Why the A6-M1 Link Needs Reconsidering

by Cllr Mary Walsh (Independent, CBC)


The Secretary of State has refused to consider the application for the M1 A6 Link Road, proposed to be built through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the Green Belt of Bedfordshire.

The Secretary of State is leaving the decision on the A6 M1 Link Road to be taken by CBC, as he considers it a local matter. In doing so he appears to have shown complete disregard for the protection offered to this wonderful and irreplaceable landscape within the Government's own National Planning Policy Framework. He also disregards the opinions of the Chilterns Conservation Board, the Woodland Trust, the Chilterns Conservation Society, CPRE (Bedfordshire), Natural England,  Luton Borough Council plus many, many others including individual residents.

National Asset

In saying that this is a decision to be taken locally, he appears to forget this is a national asset, valued by many beyond our borders and not lightly designated as one of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Climate change has yet to be considered in any such decisions and is obviously not a concern of this Government or of CBC. When will we begin to do that for every decision and when will we see the Government's 25-year Environment Plan referenced in terms of such decisions?

However, surely it is the case that the SoS does have to give his permission to build in the Green Belt and that can't be considered a local matter - so what happens next and what will be the final result of the Inspection of the Local Plan, given the Inspectors' comments?

Natural England wrote - Paragraph 172 of the NPPF provides a default of no major development within an AONB unless certain criteria are applied to demonstrate that there are exceptional circumstances to justify this. In our opinion, these criteria have not been met. A specific omission in this regard is that the application does not fully justify why alternative routes have been ruled out (section 3.1 Volume 2 ES). Consequently, the need for this development to be delivered within the AONB has not been demonstrated.

The Local Plan Inspectors appeared to agree with this view.
So, the questions remain to be answered, could this road have been built without crossing the AONB and is it justified?  If not how can it meet the test of exceptional circumstances?

Streatley Parish Council had supported the road application as it would remove the intolerable level of HGV's using the village as a rat run. Their submission in response to the Planning application did raise concerns about the design and the risk of more traffic on the A6 - a concern reflected in Luton Borough Council's objection to the road. Others, such as Sundon's objections, included the damage caused to ancient woodlands and the AONB and they called for their access to Sundon Park to be maintained,  Chalton would suffer the most the effects of the freight traffic, noise and pollution associated with this Link Road.  Harlington opposed it on these grounds and the impact on Junction 12 of the M1, and cumulative impacts remain unknown to a large extent.

The application had been approved by Central Beds Council entirely as it was put forward, no changes whatsoever have been made to reflect any of those views or concerns, despite the overwhelming objections made to the plan as it stood.

It must be remembered that the road includes the access from the yet to be approved Rail Freight Interchange to the M1.  This site is located beside the protected Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Green Belt at Sundon Quarry.  According to CBC the road is intended for the transport of freight, as part of plans for the Ox Cam Arc, and to facilitate over 42 hectares of warehousing to be built at Sundon Quarry and along the route of the road.  The road is also said to be essential to the provision of housing North of Luton.

The Inspectors' letter makes interesting reading in respect of all of this, as does the latest letter from Highways England in response to the road application.


Contact Cllr Mary Walsh (Toddington)

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Houghton Regis Cemetery: Houghton Regis Needs A New Cemetery

First published 10/07/2019

Houghton Regis Needs A New Cemetery - or does it?

After watching this week's recorded meeting of local councillors in Houghton Regis sitting around the table discussing what to do about a new cemetery -  I couldn't help feeling that it's never going to happen. 

This weekend, at the Carnival, of all places, the townsfolk will be asked to look out for questionnaires from these councillors asking if they know of any land where one might go? It's that desperate, and that silly!

I suppose it is possible that some local land-owner might at a pinch, pipe up and say, "yes", you can have my plot of land for a cemetery, but if the land was ripe for a cemetery, why would it not also be suitable for housing development? At £1m an acre, or whatever is the current local going rate, housing is a more profitable outlook for a landowner and farmers will prefer to sell it for its full value, rather than to the council at a discount.

The Town Council has given itself this problem to overcome but it hasn't got an answer; and actually, it doesn't even have to have an answer because local authorities are not legally obliged to provide burial space for their residents.

In 2013 a BBC survey found that half of all cemeteries in England would be full in 20 years.

So what are we going to do?

