Issues and Options

No

One area that should be added to the list concerns the East-West Rail project. The Borough Council need to consider the effect that this will have on the many small villages that are within the Option Route E corridor. Any extra housing, on top of the destruction to rural life caused by the coming of the double line railway, would be detrimental to small villages such as Wilden with no amenities or services. Bedford Borough have fought hard to secure the rail line going North of Bedford, citing the many advantages to the town, however little thought of how this will cause detriment to rural communities within the rail corridor appears to have been given. Beds Borough told East-West Rail “During the preparation of its emerging Local Plan the Council recognised that it would be beneficial to allow the newly created and expanded communities to the south of Bedford to mature before introducing further change. This means that growth opportunities in Wootton, Shortstown, Wixams and Stewartby are limited for the duration of the Plan. WPC consider that this shameful moving of the goal posts in order to curry favour with EWR in order to get the EW rail line to come through Bedford is not conducive to an open and honest Local Plan. Furthermore Beds Borough told EWR “Each site is to the north of Bedford and would be better served by the northern route for EWR through Bedford Midland, as would much of the development potential between Bedford and Cambridge. In the council’s view, therefore there is little or no scope to count further development south of Bedford against the benefits of a southerly route for EWR” Again a blatant touting of Beds Borough being willing to change every aspect of it’s Local Plan to benefit from an EWR ‘yes’ to a northern route and showing that the so-called consultation is nothing but a sham and waste of time.

According to the vision “The Borough will have to become a greener, more sustainable and attractive place to live” We feel that if more houses are built on arable land then the opposite will be the case. It also states “The development of East-West Rail through Bedford will be complete. Bedford will benefit from a new town centre transport interchange including links to Oxford and Cambridge, increasing connectivity, investment and growth. Local development will be well served by transport links and speedy internet access integrated into the planning process and completed before residents move in.” The vision does not consider the adverse effect on villages such as Wilden having to accommodate a double line railway through their Parish.

I agree with this plan period

The Plan period should certainly be no longer than 2040. There are so many variables surrounding the Oxford to Cambridge arc that further forward planning will be obsolete almost as soon as it is written.

Brown – Urban based growth , Pink – Rail growth , Red – New settlement based growth

Urban Growth Brown – WPC would support the urban growth described on brownfield sites in Bedford and Kempston. A421 Growth Yellow – WPC oppose any houses built in excess of a quarter of a mile from the A421 itself. Expansion of Wixams is to be encouraged. Rail Growth Pink – WPC support growth to the south and west of Bedford, Wixams and Tempsford. Rail Growth Orange – WPC strongly oppose this scenario. East-West denied that another station North of Bedford was required. Such a station would slow down journey times and was never considered when the rail route options were consulted on. Dispersed Growth Grey – WPC oppose any growth in the Parish. Wilden has no facilities or services. The 500 houses to be built in Great Barford would already be placing a huge load on services there, such as the doctor’s surgery, shop and school, and any extra houses within parish boundaries would add to this problem. New Settlement Growth Red – WPC support growth along the A6

The highways, footpaths and cycleways within the borough all require major investment.

New employment sites need to be situated alongside major roads to avoid lorries and heavy vehicles clogging up the small roads and lanes around rural communities. The A6 corridor, Colworth and the area south of Bedford already have the infrastructure required.

A ‘brain-drain’ from Bedford needs to be avoided. With Oxford and Cambridge more accessible a skilled workforce could potentially stop working within the Borough and Bedford could simply become a commuter-zone with fewer employment opportunities.

Only that the Town Centre Recovery Plan must be prioritised if Bedford is to be used by shoppers. The retail depression in the town needs to be addressed.

Nothing chosen

No Comment

No Comment