Wilshamstead Neighbourhood Plan becomes the 17th to be 'made' by Bedford Borough Council

The Wilshamstead neighbourhood plan has become the 17th plan to be ‘made’ by Bedford Borough Council.

The civil parish is named Wilshamstead, but Wilstead is generally the name used to refer to both the parish and the village.

The council’s executive heard on Wednesday (January 4) that a neighbourhood plan is a way for local people to influence the planning and development of the area in which they live and/or work.

Bedford mayor, Dave Hodgson, said: “There are significant benefits to having a neighbourhood plan in place.

“The main advantage is that once formally made they are part of the statutory development plan and their local policies are given full weight in planning decisions.

“Importantly, the making of a neighbourhood plan brings with it an uplift in the amount of community infrastructure levy (CIL) that the parish will receive when development takes place from 15 per cent to 25 per cent.

“Whilst most plans will include housing allocations to help meet the borough’s housing needs, some like Wilshamstead’s cover a broad range of subjects reflecting issues that are of most concern to local people.”

The mayor added that the plan has designated nine local green spaces, and its wide-ranging objectives includes countryside protection, promoting safe streets and spaces, reducing traffic volumes and sustainable travel.

As well as improvements in leisure, recreation, community and commercial opportunities.

“The local referendum returned a clear majority in favour (87 per cent) of the neighbourhood plan,” he said.

“We can congratulate the community on their plan’s successful completion and thank them for their hard work.”

The Wilshamstead neighbourhood plan’s vision is to retain and enhance the countryside setting, friendly character, identity and relative tranquillity of the village. and ensure development opportunities will be sustainable and appropriate to the scale and nature of the village, respecting its historic, agricultural, and rural character.

The plan says it does not seek to allocate sites for development as there is no requirement in the current Local Plan 2030 for it to do so.

However, should new housing be required in the parish in the future by the borough council, the neighbourhood plan is likely to be reviewed to consider this at a local level.

Its Policy H1: Housing states that infill development within the built form of the village (Settlement Policy Area) is supported provided that the principles of high-quality design are adhered to; that all new windfall housing development for three units or more will ensure that at least 33 per cent comprise smaller homes (up to two bedrooms); and the provision of bungalows is supported.

The plan is expected to last for 15 years.

The executive agreed that the Wilshamstead Neighbourhood Development Plan should be ‘made’ with immediate effect.

Under Section 9D of the Local Government Act 2000, decisions to ‘make’ a neighbourhood plan are taken by a local authority’s executive rather than its full council.

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