Central Bedfordshire Local Plan Review

Following the adoption of the Local Plan in July 2021, the Inspector requested a review of the Local Plan within 6 months.

Central Bedfordshire Council confirmed this stating that “In the context of Central Bedfordshire’s position within the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc, the Council will commence a Partial Review of this Plan within six months of its adoption.”

At the time of writing this, the webpage on ‘Reviewing our Local Plan’ confirms that this will start in early 2022 and promises more information as it becomes available. We are aware that the timetable for the review was approved by the Council’s Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28th February 2022 and by the Council’s Executive on 5 April 2022, but this update has not yet appeared on the page. We have however discovered a draft timetable.

Draft timetable

This timetable has been taken from the Central Bedfordshire Council Local Development Scheme (LDS)

January 2022: Commence review of the Local Plan

August/September 2022: Complete review

August/September 2022: Commence evidence gathering for Local Plan update:

August/September 2022 – August 2025: Preparation of Local Plan update (including monitoring of polices and updating the evidence base.) This is an ongoing process as the evidence base is developed and updated throughout the preparation of the Plan, up until its Submission to the Secretary of State

January 2023 – January 2024: Informal and non-statutory engagement and evidence review. This stage will involve reviewing key parts of the evidence base internally, as well as stakeholders. Any required updates to the evidence base will also take place

September – November 2024: Public and stakeholder engagement in preparing the Draft Local Plan – Formal Consultation. Consultation will take place over a 6-week period however, the exact timeframe will be confirmed once the updates and review of the evidence base has been undertaken

June – July 2025: Publication of the proposed submission (Pre-Submission) plan for representations. Consultation will take place over a 6-week period, however, the exact timeframe will be confirmed once the representations made at Regulation 18 have been reviewed and any updates to evidence base has been undertaken.

November 2025: Submission of Plan to Secretary of State for Examination

January 2026 – June 2026: Examination Period:

August 2026: Inspector’s Report

October 2026: Adoption of the Local Plan

Note 3.12 of the LDS states: “The timetable has been produced with the best available information at the time of writing. This is based on the context of ongoing uncertainties around the outcomes of the Government’s Planning White Paper, ‘Levelling Up Agenda’ and progress on the Arc Spatial Framework, as well as outstanding decisions on the delivery of strategic infrastructure, such as the East-West Rail, upgrades to the A1 and the Bedford and Milton Keynes (BMK) Waterway Park project.”

CPRE Bedfordshire concerns

A year into the Review of the Local Plan, CPRE Bedfordshire is concerned about the lack of information and transparency regarding its progress and scope. Throughout the Local Plan 2035 process we had concerns about the public consultation process. While this met the minimum statutory requirements, information was not readily available or easily accessible to the general public. These concerns have been born out during our work with Local Action Groups and communities who have no awareness of the Local Plan or the impact it has on their neighbourhood. We would like to see more transparency and assurances that the people of Central Bedfordshire are made aware of that the Local Plan Review is happening and, when the time comes, how they can be involved in the public consultation.

In relation to the Local Plan Review itself CPRE Bedfordshire would like to see the newly elected CBC take this opportunity to re-evaluate their housing numbers in line with the recent ONS data which show that the Luton and Central Beds population has already reached the number in the 2015 estimates. This indicates a reduction in the number of homes required in Central Bedfordshire. Papers from the above meetings made it clear that Officers have experienced a challenge with assessing need, when future Government white papers may alter the process for doing this. However, the Head of Strategic Growth advised that the starting point for Housing Demand will be the nationally set Standard Methodology Calculation and Housing Land Supply will be updated during the Review process.

We appreciate that there is still no clarity from Government in relation to both the Ox-Cam Arc or the delivery of East-West Rail and that this may impact on the timing of the review. Other areas we would like to see considered are the need to conserve the county’s good agriculture land to ensure our present and future food security and the challenges of the lack of water supply in the area.