Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission

Object

Representation ID: 10466

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report (Chapter 2)

As part of the Summer 2021 Consultation upon Preferred Strategy Options and Draft Policies (para 1.45 and 8.35) our client objected to the failure to prepare a Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan to inform the testing of reasonable alternatives and identification of an appropriate strategy.

The Council’s submission version Bedford Local Plan 2040 and its evidence base, including the published IDP, both fail to recognise the requirements for expansion at Lincroft Academy notwithstanding our client’s earlier submissions and that this need is acknowledged by the Borough Council’s Education department.

In relation to our client’s interests at Lincroft Academy Site ID: 832 / 839 MAT further objects to the failure to respond to the school’s clear and urgent requirement for expansion as part of determining the spatial strategy and distribution of growth through the plan-making process.

Object

Representation ID: 10468

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report Paragraphs 3.16 – 3.34

For the reasons outlined within these and earlier representations the approach to the Plan for Submission Local Plan 2040 does not provide for a justified appropriate spatial strategy with reference to NPPF2021 paragraph 20 and specifically the requirement for strategic policies to provide for social and community infrastructure. In terms of MAT’s interests this relates specifically to addressing the required expansion of Lincroft Academy, which was rendered incapable of being addressed under the approach to the Local Plan 2030.

Object

Representation ID: 10469

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report Paragraphs 3.35 – 3.39

MAT objects to this policy on the basis that the proposed approach unnecessarily delays meeting housing need and more specifically the identified requirements for expansion at Lincroft Academy. This is inconsistent with PPG ID: 68-021-20190722 and development that prioritises delivery of the required expansion and improvements should be supported as a solution to the unreasonably ‘stepped’ trajectory.

Object

Representation ID: 10470

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report Paragraphs 3.39 – 3.52

As part of the Summer 2021 Consultation upon Preferred Strategy Options and Draft Policies (para 1.45) the Council identified that a review of the settlement hierarchy was ‘underway’.

In relation to our client’s interests at Lincroft Academy Site ID: 832 / 839 the Council’s proposed spatial strategy and distribution of growth is not supported. MAT further objects to the failure to revise Oakley’s classification as a Rural Service Centre as part of determining the spatial strategy and distribution of growth as an outcome of the plan-making process.
MAT support in principle Modifications to the distribution of growth outlined in Policy DS5(S) that would enable delivery of the Land East of Station Road and the wider benefits identified.
The delivery facilities for the school upon this land (including relocation of the sports pitches) is outside of the current (unfunded) project costs of £8m associated with the minimum requirements for expansion within the existing campus West of Station Road. This does not, however, preclude assessment of MAT’s interests East of Station Road as part of safeguarding future opportunities for expansion and improvement in-tandem with the delivery of the minimum requirements identified nor does it preclude recognition of the wider potential benefits of the additional land in terms of enhancement of the identified project costs and a potential source of additional funding.

Object

Representation ID: 10471

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report Paras 3.10 to 3.15

With regard to our client’s interests at Lincroft Academy Site ID: 832 / 839 the proposals within the submission version Local Plan relating to the overall spatial strategy and settlement at Oakley (including failure to recognise the expansion requirements and needs of Lincroft Academy) do not reflect the priorities for place-making and supporting sustainable communities as set out in the emerging Spatial Framework.

Object

Representation ID: 10472

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust

Agent: DLP Planning Limited

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Please see accompanying Representations Report Paragraphs 3.4 – 3.9

The Vision within the submission version Bedford Local Plan 2040 fails to recognise or provide for needs for community facilities necessary to deliver the objectives for the spatial strategy or to provide for sustainable development specifically in relation to the settlement at Oakley and secondary education provision at Lincroft Academy.

The Council’s assessment of our client’s interests at Lincroft Academy Site ID: 832 / 839 is inadequate and takes no account of the submitted details in terms of the ability to secure the required improvement of facilities and a range of additional benefits to the local community. Furthermore the site option has not been assessed in the same detail as other reasonable alternatives to enable identification of the positive effects associated with the improvement of social infrastructure and education provision at this location