Concerns have been raised about speculative planning applications in Bedford borough while the council prepares a new Local Plan.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Executive on Wednesday (8 April), where members agreed on the timetable for the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2050.
The proposed Local Plan 2040 was withdrawn from examination in October 2025, with the council citing a lack of committed infrastructure funding.
Read: Bedford Borough Council begins work on new Local Plan 2050
Council documents said the absence of an up-to-date plan increases the risk of speculative and uncoordinated development and limits the council’s ability to “manage future growth and make informed planning decisions”.
Cllr Martin Towler (Conservative, Riseley) asked whether anything could be done to “stop” speculative planning applications coming forward.
“We seem to have a lot of large-scale applications coming in, which is becoming a problem,” he said.
Responding to councillors’ concerns, the portfolio holder for economic growth, planning and prosperity, cllr Andrea Spice said the council could not prevent applications being submitted under current planning rules.
“Planning is governed so much by rules and regulations,” she said.
“What will happen, and it’s possibly not the best news, but as more and more applications come in, then our five-year land supply starts to fill up.”
The five-year land supply is a planning measure that requires councils to demonstrate they have enough deliverable sites to meet housing needs.
If a council can’t prove this, then it makes it harder under planning rules to refuse applications, increasing the likelihood of speculative applications coming forward.
Reports presented to the Executive highlighted that the borough is facing significant growth pressures linked to the “nationally significant” Universal theme park project, and regional and sub-regional development opportunities, including East West Rail and the New Towns Taskforce programme (Tempsford).
These developments are expected to influence housing demand, infrastructure requirements and the long-term pattern of development across the borough.
The Executive voted to approve the start of work on a replacement Local Plan, which will set out a long-term framework for development across the borough up to 2050.
Once adopted, the plan will become the primary basis for planning decisions.
A “call for sites” exercise is due to begin in summer 2026, followed by a public consultation on the scope of the plan in autumn.
The local plan is expected to be adopted in 2029.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
