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

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Representation ID: 7561

Received: 21/09/2021

Respondent: McCann Homes

Agent: Sir or Madam

I write on behalf of our client, McCann Homes, in response to the Council’s consultation on the Local Plan 2040 – Draft Plan: Strategy Options and Draft Policies document, and supporting documents, particularly in respect of the land at Bromham Road, Biddenham (shown on the enclosed site plan). McCann are a local, Milton Keynes based, developer and are currently in negotiations with the landowner in respect of purchasing the site at Bromham Road.
One of the Council’s objectives, set out at Section 2 of the Draft Plan document, is to “Provide appropriate amounts and types of housing to meet the needs of the borough’s urban and rural communities over the lifetime of the Plan making the housing stock more adaptable and resilient.” This is reflective of wider national objectives, with the Government seeking to significantly boost the supply of housing, and is key to responding to the ongoing housing crisis.
Section 3 identifies the need for an additional 305 dwellings per year from 2020 to 2040, representing a substantial increase (over 30% more) on the current local plan target of 970 dwellings per year. The Council itself recognises the considerable challenges this will bring, and the Council’s proactive approach to addressing this issue is welcomed.
The Council has identified a number of potential development strategy options for the quantum and location of growth in the Development Strategy topic paper, and the Council’s preferred options are set out in the Draft Plan document. All of the development strategy options include growth in and adjacent to the urban area, which was found to perform best in the sustainability appraisal, particularly in relation to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, promoting town centres, providing for residents’ needs and access to community services, and reducing the need to travel and promoting sustainable modes of travel.
We too support growth within and adjacent to the urban area, considering this to be the most appropriate and sustainable way to meet local housing needs, and an approach entirely in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The land at Bromham Road is enclosed on three sides by the urban area boundary, which runs along Bromham Road to the north and east of the site and along the A4280 to the south. Development of the site to provide residential dwellings is therefore entirely in line with the Council’s preferred strategies, and accordingly it is respectfully requested that the Council consider this site for allocation in the new Local Plan.
It is acknowledged that a Call for Sites exercise has already been undertaken but given the location of the site, within an area identified as being the best way in which to meet development needs, it is considered appropriate to assess it even at this stage. Indeed, it would be remiss not to, and it is not beyond the Council’s ability to consider sites submitted
outside of a formal Call for Sites process.
It is not just the case that the site is bounded by the designated urban area; land to the north and south of the site is already visibly, and continues to be, developed for residential dwellings, and the development of the site would infill between other built development. To the north of the site there are existing residential dwellings along Bromham Road.
To the rear of these, outline planning permission has been granted (ref. 19/01394/MAO) for residential development, and the site is allocated by Policy 23 of the adopted Local Plan. To the south of the site, outline planning permission has been granted (ref. 18/00140/MAO) for up to 249 dwellings, with reserved matters approved (ref. 21/00236/MAR) for the first 119 of these. The site would be a logical infill between existing and emerging residential development to the north and south.
Situated between the A4280 and the existing development along Bromham Road, the site makes little contribution to the gap between Biddenham to the southeast and Bromham to the west, and will contribute even less once the emerging development set out above is complete. It is acknowledged that previous policies, including the 2002 Local Plan and the 1994 Biddenham Loop Development Brief, sought to keep the site and its surroundings free from development. However, its surrounding context has now changed so significantly, and the need to provide housing has become such a priority (the Inspector gave significant weight to the contribution to housing supply in determining the
application for development to the south of the site (ref. 18/00140/MAO)), that the development of this site for new residential dwellings should no longer be resisted. Built development would be contained by the River Great Ouse valley to the west, a highly defensible and also logical boundary, which will ensure a permanent gap between Biddenham and Bromham is maintained.
The site is relatively unconstrained: it is not in an area of flood risk; it is flat; and there are no trees or other significant features within it. It does not comprise a protected or high-quality landscape and is not particularly visually prominent within its surroundings. The site does not comprise quality agricultural land and is isolated from other agricultural land.
There are no listed buildings on the site or in close proximity.
The site can be easily accessed via an existing entrance in its northwest corner from Bromham Road. The site is highly accessible being located adjacent to the A428, 2km (2 mins drive) from the A422 to the west and 2.5km (3 mins drive) from the A6 to the east. Bus stops on Bromham Road, immediately adjacent to the site, provide access to services between Bedford town centre and Northampton. Bedford rail station is located approximately 3km (5 mins drive, 10 mins cycle) from the site and provides services towards London and Brighton, Bletchley and Corby. The site is a short
walk to both Biddenham (500m, 6 mins) and Bromham (800m, 9 mins), both of which provide a number of community facilities including schools, doctors’ surgery, supermarket, village hall, library, restaurants, pubs, recreational open space and sports pitches.
Development of the site would not require additional infrastructure and so could come forward quickly. The Council acknowledges that larger sites can have a significant lead in time before development commences, and Paragraph 69 of the NPPF recognises the important contribution that small and medium sized sites can make to meeting housing requirements. With the majority of the Council’s preferred development strategy options reliant on the delivery of at least one new settlement, the development of smaller, well-supported sites such as this will be necessary in order to meet housing need. This will be all the more important considering that the increased housing figure is being applied from 2020, but the Plan is not likely to be adopted until 2023 at the earliest; therefore, the delivery of sites quickly at the beginning of the plan period will be crucial in ensuring the increased housing need can be met without further delay.
Overall, the site is a highly sustainable location for development and is entirely suitable for new homes. It is situated between existing and emerging residential dwellings; its development would be in keeping with this surrounding context and a logical infill of the urban area. The site has little, if any, physical constraints, is accessible by public transport as well as the highway network, and is supported by existing community infrastructure. It is available and deliverable now
and will make a valuable contribution to the Council’s housing land supply. The development of the site would be wholly in line with the NPPF and the Council’s own preferred development strategies, and would enable other sites, which contribute to the economy, such as employment or retail space, or to the environment, such as protected landscapes, and rural areas to be protected from the pressures of development.