Local Plan 2040 Draft Plan - Strategy options and draft policies consultation

Support

Representation ID: 7237

Received: 17/09/2021

Respondent: Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust

Background
The Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Park will establish a new waterway, within a multifunctional green corridor, linking the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes with the River Great Ouse in Bedford. It will close a small but very significant gap in the UK waterway network, enhancing opportunities for flood risk management in the upper Ouse catchment area and for water transfer between the main network and the drier areas of East Anglia. It will build on the achievements of the Marston Vale Community Forest in regenerating parts of the corridor and creating new habitats between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It will set the context for, and embed new natural capital into, new and expanding communities thus, contributing towards the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state for future generations.
Part of the route of the Waterway Park runs through Bedford from Kempston Mill to Green Lanes on the boundary with Central Bedfordshire.
Potential Outputs
The project sits at the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge corridor. It will
• help preserve and enhance natural capital in the area
• deliver infrastructure resilience to future risks of flooding and contribute towards the challenges of climate change
• provide a mechanism for the transfer water to areas of drought when required
• provide new direct pedestrian and cycle routes between Bedford and Milton Keynes
• create opportunities for healthy lifestyles
• contribute to economic growth by developing new tourism opportunities in an underperforming area and increasing land value
Policy support and alignment
25 Year plan for the Environment
The Waterway Park aligns closely with a number of the goals of the Government’s 25-year plan for the environment
Clean and plentiful water
• reducing the damaging abstraction of water from rivers and groundwater, ensuring that by 2021 the proportion of water bodies with enough water to support environmental standards increases from 82% to 90% for surface water bodies and from 72% to 77% for groundwater bodies

Flood risk is identified by Environment Agency as a key issue cross-Arc, particularly regarding future climate change. Water shortages are a related, but critical, issue.
Water connectivity in the central section of the Arc is poor. The Waterway Park offers the opportunity to manage flood risk and water storage and movement, whilst bringing with it a range of other environmental, social and economic benefits. Early investment in the green/blue infrastructure throughout the route of the waterway park will enable existing and growing communities to see some early benefits as well as improving health and well-being for those living and working in the area.
The Environment Agency is currently investigating the potential of using the B&MK Waterway Park to manage and reduce flood risk. The EA is also considering the contribution the Waterway Park could make to the storage of flood water in local catchments and a reduction of flood risk within Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Thriving plants and wildlife
• creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside the protected site network, focusing on priority habitats as part of a wider set of land management changes providing extensive benefits
• increasing woodland in England in line with our aspiration of 12% cover by 2060: this would involve planting 180,000 hectares by end of 2042

Enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment
• safeguarding and enhancing the beauty of our natural scenery and improving its environmental value while being sensitive to considerations of its heritage.
• making sure that there are high quality, accessible, natural spaces close to where people live and work, particularly in urban areas, and encouraging more people to spend time in them to benefit their health and wellbeing
• focusing on increasing action to improve the environment from all sectors of society

The Waterway Park route runs directly through land owned and managed by the Forest of Marston Vale. Since it was established as a community forest in the 1990s the Forest of Marston Vale Trust has planted over 2m trees and created 12 new woodland sites resulting in an additional 4,917 tonnes of carbon removed from the air annually. The Waterway will add a new dimension to the community forest and open up opportunities for more planting, footpaths, cycleways and bridleways to encourage access to the natural environment between Bedford and Milton Keynes. The Forest of Marston Vale is a clear example of intervention which has significantly enhanced the natural environment and ensured there’s a net environmental gain as development takes place.
The Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust is currently working with partners on a case study to quantify the potential levels of biodiversity net gain which the waterway can deliver. The outcomes will be available later in 2021.

Mitigating and adapting to climate change
• making sure that all policies, programmes and investment decisions take into account the possible extent of climate change this century
• implementing a sustainable and effective second National Adaptation Programme

A further dimension of the flood risk management study referred to above will be a review of the capacity of the Waterway to contribute to water transfer to help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Overseen by WRE this element of the study will report in October 2021.

