Plan for submission evidence base

Comment

Representation ID: 10337

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Elstow Parish Council

Authorities to ensure a coordinated approach. The Parish Council have always been mindful that that Central Bedfordshire are growing with significant growth in many local areas. There is enormous growth only just a short distance along the A421 corridor with 5,000 houses currently

at planning application stage for a strategically allocated site known as Marston Valley. But there is also more worrying continued large-scale development on the edge of the village (e.g. south of Wixams) which would further impact on the unique character of Elstow village as the local rural highways network is at full capacity.

Object

Representation ID: 10339

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Elstow Parish Council

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

SECTION 7: SOUTH OF BEDFORD POLICY AREA TOPIC PAPER

In light of the disproportionate strategic growth being focused on the south of Bedford area, the Parish Council feel it is important to comment on the subsidiary policy document, Policy 10. The document sets out a designation of an area based purely on it being known as the Marston Vale. The Parish Council feel this is a restrictive statement which is short sighted. It would be more logical to include other settlement areas, which are also allocated growth in the lifetime of this draft Plan, for example, Willington to be included as well given the River Valley Park asset and how Willington sits geographically alongside this area.

Going forwards it would be more logical if the policy designation is based on the Marston Vale area only, for the Developing in the Forest of Marston Vale: Design Guidance SPD to be fully incorporated into this document, rather than having it as a separate policy document.

Paragraph 4.3 makes no reference to the planted community woodland which covers an expansive area situated along Duck End in Wilstead parish, this appears an omission and the Parish Council would seek the same level of designation for this woodland as any others.

Paragraph 5.6 refers to the surface water run up from the new Kempston Hardwick settlement Policy HOU14 will go through Elstow Brook, this is a concerning statement no just in the knock on impact as the watercourse flows through Elstow, but also in how the surrounding wildlife and habitats will be impacted.

Map 5 shows an extensive flood zone classified as 3a gong right through the HOU16 Land at East of Wixams, which reads therefore that the flood implications in this area are currently very high. So this would not be expected for an area allocated for 1,800 houses.

Maps 8 and 9, along with the accompanying Paragraphs in this part of the document are not explained very well at all. It is difficult to understand the point of all the different mapping which ultimately concludes that the main highways network routes are the where the biggest opportunities lie in terms of developing biodiversity and ecosystem growth. This seems an illogical conclusion.

Map 11 represents within the key Item 5 – Elstow South, showing the surface water run off. What is unclear and appears to be missing is any appreciation of the significant two planning applications currently in which refer to the permission that means the enormous water expanse at this location which if it were no longer to be there would impact the local watercourse network management hugely, appears to not have been taken into account.

The Parish Council feel it is very important that there be further challenges be made on the data provided by the local authority to make sure there is a full understanding of the water course levels and flood risk areas in particular with the very close proximity of not only the new settlement at Kempston Hardwick for Policy HOU14, but also the HOU16 allocation. More information and data is needed in light of 21/03307/AOC Discharge of Conditions Application PRO- POSAL: Details for infilling and restoration pursuant to condition b (8) & 10 of planning permission 4/1980 for New brickworks at Stewartby to replace existing Stewartby Works and the excavation of clay for the new and existing brickworks and landscaping works at Elstow Pit South, Wilstead Road as well as for 21/03308/AOC Discharge of Conditions Application PROPOSAL: Details for infilling and restoration pursuant to condition b of planning permission 1913/9/1 to develop for excavation of minerals at Elstow Pit South, Wilstead Road.

Paragraph 5.23 suggests that Wixams station is part of the East West Rail phasing work which is misleading. As Wixams community has grown for so many years with the promise of a new station which has not been delivered for so many years, needs to be clearer that in no way is the Wixams station reliant or connected in any way to the East West Rail route.

Again in Paragraph 5.28 it would be expected that there would be reference to the planted com- munity woodland at Duck End, Wilstead.

Figure 2 as part of Paragraph 5.29 appears to identify a number of issues with the strategic al- located sites that lie within this policy area. With so many issues identified on so many of the sites it is a concern for the Parish Council.

Infrastructure
The Parish Council feel it is important also to again reference the poor modelling that is contained within other subsidiary planning policy documents, which does not take into account the effect on A6 traffic has been poorly researched. There has been no coverage of the increase in traffic likely from the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan which currently looks to be substantial in the northern part of their region. The growth located adjacent to the Wixams development as well as the 5,000 houses currently in for Marston Valley an allocated strategic growth site, not having been taken into consideration is short sighted.
This also includes pressures on bus service, GPs, hospital, primary and secondary Schools, which along side significant highways improvements will require enormous levels of funding and, from experience at Wixams, which Elstow Parish Council were involved in from inception, it is incredibly difficult during the sizeable growth of the area to meet the needs of the increased community. Like seen at Wixams it simply fails to meet the amounts required. This will result in compromises that will put extreme pressure on existing infrastructure which is already at capa- city.