Call for Sites Form

Form ID: 1355

Interest in land

Other (please specify)

Specify 'other' land interest

Agent

If you are not the landowner of the site you are submitting, do you have permission to submit?

Yes

Address of site

Land at Roxton, south west of the Black Cat Roundabout

Location plan

Show full map

Current use of land

Roxton Garden Centre and Agricultural land

Adjoining use to the north

Black Cat roundabout

Adjoining use to the south

Roxton

Adjoining use to the east

Adjoining use to the west

Bedford Road

Has the site been developed previously?

Yes

Proposed primary use

Employment

Other uses proposed

All other types

Number of dwellings proposed

No answer given

Type of housing proposed

Nothing chosen

Other type of housing

No answer given

Density proposed

No answer given

Proposed tenures

Nothing chosen

Other tenures proposed

No answer given

Permanent or transit?

No answer given

Site privately owned?

Nothing chosen

Number of plots proposed

No answer given

Proposed type of employment

It is likely that the majority of the site would be B8 ‘Storage and Distribution’ with other supporting business uses depending on the local need.

Gross floorspace proposed

Based on an assumption of around 40% coverage (building to area) this would provide around 7.43ha of commercial space.

Proposed type of retail

No answer given

Net floorspace proposed

No answer given

Gross floorspace proposed

No answer given

Number of hotel rooms proposed

No answer given

Amount of development proposed

1ha of land for additional services and facilities.

Description

This may include the relocated services that will be displaced as part of the A428 road improvements.

Can suitable access be achieved for the site?

Suitable access is achievable

Where will the site’s access point(s) be?

The main site access will be formed from Bedford Road. There is one existing access but it is likely that a second access will be required. This will also be located along Bedford Road.

Is the site available for development now?

Yes

Is the site currently subject to a planning application?

Is the site currently being marketed?

Are you aware of any issues that might affect the viability of developing the site?

1-5 years (2024/25-2028/29)

No answer given

6-10 years (2029/30-2033/34)

No answer given

11-15 years (2034/35-2039/40)

No answer given

16+ years (2040 onwards)

No answer given

What year, post adoption of the plan, would you expect development to start on site?

This site could start as soon as the Local Plan is adopted and the relevant planning permissions have been achieved.

The council has declared a climate emergency. How the proposal will respond to climate change

This site would accommodate development in a sustainable location, within close proximity to the existing road and rail networks. The development would provide employment opportunities for people living in the area. The site would ensure that development is located outside the more vulnerable areas of Bedfordshire including those at risk of flooding and those in sensitive environmental landscapes and habitats. It is anticipated that SUDS would be used as advocated by paragraph 150 of the NPPF as mitigation against climate change. The site is located in close proximity to a number of service centres which would provide services and facilities to support the employment uses proposed for the site, reducing the need for travel. Furthermore, the development could be constructed using sustainable construction methods where appropriate as well as being designed to accommodate sustainable design principles such as building orientation.

Attachments

File: Heritage Impact Assmt

Site size (ha)

21.95

Site size threshold

Above

Overriding constraint?

None

Stage1 conclusion

Include in next stage of assessment

Stage 2 Assessment of suitability, availability & achievability

Site is available

Stage 2 conclusion

Include in next stage of assessment

1a. Within or adjoining UAB SPA or built form of a small settlement

? The site is within or adjoining a defined settlement policy area or within the built form of a small settlement.

1b. Accessible on foot to a food store?

++ A site accessibility score of 8 is recorded where 8 is 0 – 10 minutes’ walk.

1c. Accessible on foot to a primary school?

+ A site accessibility score of 6 is recorded where 6 is 11 – 20 minutes’ walk.

1d. Accessible on foot or by bus to a major employer?

+ The site is within 10 minutes’ walk of a bus stop with a regular bus service (at least hourly) which enables travel 8am-6pm Monday to Friday to a major employer or it is possible to walk to a major employer within 10 minutes.

1e. Outside, adjoining or within the air quality management area?

+ The site is not within or adjoining the air quality management area.

2a. Within or adjoining site of nature conservation importance

x The site is within or adjoining a site of nature conservation importance

2b. In an area where protected species are known or likely to exist?

? Uncertain or insufficient information.

2c. Potentially able to achieve a net gain in biodiversity?

? Uncertain or insufficient information

2d. Able to link into the green infrastructure opportunity network?

x The site is within a green infrastructure opportunity network but is likely to compromise the network.

2e. Likely to impact on an area currently providing ecosystem services.

+ Opportunity area for 3 or more ecosystem services covers less than 25% of the site.

3a. Proposing a renewable energy scheme or extra energy efficiency standards?

0 No renewable energy generation scheme included and efficiency standards that meet normal standards.

3b. Within or adjoining the urban area, a defined settlement policy area or the built form of a small settlement?

