2. Bedford Borough Council’s Draft Local Plan 2015 – 2035 for submission

3. Bedford Borough Council - Local Plan 2035 Draft for submission
CPRE Bedfordshire does not agree to BBC’s estimate of need for 19,000 new homes.
Our calculation shows that 15,000 new homes are required
BBC housing requirement and proposed allocations
Total number of new homes required (SHMA) over the period
19,000
Already identified
-11,183
Additional homes needed
7,817
Stewartby - New Village, brownfield site
- 1,000
Bedford/Kempston - urban area & edge of urban area
- 2,630
Group 1 villages - Bromham, Clapham,
Grt Barford: 500 homes each
- 1,500
Group 2 villages - Carlton, Harrold, Milton Ernest, Oakley, Roxton, Turvey: 25 – 50 homes each
To be Allocated
- 2,500
Total allocation
7,855
FOI Request shows:
Housing needs of all the people of the Borough can be met with 50% of housing proposed by BBC

4. New Town at Sharnbrook, Colworth, Souldrop chosen
Proposed New Towns
Outstanding requirement = 2,500 homes by 2035
New town
Number of new homes
Lee Farm, Sharnbrook
4,500 + employment land
Thurleigh Airfield
5,250 + employment land
Twinwoods (MiltonErnest)
6,000 + employment land
Wyboston
4,000 + employment land
New Town at Sharnbrook, Colworth, Souldrop chosen
Local Plan POLICY 27
At least 4,500 new homes (of which 2,500 will be delivered before 2035?)
Including Colworth Science Park plus additional 7.5 ha (20 acres) employment land
Town the size of Ampthill has approx. 4,000 homes

5. + 25% bigger than Ampthill +40% larger than Higham Ferrers
Sharnbrook has approx homes
New Town has at least 4,500 new homes
TOTAL
at least 5,500 new homes
+ 25% bigger than Ampthill
+40% larger than Higham Ferrers

6. Unsustainable location – in green countryside & farmland
CPRE Bedfordshire is opposed to the proposed Sharnbrook, Colworth, Souldrop New Town
Unsustainable location – in green countryside & farmland
Adversely impact local countryside and the setting of important deciduous woodland areas – largest and one of the most important SSSI sites in Bedford Borough - Odell Great Wood.
Massive addition to vehicle movements – car and commercial
Up to + 9,000 cars can be expected from the New Town alone
New Parkway Station car park 500 – 1000 car park spaces
Generating around vehicle movements per day

7. Poor East – West Rural Road Network To the West/South West To the East
Mostly quiet rural roads through small environmentally sensitive villages
Surrounding countryside some of the most tranquil in all Bedfordshire
To the West/South West
vehicles car & Commercial will go through:
Harrold, Felmersham, Turvey, Carlton, Pavenham, Bromham, Oakley etc.
Bridges liable to flooding during winter closing roads
To the East
vehicles Car & Commercial will go through:
Knotting, Melchbourne, Upper & Lower Dean, Risely, Swineshead, Pertenhall, Thurleigh, Colmworth etc.

8. Poor quality data used by BBC to determine vehicle movements and impact
Increased traffic on A6 - North & South – will adversely impact Bedford
New Parkway Station
New station has not been agreed by Network Rail
House building will start before New Station

9. What about alternatives:
Bedford South – 4,500 to 9,000 homes between Kempston Hardwick and Cardington
- Along A421 Corridor – East/West
- Along East - West Rail Corridor
- Close to A6 – north/south infrastructure
- Brown Field sites in sustainable locations
- Site not included in Draft Local Plan
Are there other sites – BBC will know!

11. BEDFORD LOCAL PLAN 2035 – DEVELOPMENTS
IMPACTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE
Derek Bliss FCILT

12. Colworth Village Traffic Proj. AM Peak Hour – Phase 1
Now Colw. Rush. Incr. Tot. Colw. Rush. Incr. Tot.
A6 South
A6 North
East Thur
West Harr/
Pavenham
Total
(Sharnbrook 2011 Census) (National Travel Survey) NB Houses at Colworth Houses East Northants

13. Colworth – Key Traffic Numbers
A6 South – 1400 extra vehs. / AM peak Hour ex Phase 1 & Phase 2 with Rail Station.
A6 South – 1900 extra vehs / AM Peak Hour ex Phase 2.
Total A6 South 2000 – 2650 vehs / AM Peak Hour Phase 1 & Phase 2 with Rail Station.
Total A6 South 2450 – 3100 vehs / AM Peak Hour without Rail Station Phase 2.
West via Villages + c170 vehs / AM Peak Hour.

14. COLWORTH – MITIGATION PROPOSALS
New link road to A6 at Forty Foot Lane
New link road to Souldrop Lane Rail Bridge-Ph2
New Railway Station at Forty Foot Lane-Ph2
(Not yet Commercially Justified but volumes could be sufficient compared to other new Parkway Stations}
20 min frequency Bus Service to Bedford
No vehicle access to Business Park except via A6 and Forty Foot Lane

15. COLWORTH – Impact of Systra AM Peak Hour Routing Proposals
To prevent rat running Systra are proposing to introduce traffic calming in all the villages and route all the new traffic down the A6 in Ph1.
Increase in A6 volume south by c310 to 2639 Ph 1 & Ph 2 vehs. per hour.
Result – Overloading of Milton Ernest – estimated capacity 2500 vehicles / hr. Max.
Probable overloading of Clapham Rd R’about – design capacity 3600 vehs / hr.

16. Systra Costs of Road Improvements
Wyboston - £4.782m.
A421/A4280 grade separated Junc. £1m
Twinwoods - £15.108m.
Milton Ernest northern by pass £11m
Thurleigh - £29.806m.
Dualling of Thurleigh Rd. £14.5m
Milton Ernest southern by pass £10m
Colworth - £31.271m.
New 2.5km Forty Foot Lane to A6 £6m
New Railway Bridge link to Forty Foot Lane £14m

17. Proposed Station at Souldrop
Network Rail Proposal – (£5.25m - £21m)
A single platform with turn back facility to terminate some Thameslink trains ex Bedford
Systra Proposal – (£5.25m - £21m)
2 platform station to be served by new half hourly MML Corby – London electric trains - Dec 2020
Both proposals include 500 space Car Park.
Estimated reduction in A6 traffic south AM.
PBA estimate 13.5% ie c450 vehs/peak hour
Delivery unlikely until 2035 – 2044 plan