Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council are working together to prepare a new joint plan to guide where and how minerals are extracted and waste is managed across Bedfordshire up to 2050.
Minerals such as sand, gravel and other materials are needed to support new homes, roads and other infrastructure. At the same time, we need suitable places and facilities to manage the waste generated from homes and businesses.
The plan will establish a clear policy framework to balance future mineral and waste needs against environmental, amenity and community safeguards. Specifically, it will:
Once adopted, it will replace both the Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Strategic Sites and Policies (adopted in 2014) and relevant saved policies from the Bedfordshire and Luton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted in 2005). It will also sit alongside the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2050 to ensure mineral resources and waste management needs align with future growth.
Please read the notice of intention to commence preparation of the new Minerals and Waste Plan (PDF)
Our first stage will be a scoping consultation, running from Monday 12 October until 5pm on Friday 20 November 2026. This will be an opportunity to tell us what issues you think the new plan should consider and what is important to you - so we can effectively manage Bedfordshire’s minerals and waste needs up to 2050.
Alongside this consultation, we are inviting nominations regarding potential minerals and waste development sites.
At this stage, no decisions have been made about specific sites or policies. The feedback we receive will help inform the next stages of the plan.
Central Bedfordshire Council is managing the work on behalf of the three authorities. Please go to Central Bedfordshire Council's website to view all of the relevant information, including the relevant consultation documents, the timetable and notice of consultation.
For a chance to comment on minerals and waste development proposals or check out the latest planning applications, these are available on Central Bedfordshire Council's minerals and waste planning webpages.
To submit a minerals or waste application, please visit Central Bedfordshire’s minerals and waste planning applications webpage.
Please send any planning applications, queries or complaints concerning minerals or waste matters to: MWApplications@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
The Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Strategic Sites and Policies (adopted in 2014) sets out the vision, objectives and strategy to guide the provision of minerals and waste across the whole of Bedfordshire up to 2028.
This document also identifies strategic sites where mineral extraction and various types of waste management facilities (e.g. recycling, energy recovery and non-hazardous landfill) can be developed. It also replaces most of the policies in the Bedfordshire and Luton Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2005, although two policies (policy W17: land raising and policy W22: safeguarding existing sites) have been saved and are specifically applicable to Bedford.
A separate Minerals and Waste Policies Map illustrates all the proposals and policies contained within these documents.
There is also associated technical guidance to help implement the policies set out in these plans:
All minerals and waste planning applications within the borough will be assessed the policies set out in the current adopted plan and associated guidance (available from Central Bedfordshire Council's website using the links above).
You can view, comment on or submit minerals and waste planning applications via Central Bedfordshire Council’s minerals and waste planning webpages or email MWApplications@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Monitoring reports that assess the effectiveness of adopted policies and the progress of associated plans are also available.