? The site is within or adjoining a defined settlement policy area or within the built form of a small settlement.

3c. Accessible on foot to a food store?

++ A site accessibility score of 8 is recorded where 8 is 0 – 10 minutes’ walk.

3d. Accessible on foot to a primary school?

+ A site accessibility score of 6 is recorded where 6 is 11 – 20 minutes’ walk

3e. Accessible on foot or by bus to a major employer?

4a. Likely to impact on designated or nondesignated heritage assets or their settings? For more detailed assessment see HELAA supporting document. www.bedford.gov.uk/LocalPlan2040

x The proposal has the potential to cause harm to heritage assets. This harm may range from low to high. There may be options to avoid, reduce or mitigate this harm and where sites have not been ruled out altogether for other reasons, further assessment will be undertaken to more fully explore impacts on significance and options for harm reduction and mitigation. This further assessment may ultimately lead to the conclusion that the site should not be allocated.

5a. Likely to increase future economic and employment opportunities?

+ Proposal includes permanent economic and employment opportunities.

6a. Proposing a main town centre use in, on the edge or outside of a town centre?

0 Proposal does not include a main town centre use.

7a. Within 400m of an existing open space or proposing open space within it?

x The proposal does not include and is not within 400m walking distance of a publicly accessible open space.

7b. Within 800m of a sports facility or proposing a sports facility within it?

x The proposal does not include and is not within 800m of a publicly accessible sports facility

8a. Likely to have a significant adverse impact on the surrounding landscape?

? It is uncertain what effect the proposal is likely to have on the landscape / more information is required.

8b. Within the existing settlement form?

+ The site adjoins a defined settlement policy area or the built form of a small settlement.

9a. On previously developed land?

x The site is not previously developed land as defined in the NPPF.

9b. On best and most versatile agricultural land ie grades, 1, 2 or 3a?

x All or a majority of the site is best and most versatile agricultural land as defined in the NPPF.

10a. Within a groundwater source protection zone?

+ The site is not located in a source protection zone.

11a. At risk of flooding?

+ The site is within flood zone 1 (areas that have been shown to be at less than 0.1% chance of flooding in any year).

12a. Likely to provide a mix of housing, including affordable housing?

0 Residential development not proposed.

12b. Able to address a particular housing need?

0 Residential development not proposed.

13a. Within 800m of a facility where cultural or social activities can be accessed?

+ The site is within 800m of a facility where cultural or social activities can be accessed.

14a. Likely to encourage social cohesion?

0 Neutral.

14b. Likely to help make the area safer? +

+ The development is likely to increase public surveillance or increase activity.

15a. Within or adjoining the urban area, a defined settlement policy area or the built form of a small settlement?

? The site is within or adjoining a defined settlement policy area or within the built form of a small settlement.

15b. Accessible on foot to a food store?

++ A site accessibility score of 8 is recorded where 8 is 0 – 10 minutes’ walk.

15c. Accessible on foot to a primary school?

+ A site accessibility score of 6 is recorded where 6 is 11 – 20 minutes’ walk

15d. Accessible on foot or by bus to a major employer?

15e. Connect highway without constraint?

+ No access constraints

15f. Highway or junction capacity issues

? Potential capacity problem requiring mitigation

Highway comments. For more detailed assessment see HELAA supporting document. www.bedford.gov.uk/LocalPlan2040

The site can be reached by either Great North Road (from the north or the south) or the site can be accessed via Bedford Road or A421 from the west. There appears to be no bus stop facilities in the near vicinity of the site. The site lack of accessibility to footways and there is no provision for cyclists. The roundabout would require traffic modelling with all developments included in order to ascertain whether it has the capacity for further loading of traffic generated by the development. The new adoptable roads must be designed to commercial specification as for an industrial road. This would require width of the commercial road to be 7.3m in carriageway width with at least 2m width of footways either side. There appears to be no bus stop facilities in the near vicinity of the site, however Bedford Road is a bus route and this service should be considered for extension into the site to provide good accessibility for public transport. There is no provision for cyclists, and given the scale of development then consideration for satisfactory facilities for cyclists should be given and identified in the TA. These can be in the form of on/off road cycle lanes.

Contaminated Land

Nothing chosen

Environmental Health note

use beyond B1 may affect housing to the south

Mineral Safeguarding Area

Entire site falls within the boundary of a MSA.

Site assessment conclusions

The site is suitable for allocation for employment development. Allocation principles include: - preparation of a masterplan, - development for employment, - Transport assessment required, - site specific flood risk assessment, - consideration of heritage assets. Site is proposed for allocation EMP8 Land at Roxton, SW of Black Cat roundabout.

Supporting documents

File: Covering letter redacted

File: Access points

File: Representation