A massive new town at Tempsford has recently been announced by the Government. The new town is intended to have 40,000 homes, and thousands of these would fall within Bedford Borough, near the Black Cat roundabout and Little Barford.
And building could start before the next General Election.
This development has been talked about for at least a year, and so Bedford Borough Council needs to be front and centre in the discussions.
This is why I was so disappointed at the response I got at the Council’s Executive Committee meeting. I questioned the Conservative Deputy Mayor regarding which meetings the Council have held with Government officials.
I urged him to share the assessment Council leaders have made so far of the potential infrastructure needs for Borough residents.
Read: Local MP blasts EWR “housing project” as new station announced
Frustratingly, the Conservative Administration seemed unaware of any meetings on this issue.
No infrastructure assessment was shared with us, and the Conservatives seemed to have been taken by surprise by the Government announcement.
I wish this was unbelievable.
Except we have seen this Conservative Council asleep at the wheel before. The Oasis pool (now up for sale), a near-empty Debenhams building costing almost £500,000 a year, GPs surgeries promised but not delivered, a lack of action on planning… the list goes on and on.
Major impact
The new town will have a major impact. People I have spoken to have voiced concerns about loss of countryside and farmland and also the significant infrastructure impact and needs across the whole of Bedford Borough.
However, there is also a recognition that we cannot stop the Government’s plans and we know from our family and friends there is a desperate need for houses in our area that people can afford to buy or rent.
What is vital is that we can’t be left playing catch-up on the vital infrastructure that we will need: healthcare improvements, school places, jobs and opportunities for residents, our children and young people.
The Government’s report states: ‘there is a live debate about whether there is the need for a new regional hospital’. It is crucial that this isn’t at the expense of the much-needed investment and maintenance for our local hospital.
We need to fight for improved facilities and services, and not the loss of services from Bedford Hospital – a threat we have seen before.
Decisions that affect Bedford Borough need to be made with Bedford Borough in the room.
The Conservative Administration at the Council must wake up and do a better job of fighting for local residents.
Further reading:
- Big city fear for Tempsford villagers near East West Rail station – BBC News
- Expert Taskforce recommends locations for new towns – GOV.UK
- New Towns Taskforce: Report to government – GOV.UK
This is a monthly guest column provided by Cllr Henry Vann,
leader of the Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Group.
It is published unedited and does not reflect the
views of the Bedford Independent.
