The first draft of the Local Plan was released on 4th July and the consultation process has now closed until the final plan is released. Central Bedfordshire Council have brought forward the deadline for the release of its Local Plan to January 2018 so that it is able to submit the final document before 31st March 2018.
Does this affect Campton and Chicksands?
Two sites in Campton village have been identified for potential development to provide housing. These sites have been shortlisted by Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) based upon a set of selection criteria. Although these sites have been chosen for further consideration in the draft Plan, this doesn’t necessarily mean that either or both will be included in the final Local Plan. These decisions are currently being made by CBC before the opening of the final consultation period.
Where are the sites?
Although two sites have been selected, only a portion of land at each site is under consideration,
One location is on part of the Glebe farmland (Ref:ALP287) and the other is on part of the field along Greenway (Ref: NLP082). The technical document showing how the criteria have been applied for each site, including those which did not meet the selection criteria.
The Parish Council have not been informed of the precise locations proposed and may not know until the latter part of 2017 following CBC’s review of the current consultation of the draft Local Plan.
What is the Parish Council doing?
The Parish Council has sent a written representation raising its concerns about the location and potential impact of any proposed developments within the parish. This includes the environmental impact and effect on transport, parking, Lower School and Village Hall facilities that serve both Campton and Chicksands. In addition, there will be the increased burden on other local facilities such as Shefford Health Centre, middle and upper schools, and access to the road network given the expansion of Shefford and Meppershall and plans for the former Henlow airfield site. A copy of the representation can be found here: Representation about the Draft Local Plan.
The Parish Council will also be preparing a Neighbourhood Plan so that the community can have its say on how any future developments take place in the Parish.
Further updates will be published on this webpage and in the Parish Council newsletter in due course.