Issues and Options

No

Bedford Borough Council Estates, Connolly Foundation, Forest of Marston Vale, Peter Bennie Ltd, Southill Estate and Tarmac Trading Ltd (henceforth: the Respondent) consider that the scope of the Local Plan review should be expanded to consider changes to a number of older policies. Specifically, Policy AD23 contained in the Allocations and Designations Local Plan (ADLP) (adopted 2013) which allocates land at Bedford River Valley Park (BRVP) for ‘enabling development’ to deliver the consented water sports lake. Representations to this effect have already been submitted on behalf of the Respondent as part of the Call for Sites exercise. Those representations set out in greater detail the amendments that are considered necessary, however, for ease of reference, these arguments are briefly summarised here. Policy AD23 allocates land at BRVP to deliver development across a range of uses. This allocation serves as ‘enabling development’, the funds from which will be used to deliver the consented water sports lake. The uses permitted by Policy AD23 do not currently include residential development, however for the enabling development to generate sufficient funds to deliver the water sports lake residential development will be necessary. This is a result of the viability of the enabling development being impacted by various changes in circumstances since the ADLP was adopted, relating to both site specific matters and wider economic and social transitions, including to the planning policy context of the wider area, which has moved on considerably since the original allocation was adopted, particularly in respect of the need for new housing in the Borough. The representations provided as part of the Call for Sites exercise enter into greater detail on this matter and should be read in conjunction with this response. A Vision Document has also been provided in support of these representations and is enclosed herewith. The Vision Document provides an insight into how the water sports lake could be delivered in conjunction with residential development, an educational facility and a local centre, and demonstrates that a high-quality and thriving leisure amenity can be created. The water sports lake represents an opportunity to turn BRVP into a highly sought after and valuable leisure resource that will bring inward investment and will also benefit the local population through improved connectivity and leisure opportunities. However, to fund the delivery of the water sports lake, it is necessary to update Policy AD23 contained in the ADLP to reflect the impact of the aforementioned circumstances on the viability of the ‘enabling development’.

The Respondent supports the Council’s vision to make the Borough a greener, more attractive and more sustainable place to live, and commends the Council’s strategy to deliver more multifunctional green spaces and Green Infrastructure. The Respondent also supports the Council’s vision that the Forest of Marston Vale will continue to grow and mature, and that, together with the completed BRVP, this part of the Borough will be transformed through new leisure opportunities, encouraging increased visitor numbers The Vision document provided in support of these representations demonstrates in greater detail how the water sports lake and associated infrastructure could be delivered at BRVP, and it is clear that a high quality leisure amenity that improves the overall quality of the Forest of Marston Vale Landscape could be created; this would also contribute significantly towards Green Infrastructure in the area. By updating Policy AD23 contained in the ADLP and unlocking the viability of the water sports lake, Bedford River Valley Park would make a significant contribution to the Council’s vision to make the Borough a greener, more attractive and more sustainable place to live.

Brown – Urban based growth , Yellow – A421 based growth , Grey– Dispersed growth

The Respondent considers that the ‘Yellow – A421 based growth’ strategy is logical. Development in this location corresponds with development at BRVP and would serve to enhance the connectivity and range of services/amenities in this location. BRVP’s location alongside the A421 makes it an ideal location for delivering the water sports lake and will ensure that is eminently accessible for motor vehicles as well pedestrians and cyclists. With regard to the ‘Brown – Urban Based Growth’ strategy, the Respondent considers this to be logical. This strategy would see Bedford expand eastwards towards BRVP. This would improve connectivity between BRVP and Bedford and would mean that the water sports lake is eminently accessible for those living within Bedford. It would also mean that potential future residents of BRVP are able to seamlessly access services, facilities and businesses within Bedford town centre. Development at BRVP would also overcome the limitation to his strategy insofar as opportunities for growth within urban areas are limited. BRVP is only located a short distance from the urban area of Bedford and offers an opportunity to deliver a substantial number of dwellings that would be strongly associated with Bedford. Turning to the ‘Grey – Dispersed growth’ strategy, the Respondent considers this to be a rational strategy. Dispersing growth more widely around the area will improve access to services and amenities for more people and would lessen the overall impact of development in terms of pressure on existing services and amenities. As part of this dispersed strategy, growth at BRVP would make total sense insofar as it located close enough to Bedford to take on a proportion of the significant amount of growth required within and around Bedford. The delivery of new education facilities and a local centre would also be a significant benefit to the surrounding smaller settlements, most notably Cople and Willington. Lastly, in respect to the ‘Red – New settlement-based growth’, the Respondent considers this a sensible strategy and one which development at BRVP aligns closely with. As noted previously, BRVP is sustainably located and there are ample opportunities to create connections for walking and cycling. Coupled with the delivery of an education facility and local centre, development at BRVP is an excellent opportunity to create a new self-contained and sustainable settlement centred around a valuable amenity resource in the form of the water sports lake. The Vision Document which accompanies these representations sets out in more detail how development at BRVP could be delivered as a new self-contained and sustainable settlement that will also provide significant amenity enhancements to the surrounding area Regardless of the growth strategy chosen, the Respondent considers that the strategy should make allowances for the delivery of development at BRVP. The delivery of the water sports lake in conjunction with residential development at BRVP has been demonstrated by the Vision Document as being wholly logical, beneficial and should be facilitated by the Council as a result.

The Respondent considers that Green Infrastructure is key to the delivery of sustainable growth in Bedford Borough. Development at BRVP, and specifically the water sports lake, offers an opportunity deliver a substantial and high-quality area of Green Infrastructure that will benefit local people as well as those from further afield. The range of activities the water sports lake could offers would provide a monumental bolstering to the range of amenity opportunities available around Bedford and would be a resource that could serve to support other development throughout the area. The benefits and importance of delivering Green Infrastructure is arguably more pronounced than ever by virtue of the continuing trend towards home working. As this trend continues to gather pace, accessible Green Infrastructure within walking distance of people’s homes will be critical to meeting their day-to-day amenity requirements. The water sports lake at BRVP will provide an attractive and enjoyable amenity provision within walking distance of Bedford and which will greatly enhance activity choices for local people.

The Respondent considers that the Local Plan Review fails to adequately plan to meet the Borough’s Local Housing Need as derived from the ‘Standard Method’ - a new version of which is currently being consulted on - and the does not properly plan for implications of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc or East-West Rail. This is at odds with the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply homes as per paragraph 59 of the National Planning Policy Framework (adopted 2019). It is likely that the Local Plan Review will have to plan for an unprecedented level of housing growth in the Borough with the annual local housing need requirement under the Government’s updated Standard Method being some 1,153 dwellings per annum. This is a significant increase over the current Local Plan housing target of 970 dwellings per annum. Consequently, a substantial amount of new land will need to be allocated for housing. On this basis, and coupled with the need to accommodate for future growth as part of the Oxford- Cambridge Arc, which itself requires that up to a million homes are delivered in the Arc by 2050, the delivery of new homes in this area is a matter to which significant weight should be attached. The Vision document articulates in greater detail how the water sports lake could be developed in conjunction with a high end, attractive residential scheme set within the attractive confines of the circa 800ha BRVP landscape. An assessment of site constraints and a land budget exercise have informed the Concept Plan contained in the Vision Statement and it is considered that the site would be capable of accommodating circa 700 – 850 ha dwellings based on an assumed low – medium density range. This is a substantial number of dwellings that would contribute towards the Council’s challenging housing need and which would also facilitate the delivery of the water sports lake.