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New searchIt is understood that Bedford Borough will be covered by a single Local Plan, containing both strategic and more detailed/ site specific non-strategic policies. The Local Plan ought to prioritize strategic matters, with localised site specific issues delegated to Neighbourhood Planning. The benefits of this approach to scoping for the Local Plan would be twofold: • Minimise the risk of the plan being delayed due to site specific/ land use matters such as the extent of zonal designations (e.g. Local Green Space, settlement boundaries); and • Incentivise communities to prepare Neighbourhood Plans where these could help to deliver local priorities or aspirations.
Overall, East Northamptonshire Council is keen to continue engaging closely with Bedford Borough Council as the Local Plan progresses. There are potentially significant issues that could arise if significant new development is proposed for the A6/ Midland Mainline corridor; notably the possible Colworth Garden Village or Wymington strategic development proposals. It is welcomed that the Local Plan is considering an extensive range of potential spatial development strategies (at least six possible approaches). It is reiterated that East Northamptonshire Council could potentially support strategic development proposals where these deliver tangible infrastructure projects, such as a new Midland Mainline rail station (be it at Colworth/ Sharnbrook or Wymington). Any proposed development to the south of Rushden would benefit from future joint Masterplanning, which engages both Local Planning Authorities and other relevant partners. Please note that these comments are submitted as a draft officer response on behalf of East Northamptonshire Council to meet the 4 September 2020 consultation deadline. This draft response is being presented to the Planning Policy Committee for Member endorsement of 21 September. The Committee may propose amendments or additions to these comments that will be incorporated into the finalised response, which will be submitted to Bedford Borough Council soon after the 21 September 2020 meeting.
The proposed scope of the Local Plan Review is very extensive and is supported. The inclusion of matters such as addressing climate change improving quality of developments and repurposing (diversification) of the town centres are all welcome. This Council’s particular interest is in the development of a new spatial strategy and the six alternative potential growth strategies that are proposed.
The vision appears to be quite extensive. It is noted that this focuses upon east/ west connections; e.g. east/ west rail (with A421 corridor) and green infrastructure opportunities; particularly the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park and Forest of Marston Vale. The vision appears to have an overwhelming southern focus. It does not address opportunities that could be opened up through enhanced north/ south connections; e.g. along the Midland Mainline/ A6 corridor. It is noted that further consideration is being given to opportunities in the northern parts of the Borough; e.g. related to the strategic growth proposals at towns in close proximity to the Borough Boundary – Rushden, St Neots and Wellingborough, but it is emphasised that any such proposals should be properly supported through significant infrastructure provision.
It is proposed that the Bedford Local Plan could have a 2050 end date (rather than 2040); to correspond with the emerging Oxford to Cambridge Arc growth/ spatial strategy. This would also be consistent with other emerging Local Plan Reviews within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc; e.g. West Northamptonshire Strategic Plan, which will set out a spatial vision for the future of the area extended up to 2050.
It is noted that there are six alternative spatial options for growth. Of the six options, the yellow, pink and orange approaches are similar, insofar as these focus upon the A421 and east/ west rail corridor. The other options could have implications for adjoining local authorities to the north (East Northamptonshire, Wellingborough and Huntingdonshire), as follows: • Urban based growth (brown option) – Potentially significant implications, as this includes potential proposals for urban extensions to the south of Rushden and west of St Neots • Dispersed growth (grey option) – Some implications, due to the potential increased scale of development at villages to the north of Bedford Borough • New settlement based growth (red option) – Potentially significant implications for East Northamptonshire, as three of the four potential locations are situated along the Midland Mainline/ A6 corridor. Red and brown options – potentially significant implications for East Northamptonshire In the case of the new settlement based growth option, this was previously proposed for the current Local Plan. This Council (Planning Policy Committee, 19 February 2018, Item 6) raised concerns about the Colworth proposal. While there was no objection in principle to Colworth Garden Village, it was considered that the evidence base was insufficiently robust in relation to green infrastructure and the strategic road network. If this approach is revived in the new Bedford Local Plan, then it is emphasised that East Northamptonshire Council’s previous concerns should be satisfactorily overcome. The brown option is a significant new proposed spatial strategy. The Local Plan 2030 and previous Core Strategy focused upon growth around the Bedford/ Kempston urban area, with the rural north of the Borough regarded (for spatial planning purposes) as rural, although the Local Plan 2030 does include proposals for a strategic allocation at Sharnbrook. It is emphasised that the proposals for urban extensions to the south of Rushden (Wymington Parish) will have implications for Rushden and Wellingborough. At this stage, it is recognised that these could present new growth opportunities. The Council’s consideration of these proposals are summarised as follows: • It is noted that the Plan acknowledges the potential for SUEs/ growth adjoining Rushden and St Neots, although in the case of the possible expansion of the Rushden urban area to the south this was previously assessed in the Rushden Sustainable Urban Extension Background Paper (January 2015), but significant concerns such as coalescence of Rushden and Wymington were highlighted; • It is emphasised that Rushden and St Neots are significant urban centres, both already hosting major growth over the next 20-30 years, so it is critical that adjacent local authorities and infrastructure providers work closely together to ensure delivery of development in a coordinated manner; • It is unclear from the document the exact location of potential growth to the south of Rushden, although this could potentially be supported if it provides a catalyst for the development of significant infrastructure provision, such as a new rail station at Wymington, located on the Midland Main Line, which could serve the new development and provide opportunities for Rushden and North Northamptonshire.
The following priorities for East Northamptonshire Council should be noted: • Upgrades to the A6, particularly if new development is proposed at one or more of the potential new settlements (red option), or if new urban focused growth is to come forward as an extension to Rushden (brown option); • Delivery of a new rail station, either at Sharnbrook (red option) or Wymington (brown option); in addition consideration should be given to the opportunity for park and ride to serve the wider area; • Delivery of enhanced green infrastructure connections between the rural hinterland of the Borough and the local Rushden/ Souldrop green infrastructure corridor (North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031, Figure 17/ Policy 19).
If the Local Plan is to proceed with the red or brown options, new employment should be delivered in line with proposed Rushden/ St Neots urban extensions or the chosen new settlement(s) to provide sustainability.
Any of the yellow, pink and orange approaches, all of which focus upon the A421 and east/ west rail corridor, could potentially secure benefits arising from this key element of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
The prominent inclusion of climate change within the Local Plan vision is supported, although specific policies to address this will need to be deliverable; i.e. aspirational but achievable.
