Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 Plan for Submission

Object

Representation ID: 10242

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Amount and timing of Housing Growth (DS3(S))
The flawed approach to the identification of suitable site’s leads to a policy that delivers almost the entire requirement of this plan into the last ten years at an annual rate which is unrealistic. The rate for the last ten years is almost double that of the first five years, on an annual delivery basis.
The most recent evidence (Housing delivery test 2021) in Bedford suggests the highest rate historically is 1371 dwellings per annum. If 1,400 is achieved every year for 10 years this leaves a deficit of 3,000 dwellings that cannot be made up from any other sources of site’s. All the brownfield site’s will have been built out and there is an embargo in the rural areas in that 10 year period.
Given the lack site’s from which dwellings are being delivered, this places huge pressure on the timing of infrastructure and the delivery of each of the allocated site’s.
There is no flexibility on the policy to deal with any delays. Not only is this indicative of the problem of selecting site’s that have a longer than average lead-in time, it places pressure on the plan to succeed immediately given the lead-in time for the large site’s that must deliver their first units in 2030, only 7 years after the likely adoption of this plan.
The plan does not take into account the significant delays that exist in preparing infrastructure for development and the process of getting new settlements into a position when they can maximize their output.
The Wixams case study is a case that the Council need to analyse and reflect upon. The plan system is based on a manage and monitor protocol and therefore reflecting on the past is an important approach.
In short, the Wixams project took from 1997, when it was first adopted to 2006 to achieve a planning permission. The first completion was in 2009, meaning that it took 12 years from adoption to the first completion. The new settlements in this plan, if adopted in 2023, would not see a completion until 2035.
The Wixams was built out by multiple developers and yet the initial phases of development have failed to deliver the number of dwellings anticipated. As of 2016 of the original first phase of 2,250 homes only 1,259 had been completed, the equivalent to 178 dwellings per annum over 7 years.
Based on the Wixams example the likelihood of an undersupply of homes across two new settlements is seriously likely to occur as it did with Wixams.

Object

Representation ID: 10244

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Distribution of Growth (DS5(S))
The approach to rely on new settlements to deliver homes in the latter part of the plan is flawed as has been addressed, as it holds back 88% of the new allocations for the second half of the plan placing incredible burden on the first 10 years to deliver no less than might be needed.
Whilst it is noted that the distribution of growth identifies an excess of 1,274 dwellings above the requirement this does not go far enough to counter the very likely under supply from the new settlement strategy.
The distribution of growth policy reinforces the absence of any site’s proposed on the edge of sustainable settlements. It also relies on the allocation of brownfield site’s, some of which will be identified on the brownfield register. As indicated by the NPPF (para 23) these site’s should not be allocated in the plan where they are identified in the register. Potentially this allows a redistribution of up to 1,200 units to the rural areas or the edge of the Urban Area to deliver vital homes in the first ten years of this plan.

Object

Representation ID: 10253

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Visions and Objectives
We support the broad intentions set out in the ‘Vision and Objectives’ in so far as they seek to deliver a greener, more sustainable and more attractive place to live, but there are overly optimistic statements about infrastructure delivery. Furthermore, the vision for new settlements is flawed and there is no recognition of the importance growth located on the edge of the most sustainable locations, the urban area and larger existing sustainable settlements.

Object

Representation ID: 10254

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Spatial Strategy (DS2(S))
The reliance on brownfield site’s as housing allocations is a flawed approach as it overlooks the role that brownfield site’s have as windfall opportunities. Their inclusion on a brownfield register, also negates the need to allocate as they are by definition acceptable for redevelopment. They should not be included in the plan to deliver new development.
The Plan relies too heavily on new settlements. They are not the most sustainable locations, take a very long time to emerge from conception to implementation and rely on significant new infrastructure. The Plan promotes new infrastructure opportunities but until these are in place there should be no reliance on their delivery because they are largely influenced by control outside of the Council.
The Plan fails to recognize the importance of small and medium sized site’s, which is specifically supported by the NPPF. Moreover, there are many site’s that are located on the edge of the contiguous edge of the Urban Area, or on the edge of existing sustainable communities in the rural area. These site’s are more sustainable and more deliverable than the proposed new settlements and offer a better solution to deliver essential new homes into the borough.
Neighbourhood plans expire in 2030 and yet this plan is until 2040. There is a 10 year gap, at the very least where no development is proposed for much of the rural area, amounting to an embargo on development. This will have an impact on those communities as their need for homes increases whilst supply is not provided.

Object

Representation ID: 10255

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Amount and timing of Housing Growth (DS3(S))
The flawed approach to the identification of suitable site’s leads to a policy that delivers almost the entire requirement of this plan into the last ten years at an annual rate which is unrealistic. The rate for the last ten years is almost double that of the first five years, on an annual delivery basis.
The most recent evidence (Housing delivery test 2021) in Bedford suggests the highest rate historically is 1371 dwellings per annum. If 1,400 is achieved every year for 10 years this leaves a deficit of 3,000 dwellings that cannot be made up from any other sources of site’s. All the brownfield site’s will have been built out and there is an embargo in the rural areas in that 10 year period.
Given the lack site’s from which dwellings are being delivered, this places huge pressure on the timing of infrastructure and the delivery of each of the allocated sites.
There is no flexibility on the policy to deal with any delays. Not only is this indicative of the problem of selecting sites that have a longer than average lead-in time, it places pressure on the plan to succeed immediately given the lead-in time for the large sites that must deliver their first units in 2030, only 7 years after the likely adoption of this plan.
The plan does not take into account the significant delays that exist in preparing infrastructure for development and the process of getting new settlements into a position when they can maximize their output.
The Wixams case study is a case that the Council need to analyse and reflect upon. The plan system is based on a manage and monitor protocol and therefore reflecting on the past is an important approach.
In short, the Wixams project took from 1997, when it was first adopted to 2006 to achieve a planning permission. The first completion was in 2009, meaning that it took 12 years from adoption to the first completion. The new settlements in this plan, if adopted in 2023, would not see a completion until 2035.
The Wixams was built out by multiple developers and yet the initial phases of development have failed to deliver the number of dwellings anticipated. As of 2016 of the original first phase of 2,250 homes only 1,259 had been completed, the equivalent to 178 dwellings per annum over 7 years.
Based on the Wixams example the likelihood of an undersupply of homes across two new settlements is seriously likely to occur as it did with Wixams.

Object

Representation ID: 10256

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: J C Gill Developments Ltd

Agent: Optimis Consulting

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Distribution of Growth (DS5(S))
The approach to rely on new settlements to deliver homes in the latter part of the plan is flawed as has been addressed, as it holds back 88% of the new allocations for the second half of the plan placing incredible burden on the first 10 years to deliver no less than might be needed.
Whilst it is noted that the distribution of growth identifies an excess of 1,274 dwellings above the requirement this does not go far enough to counter the very likely under supply from the new settlement strategy.
The distribution of growth policy reinforces the absence of any sites proposed on the edge of sustainable settlements. It also relies on the allocation of brownfield sites, some of which will be identified on the brownfield register. As indicated by the NPPF (para 23) these sites should not be allocated in the plan where they are identified in the register. Potentially this allows a redistribution of up to 1,200 units to the rural areas or the edge of the Urban Area to deliver vital homes in the first ten years of this plan.