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Saturday, 20 January 2018

Parkside Drive Construction (and Wild Flowers)

Parkside Drive - To Connect or Not to Connect? That Is The Question.

24/01/2014


Speakers against connection of Parkside Drive.



Yesterday, I attended the Open forum meeting of a series of hearings this week to do with the Woodside Connection, a proposed new road to link Woodside Industrial estate, Houghton Regis, to a point close to the to-be-constructed M1 junction 11a. Most of the people commenting on the day represented themselves as residents, and by and large, all focussed their concerns about the "optional" Parkside Drive link.




I spoke after most of the others had, and kept to a personal viewpoint. I said that I had moved to the area in 2006 and had considered moving to the Houghton Park estate but as a commuter had realised that would have created extra journey distance for me, and had instead moved to where I had now, saving myself a mile and a half travelling each day; the point is that other people who lived in further away roads like Conway Close, probably went through the same thought process when buying their properties, and despite the distance had still chosen to live where they did for other reasons - quietness, and green amenity spaces.




I pointed out that I ran blogs for the area, to inform people what was going on in the locality, and to find out what they thought of issues; I had not been aware of a great clamour of excitement at the prospect of Parkside Drive being connected to the new main road.




I pointed out that in my view, localism was about councils responding to what the people wanted. This scheme to connect Parkside Drive was a top-down approach from the (Central Bedfordshire) council. I had not been aware that any great number of people wanted the Parkside Drive connected, therefore was puzzled as to why the council wanted to spend money.




I also drew attention to the potential for crime; having Parkside Drive connected for a quick entry and exit to a major road and motorway could be an incentive for criminals to turn over a nearby house. And I expressed concerns that opening up the amenity land could encourage access for unwelcome encampments by gipsies and travellers, if there were no embankments landscaped into the scheme.



Tags: Woodside Connection, A5505

24/01/2014
Took these by the side of the old Bus Link to Lewsey Farm this afternoon.





This was a Single Track Road, that was closed to motorised transport.
For a time it was used as a bus link to Lewsey Farm. That use was discontinued when stones were being thrown.
The route is now a two-way road linking to Woodside Link Road.


March 2017 - Construction of Parkside Drive Connection to Woodside Link






Later ... May 2017




















Thursday, 11 January 2018

Query on Growth Figures for Houghton Regis


Query:  Is the "land at East of Parkside" double-counted within CBC's Local Plan 2018 which is now out for consultation?

Answer: It's confusing. And I've spent hours on this.


Houghton Regis North Framework Plan
states that "This will be a residential-led, mixed-use scheme of about 7,000 dwellings and 40 hectares of employment land together with its supporting infrastructure."



1. Plans in the North Framework Plan Area;  Bedford Rd cuts the Framework into 2 parts. Site 1 and Site 2.




1.1 Site 1 Includes


HRN1 -"HRN1 will deliver 5,150 new homes " CB/12/03613

Map for HRN2: 
This map excludes land east of Parkside from HRN1 and the Taylor Wimpey site.



Site 1: East of Parkside last application was a scoping opinion for 385 homes CB/16/04030

Site 1: Taylor Wimpey Regents Place 169 homes CB/14/03056

Site 1:  total 5704

1.2 Site 2 Includes

HRN2 scheme outline for 1850 homes CB/15/00297/OUT

Then add
A: Tillia Park on edge of quarry 140 homes SB/07/01448

B: Persimmon Kyngshouton 62 homes CB/14/03047

C: Bury Spinney 100 CB/16/02086

D: Land south of The Bungalow 50 homes CB/17/02512/OUT

Makes a total of 2202

[ The Orchard 6 (excluded from the Local Plan) ]

[ Other pockets of land, not all being considered for Local Plan known as Bidwell Vision. See my Houghton Regis Places map and side links that pop up when you click an area ( this includes land north of A5-M1 link north west of Bedford Rd roundabout) ]

Add the numbers for the two sites up.
5704 2202 7906


Site Assessment
East of Parkside was NOT included in the preliminary site assessments  (link)



LATEST PLAN
Houghton Regis North Strategic Allocation (plan document p86)
"A figure of around 7,000 new homes could be accommodated; approximately 4,600-5,600 on site 1"  "and approximately 1,500-1,850 on site 2." 
Total calc for what the plan talks about is 6100 - 7450 on both 

The Local Plan talks about adding these land allocations:

HAS28 Bidwell Gospel Hall (Dell Mount) - 25 homes

HAS29 Land East of Houghton Regis - 355 homes
25+ 355 = 380



Finally,
If Land east of Parkside is double counted, take away the figure CBC have used, i.e  355 from 7906, then add the 25 from Gospel Hall 7576 which is beyond the number 6100 - 7450 that the Plan talks about.

The bottom line. What I would like to have seen in the plan is a simple table showing the numbers for 'Houghton Regis' that went into the plan, and then the extra numbers that are coming out of the plan.


Have your say on the local plan until 22nd February 2018