Bedford Borough Council has approved plans to begin work on a new Local Plan to guide development across the borough up to 2050.
The Executive agreed the timetable and formal notice to start preparing the Local Plan 2050 at its meeting last night (8 April).
2040 withdrawal
Local plans set out where new homes, commercial development and infrastructure should go, and become the main planning framework for an area once adopted.
Bedford Borough Council withdrew its previous Local Plan 2040 in October last year.
Read: Bedford Borough’s Local Plan 2040 has “no credible future” in light of Universal plans
A report to the Executive said this was ‘primarily due to the absence of committed infrastructure funding from government and the late announcement of the proposed Universal theme park’.
The report said the Borough is now without an up-to-date plan that meets planning regulations, leaving it exposed to “increased speculative and uncoordinated development”.
Timetable
Read: Council moves to create new 2050 Local Plan amid fears of “uncoordinated development”
Portfolio holder for economic growth, planning and prosperity, Cllr Andrea Spice (Conservative, Wixams) said the council would be among the first in the country to prepare a plan under the Government’s new local plan system, which came into force in March.
“We aim to have our new Local Plan 2050 adopted in 2029 due to the new condensed compulsory timetable,” she told the Executive.
She said the previous process could take up to seven years.
The council said the new plan will cover housing, transport, jobs, town centres and environmental protection, and is intended to help the borough plan for future growth, including opportunities linked to Universal.
Call for sites and consultation
The process will begin with a borough-wide call for sites in summer 2026.
This will invite landowners, developers, community groups, and residents to suggest possible development or regeneration sites.
The council said no decisions on sites will be made at that stage.
A six-week public consultation on the scope of the plan is then due to follow in autumn 2026, when residents will be asked for views on what matters most for the future of their communities and the borough.
“This really is a pivotal time for us all,” Cllr Spice said.
“I urge all our residents to get involved in the consultation process and have a voice when the time comes.”
Read: New water plant, substation and EV hub planned for Universal Studios UK
In a statement, Bedford Borough Conservatives said the new plan was intended to bring future growth “back under local control” and ensure development is supported by the infrastructure residents expect.
Cllr Spice added, “We are determined to get this right with growth properly planned, backed by the right infrastructure, and shaped by the views of local residents.
“This is about giving communities a real voice and making sure Bedford Borough is ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead, and I urge when the public consultations are running, please make sure you have your say in shaping Bedford’s future.”
Additional reporting by
John Guinn, Local Democracy Reporter
