Have your say on housing, jobs and school plan for Bedford

Bedford Borough Council is asking the public for their opinion on its Local Plan.

The plans set out where growth and development will take place - with everything from houses and jobs to schools and infrastructure included.

The council already has a Local Plan in place up to 2030. But with changes to national planning policy and proposals around the Oxford to Cambridge Arc, they now need to look further ahead.

The Local Plan Review - Issues & Options paper, which is now out for consultation, will mainly focus 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.

This process will also open a ‘call for sites’ where people can put forward land to be allocated as a site for development in the next local plan. Sites need to be submitted by Friday, August 14.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said “This ‘Issues & Options’ consultation focuses on 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. This consultation is a great opportunity to have your say at the beginning of the process.”

The full consultation paper can be seen here There will be paper copies at the Customer Service Centre in Bedford, which can be read by appointment only; call 01234 267422 to book an appointment.

You can also request a paper copy of the consultation and/or response form by calling 01234 718070.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday, September 4.