Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission

Support

Representation ID: 9603

Received: 26/07/2022

Respondent: North Northamptonshire Council

There is not a considerable amount of change from previous iterations of the plan. In terms of spatial options put forward in previous versions of the Plan and how these have developed into site allocations within the Submission Plan, BBC has maintained growth centred around Bedford town and the A421 with nothing presented further north towards the North Northamptonshire (NN) boundary in the vicinity of the A6, as can be seen in Section 4 of the Plan and Policy DS5(S) – Distribution of growth. Growth around Bedford town and the A421 has significantly less cross-boundary impacts on NN in comparison with the other previously considered growth areas presented in the Issues and Options consultation. This is also the case in relating to impacts on the highway network, coalescence with Wymington, sustainable transport routes, Green Infrastructure corridors and the SPA, which releases pressure on all these areas.

Support

Representation ID: 9604

Received: 26/07/2022

Respondent: North Northamptonshire Council

Para 4.7 of the Submission Plan states that “as a result of the government’s recent revisions to the standard method, the figure for Bedford borough currently is 1,355 dwellings per year, giving a total of 27,100 dwellings for the 20 year period from 2020 to 2040. This is the current starting point for the local plan housing requirement. Taking account of existing commitments, completions and an allowance for windfall, which amounts in total to 14,824 dwellings, this leaves 12,276 dwellings to be allocated in this plan.” The annual requirement is a 40% increase on the 970 dwellings p/a set out in the Local Plan 2030.

The increase in housing requirement was also noted in the NNC response to the Draft Plan consultation, which highlighted the importance of seeing how this would affect the Submission version of the Plan and whether this would result in any housing allocations being placed closer to the NN boundary. As stated above, no significant growth has been identified north of Bedford town that would have such an impact and the Submission Plan does not indicate a need to allocate further sites or require neighbouring authorities to take some of its growth.

It is recognised that the BBC Local Plan 2040, Plan for Submission has developed further since the Draft Plan which was consulted on last year. However, as was concluded when responding to the Draft Plan, the spatial strategy/allocated sites illustrated within the Submission Plan consultation are not considered to present North Northamptonshire Council with any significant negative implications with regards to potential cross-boundary issues. On this basis NNC has no objections to the Plan.