Objectors are calling on Bedford Borough Council to insist a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed for a proposed development of up to 400 homes on farmland.
The application for Gibraltar Corner in Kempston, which is currently before the council, is not a planning application for the housing scheme itself, but a screening opinion request under EIA regulations.
This determines whether any future planning application must be accompanied by a full environmental assessment.
However, comments on the council’s planning portal argue that the proposal’s scale and rural location make a full EIA essential.
Flooding and drainage concerns featured prominently. Commenters reported surface flooding in the area, including drainage ditches that had previously overflowed.
Read: Walking and cycling routes included in plans for 400 Kempston homes
Several warned that replacing open fields with hard surfaces would increase runoff and place further strain on drainage systems already “at capacity”.
Loss of wildlife
Loss of wildlife and countryside were also major themes.
Regular sightings of foxes, bats, owls and hares on the land were reported, raising concerns about the removal of hedgerows, trees and habitat corridors.
Many said the development would permanently erode the rural gap between Kempston and the surrounding settlements.
Traffic and infrastructure pressures were also cited.
Objectors said nearby roads are already congested and narrow, making access difficult for large vehicles.
They warned that hundreds of additional homes would increase traffic, noise and air pollution, while schools, GP surgeries and water services were already struggling following recent housing growth in the area.
Another submission argued that the cumulative impact of multiple developments must be assessed as a whole rather than individually.
Unlike a planning application, a screening opinion is not a formal public consultation stage. The council is not required to consult residents before issuing a screening opinion, although it may accept and consider voluntary representations.
Public consultation normally takes place later, if and when a full planning application is submitted. At that stage, residents can comment on detailed plans and environmental reports.
If a full EIA is required, detailed environmental studies would accompany any future planning application.
More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 25/02531/EIASCR.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
