Issues and Options

Yes

Agreed response: The proposed scope of the local plan review appears reasonable. The Borough Council must ensure that conditions relating to the achievement of key aims of the Plan imposed on approved planning permissions are not lifted or changed.

Agreed response: It is difficult to take issue with any of the statements included in the draft vision, they are all to be supported. As might be expected, many of the paragraphs are repeats of those included in the vision for the approved Bedford Borough Local Plan 2030. The new paragraphs do rather concentrate on the Bedford urban area. Does this rather pre-suppose decisions to be made on the potential locations for growth identified in this consultation?

I agree with this plan period

Agreed response: This is the proper plan period for now. It is not sensible to look further ahead until ambitions in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc are clarified and agreed.

Nothing chosen

Agreed response: Being a small parish in the far north of the Borough we would not be directly involved in any of the six cited potential areas for growth except Grey-Dispersed growth. The implications of this option are not at all clear but we would be strongly opposed to growth expectations in our two villages higher than those proposed in the Local Plan 2030. We agree with each of the disadvantages listed for this option in Table 1. As for the other 5 options put forward, we do not think it appropriate for us to comment in detail. However, we do feel that the Pink option would be best for our area as traffic generated from development here would not be tempted to use the rural roads through our parish to do east-west movements. We support the development principles set out in the Draft Vision and we found the Pros and Cons set out in Table 1 for each to be well presented.

Agreed response: The answer to this question was clearly set out in paragraph 12.11 of the Local Plan 2030. School, health and community facilities should be provided in areas approved for large residential developments prior to development taking place and for smaller developments, extensions to existing facilities or a reassessment take place prior to additional residential development taking place.

Agreed response: Agree with stated suggestion that the improved strategic links along the A421 corridor suggest this might be a good location for much of the required growth to occur.

Agreed response: By hard work. In addition, development to have ease of access to A421 without using rural roads.

Agreed response: No comment.

I agree

Agreed response: This is a national issue and there is a great deal of guidance available to developers. Rather than producing more guidance, the Borough resources would better concentrated on ensuring that this guidance is applied in local development.

Agreed response: To our knowledge there is no need to go beyond national standards, but the Borough Council must ensure that all development permitted is at or above national standards and not below.