Bedford Local Plan 2030

DLP’s Strategic Planning and Research Unit (SPRU) continues to act on behalf of Bedfordia Developments to promote its land interests as part of the plan-making process in Bedford Borough. The current adopted Local Plan 2030 commenced preparation in January 2014 but was not adopted until January 2021.

Throughout this period SPRU’s representations to the development plan process confirmed the suitability and availability of Bedfordia’s sites to inform the local planning authority’s site selection process. Bedfordia’s interests were identified in several iterations of the Council’s preferred options for growth at sustainable locations within the settlement hierarchy.

Key challenges for representing the client’s interests arose from the local planning authority’s decisions regarding the scale and distribution of housing need, assessment of housing land supply and deferral of site allocations in Neighbourhood Plans to be prepared subsequently. Using transitional arrangements to the 2018 version of the National Planning Policy Framework the local planning authority also opted to prepare policies that would not address full housing needs identified by current Government policy.

Acting alongside leading Counsel, SPRU’s representations in response to these challenges were instrumental to ensuring that the Local Plan 2030 was only adopted with provision for an immediate review. SPRU proposed Modifications resulting in the deadline for submission of a replacement Plan providing for local housing need being set out in adopted policies. SPRU also ensured that the distribution of future requirements to be addressed in allocations at Rural Service Centres were minimum starting points that could be exceed.

Successful continued promotion of Bedfordia Developments’ interests has secured allocations in Neighbourhood Plans at Oakley and Milon Ernest. DLP Planning has subsequently successfully led the application process for these allocations.

SPRU has subsequently acted for Bedfordia Developments in respect of further land interests in the context of the replacement Bedford Local Plan 2040, which remains under preparation. SPRU’s representations to-date have been reflected in fundamental soundness concerns expressed in the Inspector’s Initial Findings. These findings highlight where the lack of a more refined approach to the scale and distribution of growth across individual rural settlements appears to implant an unjustified restriction on opportunities for sustainable development and alternatives to addressing barriers to supply.

SPRU continues to make representations related to the substantial amount of additional work the local planning authority is now required to undertake, with the objective of maximising the benefits that Bedfordia Developments’ interests can provide as part of overall allocations within the Local Plan 2040, if adopted.