Four new '˜villages' proposed for Bedfordshire countryside site

Proposals for Hayfield Village One, consisting of 700 homes, a lower school and shops, were revealed this week.

Close to the M1 and Magna Park, the new settlement would be three quarters the size of Aspley Guise itself.

It would be inside the parish boundary of Aspley Guise and about a mile away from Woburn Sands.

Already councillors in both areas have expressed concerns about problems with traffic and infrastructure that the new development could cause.

And they fear three more similarly sized villages and the thousands of new families would simply be too much for the rural roads and existing communities.

But the consortium behind the scheme has assured residents their views will be taken into account.

Four large developers have joined forces to form the new consortium, which is called Hayfield after the farmland the houses would be built on.

They say the land, known as the Aspley Guise Triangle, is considered the best in the area for new homes because of its commuter links to Milton Keynes and its position on the future East West Rail route.

The site is bordered by the busy A421 on the north and the rural Cranfield Road on the west.

Already Aspley Guise Parish Council fears local traffic chaos would result.

Chairman Ian Pickering said: “We are not in a position to give an official view yet as the planning application has not been lodged.

“But I certainly have concerns about potential traffic congestion this could cause through Aspley Guise and on the A421.”

The consortium plans to lodge a planning application with Central Beds Council later this summer.

Ward councillor Budge Wells said: “There are a lot of issues surrounding this proposal.”

> The consortium is planning a series of public exhibitions and has a consultation freephone number – 0800 9889 141. Visit www.hayfield-park.co.uk for more details.