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

Support

Representation ID: 8051

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Shortstown Parish Council

In the proposed 2040 Local Plan there are several options proposing further
development within Shortstown parish but due to the high levels of development that
Shortstown has already seen further housing beyond what has already been built
would risk Shortstowns rural character, further diffuse its small and fragile centre,
and risk the future of the historic airship sheds and Cardington airfield.
Over the few years Shortstown has been targeted for massive development. Between
2014 and March 2021 901 houses have been built in the parish. When the
Cardington Airfield development to the North of the sheds has been completed
another 592 houses will have been added. Once that is complete that will be 1493
houses added to the parish since 2014.
While the development of RAF Cardington did include a notional village centre this
has been slow to develop and Shortstown is still severely deficient in key services for
the level of households now within the parish.

As can be seen in the included figure (see attachment) Shortstown has seen recent rapid change over
recent years and when the additional development to the North of the historic sheds is
included this pushes the developed area within the parish to roughly 25% of the
parish.
The proposed College Farm & Shorts Park developments would completely change
the character of the parish and ruin the future of the sheds and airfield for movie and
airship use. The Shortstown Parish Council objects to those proposals.
Shortstown Parish Council require a pause in further developments within the parish
so that the current situation following the existing large development completion can
become clear and be reviewed.

Object

Representation ID: 8052

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Shortstown Parish Council

Shortstown is dependant on the A600 for professionals to commute to work either
North towards the A421 and Bedford or to the South. However this single link has
proven to be vulnerable to disruption going as it does through an accident blackspot
at the junction with Harrowden Lane. Public transport is currently insufficient
except for accessing Bedford for occasional shopping. This creates a tension between
the notional Borough policy to reduce car use with transport infrastructure that
discourages public transport use for commuters.

Object

Representation ID: 8053

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Shortstown Parish Council

Shortstown is dependant on the A600 for professionals to commute to work either
North towards the A421 and Bedford or to the South. However this single link has
proven to be vulnerable to disruption going as it does through an accident blackspot
at the junction with Harrowden Lane. Public transport is currently insufficient
except for accessing Bedford for occasional shopping. This creates a tension between
the notional Borough policy to reduce car use with transport infrastructure that
discourages public transport use for commuters.
The Transport Model discussed in supporting documents shows the A600/A421
junction is already forecast to be saturated and additional housing would only make
things worse. For this reason we would also object to large development within the
parish of Cotton End as that would also massively increase the strain on our limited
transport infrastructure.