Have Your Say on the Local Plan Review Before the September 4th Deadline

Consultation on the Local Plan Review ends on Friday 4 September and Bedford Borough Council is urging people to have their say ahead of this deadline.

Local Plans set out where growth and development will take place- everything from houses and jobs to schools and infrastructure.

Bedford Borough Council already has a Local Plan in place up to 2030.

With changes to national planning policy and proposals around the Oxford to Cambridge Arc - which Bedford Borough is at the heart of - they now need to look further ahead and the Local Plan Review is open to consultation.

This consultation began in July and has been running throughout the summer, mainly focused on developing a strategy to guide housing and employment growth and identify the infrastructure needed to support it.

Government requires councils to plan for a certain level of housing growth in their local plans. As part of the next Local Plan, allocations may need to be made for between 5,000 and 15,000 additional new dwellings over a plan period up to 2040. The exact number will depend on forthcoming revisions to the Government's housing-need formula.

It will also look at policies around climate change, protecting the natural environment, quality of development, self and custom build homes, open space in new developments, and policies around the town centre.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said "This is just the first stage in the Local Plan process, but it is still really important to give us your thoughts. This paper sets out the basics- how long a time period should the next local plan cover, what do you want us to look at as part of the plan, and more.

"Have your say at the start of this process, which is fundamental is shaping the future of your Borough."

The full consultation paper, a presentation, and a set of FAQs about the paper can be seen at www.bedford.gov.uk/localplanreview. You can also request a paper copy of the consultation and/or response form by calling 01234 718070.

You can have your say online at www.bedford.gov.uk/localplanreview, or by completing a response form and sending it attached to an email to planningforthefuture@bedford.gov.uk, or by posting a paper copy of your response form to Planning Policy Team, Bedford Borough Council, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, MK42 9AP.

If you have any questions not addressed in the FAQ, the team can be contacted on 01234 718300 where you can leave a message and the team will come back to you.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 4 September.