Car Parking Needs Improving at Hawthorn Park School

We need more parking spaces if the facilities run at and near Hawthorn Park in Houghton Regis are to continue on that site. 

The School, Jigsaw Centre, and Children's Centre staff, plus visitors share a car park which is not large enough, at normal times, and which suffers at peak school collection times. Parking overflows onto Enfield Close opposite, and frequently visitors park on grass verges. An effort needs to be made to create more parking spaces in this area.





See my report at https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/605042

parking outside of marked bays in the car park

Highways have already responded to my request saying the area will be inspected, and then they'll need to cost out a plan and find a budget IF it's something they feel needs doing. So here's some more evidential support to help make the case that it should be done.

grass verge parking

parking in a hatched area

parking on "grass verge" - actually, it's mud now!

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M1: In Pictures Junction 11a Making Progress

In a week that has seen ceremonial turf being turned for the official start of the A5-M1 Link Road in the north of Houghton Regis parish, I had a look at the works going on around the Sundon Road bridge, in Chalton Parish.



The bridge is due for demolition at some point, to be replaced with a new bridge. So that'll be the M1 closed for one weekend. The homes around the Sundon Rd/Luton Rd junction at Chalton Cross are subject to compulsory purchase and subsequent demolition.

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In Pictures, Parkside Ward Walkabout 14-03-2015

Another memo was sent today to request work here. To complement earlier requests.

Informed HRTC. Parkside Rec.

Trees thinned out recently. Westminster Gdns.

As above.

Reported today as this has been left dumped awhile now.

Houghton Regis-on-sea?

One of several reports filed in today. Littering. 

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Concern over loss of open spaces as Green Belt is rolled back

A call for a Judicial Challenge of a Planning Inspector’s decision over Central Bedfordshire’s Development Strategy was approved by full Council last Thursday.

A Planning Inspector had ruled that Central Bedfordshire Council had not co-operated with neighbouring Luton Borough Council.

Full CBC Press Release

COMMENT

What bothers me about all this is that Central Beds have set a Framework Plan that says some 7,000 homes will be built across the land to the east and north of Houghton Regis. They will do this by permitting building on land that is regarded as Green Belt. To facilitate this, they will have the Green Belt boundary rolled back to the line of the A5-M1 link road. I accept all this, as the outline plans seen so far indicate a substantial amount of land (up to a third) will be reallocated as open space. 

Now, if the Inspector is saying the plan is unsound because they have not sufficiently consulted with neighbouring Luton Borough Council, this means that CBC will have to come up with a new plan. That new plan could set new demands on housing targets, eradicating much of the planned open space. Contrary-wise, if they don't do a new plan, then I feel there will be a strong desire for developers to keep coming forward with plans to build on the open spaces because they will say, "Why not? It's not Green belt land anymore".

It is already troubling that there are ad hoc extra portions of land that potentially might be built on. All these extra homes create extra pressures on support services, roads, parking,  health, shopping and so on. So, yes, from what I understand at the moment, CBC are right to challenge the inspector's decision, and right to carry on insisting that the number of homes planned for in the Framework Plan for Houghton Regis North is the absolute limit.

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