Shortage of space is not just a local problem, it's a world problem.
◘ In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, burial space is in such short supply that many people get a plot only for two years. Once that time is up, another body is added.
◘ Hackney and Tower Hamlets, have already stopped providing burials in their boroughs altogether.

Last year, Bicester, a town of 30,000, had just 36 unreserved burial plots left, and another 23 for cremated remains and they were hoping that a plan to build 10,000 new homes (sounds familiar?) with 40% green space would give them a new cemetery to last them 200 years.

Well, that might yet work for them. The trouble is Houghton Regis is in a very chalky area, and these days it isn't going to sit well with the Environment Agency. It's not as if a burial is anywhere near being eco-friendly. 

Embalming fluid is highly toxic, and those toxins can leach into the soil and air. Formaldehyde is a key ingredient in embalming fluid and is a carcinogen and a potential risk to those who work in burial services.  In a new cemetery, the grave itself will require expensive lining to avoid the water table becoming polluted. 

And then, there is the cost to people's purse strings, given that any land purchased for a cemetery will need to be financed, and a suitable charge placed on relatives of the deceased to meet that cost.

Even lands for sale at the western side of Houghton Regis, towards Totternhoe, have this chalk problem, notwithstanding the problem of suitable access for motor vehicles, and water supply.

What else can be done?

Graves can be re-used. The City of London Cemetery had, in 2016, already re-used 1,500 graves. In most cases, this involves deepening the grave so the original remains are lower in the ground and making a second burial on top. But that needs a very sensitive approach.

Then there are so-called green burials: With a green burial park, best practice suggests that caskets or burial shrouds should be biodegradable, and toxic embalming fluids are prohibited. Grave markers, if desired, should be made from local stone or wood and ideally be placed flat on the ground. 

In Berlin, cemeteries are being converted to parks, and people are opting for cremations with urns buried in forests at the foot of a tree. The Capsula Mundi is an egg-shaped, organic casket that's suitable for ashes, too. Once buried, the biodegradable plastic shell breaks down and the remains provide nutrients to a sapling planted right above it.

And then there are cremations, but you still need to bear in mind that in Islam, and most forms of Judaism, cremation is prohibited. Even cremations are not without their environmental costs. Older dental fillings can release polluting mercury, which is why some crematoriums have installed mercury filters. Cremation fires produce pollutants when certain materials in the body melt.

Where cemeteries exist, up and down our land, many are in disarray as the local authority has no funds to maintain them.  In Virginia and Maryland, all cemetery companies need to set up a perpetual care fund, which is a pool of money used to maintain the cemetery grounds.

Elsewhere, there are other solutions; Paris has more than six million people buried in ossuaries underneath the streets; New Orleans has rows and rows of mausoleums because much of the land is below sea level.

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Houghton Regis: Diary entries for Churchfield Road

First published 18/2/2019

7 April 2022 Consultation: One-Way Proposals for Churchfield Road, Houghton Regis

Churchfield Road, HR. Photos: December 29/2018.

On 31 December 2018 I asked a council officer for an update on Churchfield Rd. This is now being looked into.

 On 24 Oct 2017 I wrote asking a council officer "What parking improvements will be made to Churchfield Rd and Delmont Rd?" - The response "I am currently off sick, just popped online to check on emails. Will forward your enquiry to relevant teams."

9 Mar 2015 - email from John Holman, CBC, "We are currently drawing up proposals for a number of parking schemes, including Churchfield Road.  These proposals will be submitted for planning approval before any work can be undertaken.  I would expect to have an indication from the planners if they are amenable to such a scheme by May.  If they are, full planning permission would be needed and subject to approval I would expect work to start no later than the Autumn this year. .
Depending on our pre application we will then apply for full planning permission and if granted contact you for advice on consulting with the local community.
In summary, we have identified Church Road as a priority, we have funds to carry out the work but it will be necessary to be granted planning permission in the first place.  I will update when we have a response from planning."


8/12/2014 email from G Baldwin, Traffic Engineer, Central Bedfordshire Highways "I’m responsible for publishing statutory notices, undertaking public consultation and other legal work required for certain traffic scheme, including on-street parking. We have nothing currently being published for Churchfield Road, although the creation of off-road spaces may not require such legal procedures.
I am aware that colleagues have undertaken some preliminary design/estimating work on parking provision in Churchfield Road on behalf of Central Beds Council’s Housing department. I would suggest that you seek further information from them.

