You can view past planning consultations here, including representations received and a summary of the main issues raised.
In January 2018 we published a Plan for Submission for public consultation. The consultation was extended part way through the period and ended on 29 March 2018.
We received over 3,200 representations. These have been redacted for data protection purposes and they can be viewed using the links below.
Spreadsheet
Using this link you can see all of the representations made in policy and paragraph order. The main text of the representation is included on the spreadsheet but any attachments cannot be viewed. If you would like to read an original representation (including any attachments), note the BBC reference number and locate the document in the ‘originals’ list below.
Originals
Using this link you can view all of the original representations. They are listed in BBC reference number order. You can scroll down the list to find the number you are looking for or enter the number into the search function.
A summary of the main issues raised during the consultation has also been prepared. It is not intended that the summary lists all of the points made in the representations.
This consultation is now closed.
In April 2017 we issued a further consultation on a draft strategy for where future growth might be located in the borough, along with a series of site options to accommodate that growth and included four potential new settlements. This consultation was carried out between April and June 2017. We received 1,800 responses to the consultation. We have redacted these responses for data protection purposes and they can be viewed using the links below:
A summary of key issues raised is available here.
The consultation paper 2017 and the accompanying documents can be viewed below for information:
The consultation invited comments on the following documents which will inform the development of policies and allocations in the Local Plan.
The documents were available for comment between 4th January and 29th February 2016.
This consultation is now closed.
Please note that comments received will be made public and may be attributed to source.
This consultation invited comments on the general levels and distribution of development in the borough up to 2032. It also invited comments on a range of technical studies.
This consultation is now closed.
As a first step in deciding the plan's content, the Council consulted on an Issues and Options Paper. The consultation, which included a call for sites, ran from 13 January to 24 February 2014.
This consultation is now closed.
The council requested details of potential development sites to be submitted through two separate 'call for sites' exercises (January 2014 and October 2015). In total approximately 640 sites have been submitted. Further information can be found here.
Under the One Public Estate (OPE) programme the council is developing a master plan for the Town Centre South area of Bedford. The master plan will help us shape the growth of the town including new homes, workspaces and shops.
The OPE programme's main aim is for the owners of public sector assets to work together to make better use of the combined assets. The master plan will provide options for housing development on sites with one or more public sector owners.
This process will assess the capacity and land use mix of development sites to help inform the emerging Bedford Borough Local Plan 2035 and the delivery of brownfield sites within the urban area of Bedford.
A consultation on the Bedford Masterplan Emerging Spatial options ran from 4 to 31 October 2017 and is now closed.
On 14 September 2017 the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published its consultation Planning for the right homes in the right places. The consultation is the next step in delivering some of the proposals that were consulted on in the 2017 housing White Paper. It will lead to the first changes to the National Planning Policy Framework since it was issued in 2012. These changes will be the subject of further consultation in due course (anticipated early 2018).
Further details can be found at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-right-homes-in-the-right-places-consultation-proposals
Of particular significance is the government's proposed standard methodology for assessing housing need. This is likely to impact on the number of homes the council will need to allocate in future. There is uncertainty about the timing and outcomes of the consultation and so for the moment the council is continuing work on the Local Plan 2035 on the basis of the current, known level of housing need which is 19,000 homes.