New plans to redevelop Bromham Mill have been approved by Bedford Borough Council’s planning committee, despite objections from residents who warned of harm to heritage, parking pressures and wildlife.
The council’s Planning Committee (Monday, 8 December) heard that the application for Bromham Mill, Bridge End, included a café, retail units, a wellbeing hub, offices, public realm improvements and a reconfigured car park.
The report presented to the Committee said this proposal was a “scaled-back” resubmission of a larger scheme approved in January 2024 (22/02658/MAF).
Planning officers said the earlier planning permission remains extant, meaning it could still be built even if the revised application had been refused.
Objectors told the committee the proposals would damage the historic character of Bromham Mill, particularly through the demolition of a 1930s barn.
Bromham resident Ben Lusby said: “The Mill and related buildings around the entrance courtyard have remained as they are for a great many years.
“The two listed buildings, the mill and front barn, the 1930s barn and the old miller’s house are within the curtilage of the listed buildings and collectively form an intrinsic heritage factor in the entrance courtyard.”
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The Committee also heard that parking at the site was already under pressure during busy periods and warned that the new uses would worsen the situation.
In response, the council planning officer, Eleanor Street, said: “Highways are happy with the parking provision of 56 spaces, and have raised no objection on this basis.
“The heritage harm arises from [the back barn’s] demolition is a very minor degree of less than substantial harm, which is to the setting of the listed buildings.”
Residents also raised concerns about ecology, including badgers, and questioned whether the development was sustainable in the long term.
“The initial 2022 application was abandoned because it was unaffordable; this revised scheme may well prove the same,” Mr Lusby said.
“What will happen to the Mill itself if money is not there to address future issues of change and dilapidation?
“The Mill is arguably the most valuable heritage asset on the site, and there is nothing in this application to address its future use and maintenance.”
Revised scheme
Bromham Parish Council chair, Sian Woodfine, said the revised scheme had been redesigned following resident feedback.
“We listened, we heard the depths of feeling, we paused, we acted,” she said.
“And the result is a scaled-back scheme which continues to respect the rural character, protect wildlife, and addresses the majority of objections.
“This is about more than bricks and mortar – it’s about securing Bromham Mill’s future for generations.
“Without rental income from these buildings, we cannot fund the maintenance this historic site desperately needs. Delay risks stagnation and decline,” she said.
Before the vote, the committee chair, councillor Jonathan Abbott (Lib Dems, Clapham and Oakley), reminded members they must decide on planning grounds only and that refusing the scheme would not prevent development, given the fallback permission already in place.
Councillors voted to approve the application, with one member voting against.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
