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

Object

Representation ID: 6923

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Bromham Parish Council

Locations for Growth
The consultation outlines a number of options for the focus of future development in the
period to 2040 and specifically identifies the need to build in the region of 12,500 new
dwellings over and above existing allocations during this period.
It is acknowledged that many of the consultation options recognise the importance of the
A421 corridor for future growth opportunities, recognising that the significant infrastructure
proposals will provide a well-connected, accessible and sustainable location for growth. The
Parish Council supports this approach and concurs that the A421 corridor is a significantly
better location for growth and better able to meet housing need. This will, in particular, help
maintain the character of the Great Ouse Valley, without the pressure of additional levels of
growth, thus making residents lives more miserable through increased traffic and pressure on
local services.
The Parish Council remains very keen to ensure that well respected and valued rural
communities in North Bedfordshire are not subjected to further inappropriate scale of
development given the inadequate infrastructure that exists to support growth, including the
already congested A6 infrastructure. The Parish Council, therefore, supports the removal of
new settlements identified in the north because the A6 would not be able to cope with the
additional traffic.
Further sizeable allocations in Key and Rural Service Centres, identified in some of the
consultation options, should be avoided. The Parish Council acknowledges, with
encouragement, that the report to the Executive did state that the Local Plan strategy must
recognise the significant contribution to growth that is already being provided in the
Borough’s larger villages (the Key and Rural Service Centres). As far as possible, the
emerging range of options steer additional growth away from villages that have a Local Plan

2030 allocation although the Parish Council is concerned that, for some options, additional
strategic development land may need to be allocated in those parishes. This is most
unacceptable as further growth in villages like Bromham would put unprecedented strain on
the local road networks. The inevitable rat runs through the villages would also be
compounded if unacceptable levels of growth were allocated in North Bedfordshire. The
A421 corridor, by contrast, represents a much better location for growth and must be
exploited.
In summary, opportunities for growth in the Oxford to Cambridge corridor must, therefore, be
exploited and the Parish Council supports development growth option 2(c).

Object

Representation ID: 6924

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Bromham Parish Council

Level of Growth
Other studies have revealed that the growth figures calculated for the Bedford Borough area
are much higher than those for surrounding Local Authorities and one of the highest outside
the London Metropolitan Area. Bedford Borough Council should, therefore, produce a further
calculation based upon the latest ONS data which it is claimed would result in c. 900 homes
per annum. In addition, Bedford Borough Council has exceeded the previous Local Plan
target of 970 homes per annum and the Inspector has confirmed that the overbuild can be
taken forward into the next Plan.

Support

Representation ID: 6925

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Bromham Parish Council

Town Centre
The urban area is regarded as the most sustainable location for growth and growth in the
town centre should be exploited where feasible. Development in villages would result in an
increase in private car use to access facilities (paragraph 8.13 Draft Sustainability Appraisal
Report) and should be restricted to sites identified in Neighbourhood Plans.

Object

Representation ID: 6926

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Bromham Parish Council

Other Environmental Issues
It is considered that “Environmental Net Gain” should be specified rather than “Biodiversity
Net Gain” and that it should be set at 20% rather than the 10% in Government legislation and
should be delivered on or within 5km of the development site.
Protection for the River Great Ouse Valley should be included in policies.
The Parish Council sincerely hopes that these observations are helpful and that the Borough
Council will be prepared to focus its proposals for growth locations consistent with
endeavours to protect existing sustainable communities from the harm that excessive growth
will cause the immediate and neighbouring rural communities.