Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission

Object

Representation ID: 10047

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Bates/Must Family

Agent: Bletsoes

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

We object to Policy DS2(S) Spatial Strategy as we believe that the Spatial Strategy followed by Bedford Borough Council does not fully consider the Employment Allocations proposed within the Plan when considering the allocation of residential development.

Specifically a large Employment Allocation (Policy EMP8 Land at Roxton, South West of the Black Cat Roundabout) is identified at Roxton and will include circa 17 hectares of Employment Land. We consider that additional residential growth should therefore also be allocated to Roxton to help service the employment growth. The proposal Employment Allocation will change the status and nature of Roxton and the immediate vicinity and as a result the village should be identified as a Key Service Centre rather than its current identification as a Rural Service Centre.

It is noted that Roxton has received an allocation for 50 dwellings in the Local Plan to 2040, but this allocation has been continued from the Local Plan to 2030 with development of this site about to commence, therefore we believe that Roxton should receive a further allocation for residential development to provide housing opportunities to serve the large employment scheme and to help sustain the existing service base at Roxton.

Our clients have undertaken highway work and there is sufficient capacity within the existing highway to serve a significant quantum of development and the land in question relates well to the existing built framework of the village. Furthermore the large proposed Employment Allocation will further enclose the area proposed for residential development. There are no constraints to our clients’ ownership and a number of different development scenarios could be considered including a provision of Community facilities such as additional land for school expansion and/or other community objectives.

We would welcome an opportunity to meet with the Local Planning Authority to discuss our proposals further.