Biodiversity/Green and Blue Infrastructure
The Waterway Park is one of 6 strategic priority projects supported by Bedfordshire Local Nature Partnership and the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership.
Local Plan Policies
All three local Plan along the route have policies to support the Waterway Park and Protect the route. The outcomes of the Environment Agency and Water resources East study will have the potential to enhance and strengthen Local Plan policy support in relation to the route and land use planning.
Bedford Borough Council Local Plan
Current policy
Allocations and Designations: Local Plan 2013 Policy AD27 Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park refers specifically to the route of the waterway.
The Council will support the creation of the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park as a strategic green infrastructure link benefitting the borough as a whole, but particularly important to the delivery of sustainable growth in the Northern Marston Vale. The indicative route of the Waterway Park is shown on the Policies Map. Where appropriate, development will be expected to contribute towards the creation and delivery of the Waterway Park. Pre-determination archaeological evaluation is required.

Support

Representation ID: 7238

Received: 17/09/2021

Respondent: Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust

The B&MK Waterway Trust wishes to press for:
• stronger policies to protect the route of the waterway park and facilitate its delivery
• recognition that the waterway park has the potential to offset impacts of other development.
• Assessment of the Waterway Park as an opportunity to create new natural capital.

The B&MK Waterway Trust recognises that the Council already has planning policies to protect and enhance the natural environment. However, as the new Environment Bill passes through its various parliamentary stages, the Council will need to consider how any of these policies might need to change to bring them up to date. Given the close alignment between the B&MK Waterway Park project and national and emerging OxCam Arc policies the B&MK Water Trust believes that the opportunity to strengthen Local Plan policies which relate to the Waterway Park should be taken. The project also offers an opportunity to establish a means by which new development projects, particularly in and around the development opportunities identified at Stewartby and along the East/West Rail route, for offsetting environmental impacts and facilitating increases in biodiversity which cannot be achieved on site. Proposed draft policies are set out below:
The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Park
Background
The Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Park will establish a new waterway, within a multifunctional green corridor, linking the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes with the River Great Ouse in Bedford. It will close a small but very significant gap in the UK waterway network, enhancing opportunities for flood risk management in the upper Ouse catchment area and for water transfer between the main network and the drier areas of East Anglia. It will build on the achievements of the Marston Vale Community Forest in regenerating parts of the corridor and creating new habitats between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It will set the context for, and embed new natural capital into, new and expanding communities thus, contributing towards the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state.
The Council is part of a Consortium of partner organisations that have agreed to work together with the aim of delivering the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Park.
Policy:
1. Development on the route of the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Park will be expected to deliver the section of the Waterway Park within the development boundary, incorporating a Waterway channel and ‘towpath’ for non-motorised users within a multifunctional green corridor.
2. Development should be designed to relate positively to the Waterway Park, and should be designed to complement adjacent areas and sites along the route of the Waterway Park.
3. Development that would adversely affect the implementation of the Waterway Park, or that does not provide accommodation for the Waterway and associated infrastructure will not be permitted.
4. The Waterway Park is a Strategic Environmental Opportunity for offsetting in relation to biodiversity net gain.
Sustainability Appraisal response
The sustainability appraisal objectives include:
• Protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity and habitats.
• Reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and improve energy efficiency.
• Protect and enhance landscape and townscape character and the sense of place in settlements.
• Protect the quantity and quality of water resources.
• Minimise flood risk.
• Reduce the need to travel and promote sustainable modes of transport.
Several of the objectives of the plan are directed at enabling Bedford to
• respond to the impacts of climate and economic change
• offer the opportunity to live healthier lifestyles
• Improve access to green and blue infrastructure for the enjoyment and health of all.
• Protect and enhance our natural resources including air, soil, minerals and water to minimise the impacts of flooding, climate change and pollution
However, despite its alignment with these objectives the sustainability appraisal makes no reference to the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway. The Trust requests that this omission is addressed.
Natural Capital Assessment response
The Natural Capital Assessment makes no reference to the Waterway Park despite is being a significant opportunity to increase natural capital in the Borough. The B&MK Waterway Trust requests that this omission is addressed.