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

Support

Representation ID: 6375

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Paras 5.1 to 5.29 - SUPPORT

Draft plan policies to continue the focus on regenerating the town centre for town centre uses represent an important priority. The Council’s successful bid for Town Centre Deal funds provides a valuable boost to the Council’s capacity to have a greater impact in this respect.

Support

Representation ID: 6376

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Para 6.8 – SUPPORT

CPRE Bedfordshire has expressed huge concern about the over-development of land hungry
warehousing in Bedford, which has contributed very little to local job opportunities and blighted many residential areas, particularly when located in close proximity to locations where new large scale new housing has been developed. We welcome the recognition in this draft plan that new allocations for large-scale warehousing are not appropriate and that the employment strategy should focus on enabling higher skilled job opportunities in the Borough.

Support

Representation ID: 6377

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Paras 7.30 to 7.40 – SUPPORT with comments

The draft plan Policy NE1 –Environmental Net Gain is welcomed as an indication of the way the Council is setting out its approach to delivering biodiversity net gain on development sites. The Bedfordshire Natural Capital Assessment supporting document which provides a detailed natural capital (habitat) basemap for Bedford Borough, is noted.

However, it is not clear to us how the delivery of biodiversity net gain will work in practice and whether this will be achieved though further policy development by the Council or whether it is intended that this will be delivered through the net environment gain metric, referred to in para 7.40, which is to be developed from the Arc Environment Strategy. Further explanation in this respect would be welcome.

Support

Representation ID: 6378

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Paras 8.36 and 8.37

The Council should insist that all open green space within new housing developments should be handed over to Town & Parish Councils for long term maintenance and not held onto by developers who charge residents much higher maintenance costs. There have been many recent complaints from Parish Council's and residents regarding this practice.

This is likely to be the new leasing scandal as developers eventually sell on their rights to 3rd parties who will rapidly increase costs to residents.

Support

Representation ID: 6379

Received: 13/09/2021

Respondent: CPRE Bedfordshire

Number of new homes to be delivered per year by Local Authority calculated using the Government's
"Standard Method" Algorithm

Target of new homes to be delivered
Bedford Borough Council 1275 Difference between other LA's and Bedford BC

compared to: Bedford's target is:
Cambridgeshire local authorities
Cambridge City 658 93% higher
East Cambridge 597 114% higher
Fenland 538 137% higher
Huntingdonshire 976 30.6% higher
South Cambridgeshire 1085 17.5% higher

Oxfordshire Local Authorities
Oxford City 603 111% higher
Cherwell 756 69% higher
South Oxfordshire 608 110% higher
Vale of White Horse 661 92% higher
West Oxfordshire 563 126% higher

North Hertfordshire 973 31% higher

East Northamptonshire 457 180% higher
Kettering 526 142% higher
Wellingborough 348 266% higher

CPRE Bedfordshire August 2021

Data source: - Lichfield Planning Consultancy