Plans for 40 new homes for Biddenham submitted to council
A planning application has been submitted for up to 40 homes on land south of Bromham Road, Biddenham.
The application, submitted by Hollins Strategic Land LLP, seeks outline planning permission for residential development on a 1.81-hectare site on the edge of the Bedford urban area. All matters are reserved except for access.
The site is located outside, but immediately adjacent to, the Bedford Urban Area Boundary and is currently designated as open countryside.
The planning statement says the proposal includes 30 per cent affordable housing, off-site traffic calming works, highway improvements, public open spaces, green and blue infrastructure, and a minimum of 10 per cent biodiversity net gain secured by condition.
The applicant states that Bedford Borough Council’s adopted Local Plan is more than five years old and that the council can demonstrate a 3.46-year housing land supply (January 2025), reduced to 3.37 years following the March 2025 affordability update.
The planning statement says this engages the “tilted balance” under paragraph 11(d) of the National Planning Policy Framework.
It states that “no weight can be attached to the emerging local plan.”
The site formed part of the Biddenham Loop area and was previously identified as agricultural land and part of a River Protection Area in the 2002 Local Plan. These designations no longer apply.
The planning statement says development would not reduce the gap between Biddenham and Bromham, which is approximately 400 metres at its narrowest point and includes areas within Flood Zones 2 and 3.
More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 25/01825/MAO. The overall consultation expiry date is Friday, November 7, 2025.
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