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

Support

Representation ID: 6253

Received: 09/09/2021

Respondent: IM Land

Agent: Barton Willmore

We agree that an Infrastructure Delivery Plan will be required to support the chosen development strategy.

Support

Representation ID: 6254

Received: 09/09/2021

Respondent: IM Land

Agent: Barton Willmore

We support the ongoing work regarding a Planning Pitch Strategy for the Borough. If this work concludes that new standards are required for the provision of open space within development, we would welcome the opportunity to provide our further comments.

Object

Representation ID: 6255

Received: 09/09/2021

Respondent: IM Land

Agent: Barton Willmore

Growth Strategy Options
We recognise that options 2a-d are the best performing options in the Sustainability Appraisal and in terms of the high transport work, as well as in terms of the Local Plan themes. We have reviewed these options, as well as options 3 to 6 in the Development Strategy Topic Paper, however, these options do not take account for the potential for development to be located adjacent to alternative ‘urban areas’ (other than Bedford) such as our Site at Land at Rushden Road, which is located within Bedford Borough but adjacent to the southern boundary of Rushden (located within the local authority area of North Northamptonshire Council).
The North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-31 (adopted July 2016) recognises Rushden as a Growth Town (the highest tier of settlements), and defines its ‘spatial role’ as “to provide the focus for major co-ordinated regeneration and growth in employment, housing, retail and higher order facilities serving one or more districts”. Rushden is therefore a highly sustainable settlement suitable for major growth. There is no reason that growth should not be located the south of the settlement, within the administrative area of Bedford Borough. On this basis, we consider that the Site would perform positively against the greener, more accessible and more prosperous themes that inform the overall vision for the BBLP 2050.
Whilst ongoing or future infrastructure improvements, such as Black Cat Junction improvements and the East West Rail section through the Borough, are due to be completed later in the plan period, and this may inform the overall growth strategy and trajectory, there also needs to be consideration of sustainable sites (without extensive infrastructure requirements) that can come forward earlier in the plan period and take pressure off the delivery of a high number of sites and homes between 2030 and 2040 (especially those reliant on the delivery of infrastructure).