Homes, Jobs and Schools – Now is the Time to Have Your Say on Bedford’s Future Bedford News

The next phase of the 2040 Local Plan consultation has now started and the Bedford Borough Council wants to hear from you.

Local plans define where growth and development will take place – everything from homes and jobs to schools and infrastructure.

While the Local 2030 Plan was approved in January 2020, some policies need to be updated earlier than usual in order to keep them in line with national policies, for example the Oxford Arc to Cambridge.

This consultation seeks your opinion on a development strategy for 2040 and where growth can be ensured.

Based on the government’s latest methodology, the new local plan is to allocate land for a minimum of 12,500 additional new dwellings and space for around 8,650 jobs.

Last year, the council asked for your advice on the different types of locations where growth could take place. These fed into four pre-selected options focused on the urban area, the A421 corridor and existing and planned train stations. Three of them include one or two new establishments.

You can also reply by mail to Planning Policy Team, Bedford Borough Council, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, MK42 9AP.

Walk-in sessions will be held at the Howard Center, Bedford between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday July 14, Saturday July 17, Wednesday July 28, Sunday August 1, Wednesday August 11, and Saturday August 21.

The consultation ends on Friday September 3 at 5 p.m.