Plans to reshape community and leisure facilities in Wixams have been approved, following months of public consultation and debate over how the fast-growing settlement should be served.
At a meeting of the Wixams Joint Development Control Committee on Thursday evening (10 July), members voted in favour of a revised application to amend the longstanding Section 106 agreement for Villages 1–4.
Members heard the application is a resubmission of two applications refused by the committee in October 2024, and is accompanied by a Statement of Community Involvement, setting out the public consultation the applicant carried out following that meeting.
The application sought to respond to the outcome of the public consultation.
Resident, Miss Sharp said the earlier rejection had sparked improved engagement between developers, councils, and the public.
“This S106 would never have been rejected in the first place if the efforts employed since then had been applied previously,” she said.
“The success of the youth event in January demonstrated how effective these working relationships are for our community.”
James Mooney, project director for developers Urban & Civic, confirmed the application had been revised following a “clear message” from councillors and the public about the need for proper engagement.
Feedback from recent events led to the inclusion of a skate park, the relocation of a 3G pitch, and the retention of Gateway Park.
Houghton Conquest parish councillor, Cllr Saqhib Ali (Labour), who previously chaired Wixams Parish Council, welcomed the plan, but issued a warning.
“The time for procrastination is over. We must move forwards now,” he said, calling for urgent investment in healthcare, policing, and youth services alongside better transport links.
Cllr Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wixams and Wilstead), reflecting on the delays and lessons learned, said: “It’s a shame we are nine months down the line, to be quite honest with you – this could have been done a long time ago.
“It’s no wonder the public get cheesed off with how councils operate.
“And it just shows where we can get to when we do these things properly and we talk to the people that we as elected members represent and that councils are meant to serve.”
The scheme now includes: a dedicated skatepark, a sports education facility, a basketball court and a range of pitches and courts for football, cricket, padel, tennis, and pétanque.
When asked to clarify that various facilities will happen, Debbie Quinn, principle planning officer at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “If it’s in the Section 106, [the developers] have to provide it.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
