be vulnerable to disruption going as it does through an accident blackspot
at the junction with Harrowden Lane. Public transport is currently insufficient
except for accessing Bedford for occasional shopping. This creates a tension between
the notional Borough policy to reduce car use with transport infrastructure that
discourages public transport use for commuters.
The Transport Model discussed in supporting documents shows the A600/A421
junction is already forecast to be saturated and additional housing would only make
things worse. For this reason we would also object to large development within the
parish of Cotton End as that would also massively increase the strain on our limited
transport infrastructure.

Object

Representation ID: 8749

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Agent: Barton Willmore

3.3 We note that the presentation of the four growth options (Options 2a-2d) is followed by the ‘Transport Strategy’ at paragraphs 3.18-3.25. There is no section of the Chapter that addresses wider infrastructure needs and specifically what infrastructure is required to support the proposed growth (as in third bullet point). In addition to transport, we consider that there should be a consideration of what other infrastructure is needed to support growth during the plan period, including healthcare infrastructure and the specific development of the Bedford Hospital North and South Wing sites. Indeed, it is worth acknowledging that whilst the development of both sites will be undertaken in line with the clinical strategy and to ensure the ongoing provision of excellent healthcare within a high quality hospital environment, the redevelopment of parts of the wider South Wing site is likely to be necessitated by the proposed East West Rail (EWR) project.

Support

Representation ID: 8865

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Alison Myers

5. Transport Strategy 3.18
I support the concept of "mass rapid transport systems" whether linked to East West Rail or not - these features do not need to be linked.
New cycleways would be very positive.
In Ravensden - there is a need for safe connections between our different "Ends" -particularly between The Crossroads and Church End ( Oldways Road ) and from Ravensden Park to the Crossroads. Safe routes should ideally be muti-user to benefit riders and cyclists - and be constructed just within the adjacent field, to avoid damaging verges and hedges, and to gain the benefits of a separated route.
The East West Rail alignments are not supported - there are options put forward by BeFare which enable connections to Bedford which are more direct , reducing journey time and which do not destroy countryside valued for recreation and green infrastructure , as the route would follow the disturbed A421 corridor.

"Road improvements" need to be designed sympathetically to the setting. I was concerned to read of a proposed slip road to be incorporated at Mill Lane/ Thurleigh Road in order to improve traffic flow north of Bedford, if Dennybrook was to be developed. This is a rural area and the scale of roads needs to be considered.

Traffic calming features need to be designed with high sensitivity to the locality, otherwise villages become urbanised.