Bedford Local Plan 2035
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| Simon Barber simon4barber@gmail.com | |||
| to: | planningforthefuture@bedford.gov.uk |
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a member of the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA ),
which,as you may already know,is a voluntary membership-based,
pro-public transport improvement association with its main projects initially
in the Bedfordshire and surrounding regional areas but its remit has since
increased since several of its projects have a nation-wide positive benefit and
impact. The reason for writing is that I am responding to your consultation on
the Bedford Local Plan 2035 which was recently launched and apparently closes
next month. I now have the following concerns:
Site 4(Bedford St.John's Old Station/Goods Yard) -
The 32 dwellings proposed on that
site should not go ahead since ERTA wishes to re-instate the old station as
part of the East - West Rail Link on the section between Bedford and Cambridge.
This section of the East - West Rail Link must be completed by 2035 at the
latest and must also include Sandy(connection with East Coast main line).
Site 9(Land south of Cardington Road,Bedford) - This development should allow
accessibility to Bedford St.John's station as mentioned above.
Sites 416/417(Lower Farm Road, Bromham -Oakley) - In conjunction with the 120
dwellings and adjacent employment sites,the proposed rail station should be
located to the north of that road to allow for a flyover needed for re-instating the old
Bedford - Northampton railway where much of the old track-bed survives.
This track-bed should be protected to allow for the potential re-opening of that line
that will bring enormous benefits to Bedford, including the reduction of weekday
peak-hour traffic entering the town.Furthermore re-opening that line should
be sooner rather than later and should also be included into the
East - West Rail Link.
Site 640(Church End, Willington) and Site 687(Grange Estate, Willington) -
Both these would sever the old trackbed and Sustrans cycle-way.
A bridge cannot be built due to no island column being allowed for
a rowing lake. The reality is that if there is a plan for a railway
going forward we could say "contaminated soil can be removed by rail
when the Bedford-Cambridge line gets rebuilt." We must start
putting the rail first and lake second. The lake and the surrounding
land proposed by Charles Wells for redevelopment is flood -plain.
The path to Kempston gets perennially closed as flood water exceeds
the path, and Charter Walk should be restored to the public as a
right of way and also be made up for cycle access. Furthermore there
are wildlife habitats currently with rushes and small ponds for
spawning,and should your plans go ahead that habitat will be lost
and/or compromised. . Otherwise we will not have a rail route
into Bedford from the east by 2035,and we have had enough of Network
Rail delaying the western section of the East - West Rail Link.
I also have several other reasons for not supporting the Rowing Lake
proposal.
1. There is apparently already a good rowing 'lake' in the town,
plus the river.
2. There will be less space for the rowers as compared to the river.
3. Apparently there could be a potentially better site for a lake at
Stewartby or East Bedfordshire.
4. The Rowing Lake will be a major traffic generator, bringing more
congestion and mayhem on the roads which we could do without.
Furthermore,going back to rail proposals,ERTA calls for new stations at Kempston
Retail Park(which suffers severe traffic congestion) on the Marston
Vale line,which will be incorporated in to the East - West Rail Link
and also Wixams on the Thameslink/Midland Main Line to serve the
adjacent new housing developments and will also relieve congestion
at Bedford Midland Road,including its car park.Network Rail must
also be flexible on level crossings and bridge adaptations.
I would finally like to add that the proposed Oxford - Cambridge
Expressway will bring no benefit at all to Bedford .This new road
would affect Green Belt areas,and it would also be an incentive to
build more housing and will not solve traffic congestion at all,and
in fact,the road will bring in more traffic which is already
increasing with the significant housing growth in between these two towns.
This increase in traffic will in turn increase CO2 emissions and
also air pollution(a serious health emergency), both with which
the Government is pitifully complacent.
ERTA website: https://ertarail.com/
Yours faithfully,
Simon Barber
Email address: simon4barber@gmail.com
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