Plans to build new homes in Harrold submitted to Bedford council - after a similar application was withdrawn

A planning application for new homes in Harrold is the “same rejected application dressed up as a change of use”, an objector has claimed.

Last month an application for 17 new homes – including the six affordable rental homes (23/02664/MAF) – was withdrawn.

This followed an email sent to the applicant’s planning agent where a Bedford Borough Council planning officer recommended “that the application be withdrawn” as the number of amendments required would fall outside of what is considered to be “reasonable”.

This new application has a new site layout, but the same number of homes.

The applicant said their “high quality” homes would be a mixture of terraced, semi detached and detached two, three four and five bedroom dwellings of varying sizes, “helping to contribute to local housing mix and the character of the site”.

Following the planning application’s submission an objector wrote on the council’s planning portal: “Our parish has played its part in expansion with 100+ houses being built on the old Bridgman site.

“This is just the same rejected application dressed up as “change of use “, what nonsense.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service approached the planning agents for a comment on the objector’s claims, but it did not receive a response at the time of publication.

More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 24/00243/MAF. The overall consultation expiry date is Friday, March 8, 2024.