Issues and Options

I agree with this plan period

Paragraph 22 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that strategic plan policies should look ahead over a minimum 15 year time frame, whilst para 33 requires local plan reviews to occur every five years, where the level of review should take into account changing circumstances affecting the area. This Local Plan Review is therefore supported, and there is no objection to the proposed Plan period, which would be sound and in accordance with national policy.

Yellow – A421 based growth

Para 23 of the NPPF requires Local Plans to identify broad locations for growth, with land use and allocations for development being identified on a policies map. These representations support the Yellow Growth option highlighted in the Issues and Options Paper, that being growth along the A421 road corridor where there are already good road links and opportunities to further improve connectivity and growth including at villages such as Great Barford. The current Bedford Local Plan 2030 Policy 3S: Spatial Strategy focuses new development on Bedford Town Centre, Wixams new settlement, a strategic village expansion at Stewartby and also on strategic residential development in key service centres. Policy 4S identifies that Key Service Centres should accommodate 2,000 dwellings over the Plan period, with 500 dwellings to be provided at Great Barford, on land to be identified in Neighbourhood Plans. Great Barford are progressing a neighbourhood Development Plan but at the time of writing this has not been published or submitted to the Council. If this is not achieved by January 2021 then in order to be effective, the LPA must seek to allocate land for that development in this Local Plan Review. Development at Great Barford would sit within the Yellow Growth Option for the Local Plan Review, providing development in a sustainable location along a key transport corridor Bedford Borough Council, Great Barford www.pegasusgroup.co.uk Page | 3 that would provide for the delivery of housing and infrastructure to both support the requirements of the existing Local Plan Neighbourhood plan requirements and also for future growth that will fit within wider ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. The Government's White Paper: Planning for the Future (August 2020) places emphasis on the need for new development to be developed in locations that can address the associated demand for public services and infrastructure. Whilst the White paper then goes on to set out the Government's proposals to ensure that new development is serviced by the correct infrastructure it is important for the Bedford Local Plan review to ensure it is developing a spatial strategy which takes advantage of existing and proposed infrastructure in the locality. The Government has further pledged a commitment to the Oxford-Arc as an area of significant strength and opportunity for existing and future communities. This includes the provision of housing and infrastructure such as East West Rail and improvements to the strategically important roads network: "We recognise the need to plan for and deliver substantial additional infrastructure ahead of the arrival of new communities, including necessary transport infrastructure, utilities, digital connectivity, health and education."1 The yellow option for Growth would allow improved road links to be brought forward to serve new development and provide links to other forms of transport (such as at the East-West rail station north of Bedford and west of Great Barford), as well as places of work within the Arc and the wider area. The delivery of housing in this corridor would allow people to access places of employment and meet societal demands for infrastructure near where they live, in a sustainable manner. In order for the Local Plan Review to be found 'sound' it must integrate these wider regional and national objectives and their delivery of infrastructure into the Plan in order to be found consistent with national policy, and also effective, working on cross-boundary strategic matters that will deliver, inter alia, infrastructure to serve the local area, the region and wider. The Yellow Growth Option would achieve this.

Some comments on the development of new development and delivery of infrastructure are made in relation to Question 4 above. New development must be linked to infrastructure, which is a key Government rhetoric for the delivery of sustainable growth nationwide. In this regard, Great Barford is already a sustainable location with infrastructure in place that can support additional development, evidence by the adopted Bedford Local Plan. Further, LSL's land interests on land south of Roxton Road are sustainably located within walking distance of the infrastructure and facilities of the Key Service Centre of Great Barford including food shops, a primary school and GP services. It is well-located for bus links to employment opportunities in the wider area and also for access to SUSTRANS cycle Route 12. Sports facilities are accessible within 600m and the Site will be in close proximity to a publicly accessible open space with an equipped children's play area following development of the site immediately north of Roxton Road (in accordance with reserved matters approval ref: 18/02667/MAR).

As set out in the call for Sites representations LSL's land interests at Great Barford are a logical location for residential development that would deliver growth along the A421 transport corridor, allowing infrastructure and development to integrate effectively, leading to the implementation of a sound, effective strategy for the Local Plan Review. The call for Sites submission is not repeated here but should be read alongside these representations in the Council's ongoing preparation of the Local Plan Review and they are appended to this letter for completeness. The Site is sustainably located and Great Barford has previously been found a sustainable location for development of up to 500 new dwellings. In the absence of a Neighbourhood Plan addressing the requirement, it is necessary for this Plan Review to make provision as required by Policy 4S of the adopted Local Plan. Unlike other residential development options in and around Great Barford, the Site can be developed without detrimental impacts on any heritage assets and with only a minor adverse effect on local landscape character (which itself will be mitigated). The identification of Great Barford as a continued location that is suitable for development and allocation of the LSL land interests south of Roxton Road would address any shortcomings of the current Local Plan should the Neighbourhood Plan not be published by January 2021, and would deliver on a sustainable spatial strategy for the Local Plan Review, as set out in these representations.