Issues and Options

Increased public transport provision to meet people’s needs is obvious, but it is recognised this can be limited by cost. Greater provision of off-road walking and cycling routes, of a high quality (making use a pleasant, safe experience) will significantly increase user confidence and remove key barriers to participation. Network design needs to take account of potential leisure and utility journeys. Greater integration with public transport, housing and employment locations is essential. Encouraging greater leisure use of cycling and walking networks is important in its own right, for health and wellbeing reasons as well as environmental. Such activity can also be the ‘stepping stone’ to developing the confidence to cycle to work, school or shopping. Greater provision of electric vehicle charging points available where people live, work and visit.

The policies will need to change to keep up with the principles identified within the Government’s 25 year Environment Plan and the Environment Act, such as Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Natural Capital and Net Environment Gain. It will be important to begin preparatory work as soon as possible to ensure this can be achieved. The current work on Natural Capital mapping across Bedfordshire will be useful in helping demonstrate its value in supporting the Local Plan process, and the LNP is keen to work with the Borough Council in ensuring the Local Plan effectively takes the understanding and lessons from this work and develops them further to create effective policy. It is possible that an SPD will need to be created to effectively take this forward. Such an SPD could also incorporate GI/access standards linked to health benefits. Again, the LNP would like to be involved in the development of such guidance. A higher status for the most important parts of the natural environment would also be welcomed, for example the Ouse Valley.

Again we welcome the importance placed upon the natural environment, in particular the importance of access to green/open spaces. The current Natural Capital mapping project the LNP is working on with the Borough Council includes an assessment of the natural capital value of accessible greenspace and where deficiencies currently exist. The approach can also be used to predict deficiencies in proposed growth, and therefore the LNP is keen to continue to work with the Borough Council and others to develop this approach, including the need to highlight the links to health and wellbeing and the role played in helping reduce social inequalities. Local food production also needs greater consideration, particularly in terms of reducing food miles and creating more local supply chains.

We very much welcome continued engagement and dialogue.