4/7/2014 - Cllr Goodchild and Jones on walkabout with Jill Cross. Tree outside no. 25. Response: Order raised for branches overhanging footway and street light to be removed
Deep wheel rut in verge due to vehicle over-run. Response: Order raised and completed to make this area safe
Water leak from water meter outside no. 97 Response: Reported to AWA
Dropped kerb required at entrance to garage block. Response: Order to be raised and completed by end Aug.
Parking over dropped kerbs in area. Response: Issue has been forwarded to CBC officer for consideration for LATP funding.
Request for trees from green to be removed for parking. Response:
Investigate who owns this area of land and the trees – CBC housing or amenity?
Several blocked gullies. Response:Order already in place for all gullies on Churchfield Road to be cleaned the next time we have a gully machine in the area.


01/07/14 Cllr Goodchild Request to investigate disabled access to 99. RESPONSE 02/07/14 Request logged by Transportation Team, to be assessed.

22/07/14 - Details: Leading down the hill of Churchfield Road from Dell Road, there are several rain water drains, blocked to the top of the drain with excess dirt and rubbish preventing water to escape in the drain, thus causing it to flow to the bottom of the hill and causing flooding every time it rains RESPONSE 24/07/14 We will attened this gully the next time we have a gully motor in the area

12/11/13 - customer requests a disabled parking bay o/s no 6, paper work sent....passed from housing officer RESPONSE 13/11/13 Request logged by Transportation team, to be investigated.

07/10/13 Dell Road I filed a report 'Could I please ask that you have a look at the dropped kerbs at the end of Dell Road, Houghton Regis.  I have spoken to a fellow town councillor who lives in Dell Rd who has confirmed that the dropped kerb at Dell Rd is often blocked. Please advise whether or not bollards at this location would be possible, as the resident Lorraine White, at 93 Churchfield Rd, sometimes has difficulty getting around in her mobility chair on her route to Tithe Farm School.' RESPONSE: 09/10/13 Unfortunately this is a police matter , highways have no power to act.

20 Sep 2013 - I attended the home of a disabled person in Churchfield Road today to investigate the problem she has negotiating kerbs with her mobility scooter. (Esacalated this with Cllr S Goodchid who filed a Highways report)
RESPONSE from Highways: You will be aware that the Government has made clear its most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record budget deficit to restore confidence in the economy and to support the recovery. This is forcing Local Government to look very closely at their current levels of public spending. Whilst we do not wish to dismiss this request out of hand, we need to be even more prudent with our expenditure to conserve our resources to enable us to continue to repair the more dangerous parts of our highway network. As a result, we cannot action this request at this time and the customer report has been closed down.

18/06/13 Update from S.M re Churchfield road works:  Works that were carried out on Church field road were completed as part of our thin surfacing programme carried out by sub contractors. Work completed was nWe have made temporary pothole repairs, and will monitor road until patching can be arranged. the highways budget.

22/03/13 - the drain outside no 85 Churchfield isnt draining so the paths are flooded. Comment added 22/03/13 This will be added to our list of blocked gullies, for when the gully motor is next in Houghton Regis

26/02/13 - GRASS & VERGES - VERGE MAINTENANCE/DAMAGE Received call from local resident who wanted to report that the grass verges are virtual mud pits, she advised that residents park and during wet weather  the area gets churned up. She has asked whether there is anything that can be done to repair the damage that has been done. Comment added 27/02/13 Central Bedfordshire Council are aware of indiscriminate verge parking and the issues around damage to the footways and grass verges associated with it. I am pleased to be able to tell you that thereis currently a review being undertaken of Central Bedfordshire Council's parking policy which embraces all of these types of issues. Once we have received this we will be looking into all these problems.

20/12/12 - 186197A CHURCHFIELD ROAD HOUGHTON REGIS WORKS ON HIGHWAY - WORKMANSHIP Excessive amount of chippings still on road following resurfacing that was carried out 2 months ago. Drains have just been raised to match, but damage is being caused to property and vehicles due to the excess chippings. Please incestigate 07/01/13 Passed to strructural maintenance team to reply to enquiry

15/11/12 - DRAINAGE - BLOCKED GULLY Opposite 132 Churchfield Road, Houghton Regis - Drain completely blocked with tar from the recent resurfacing road works.

05/11/12 - 182012A .from 50 Churchfield Road, Houghton Regis- please  investigate the path that runs near this property as the path rises up high than drops, and in the evening when it is dark, it is becoming dangerous to walk on as this area is not lit very well, and he is having to walk on gardens that run along this to stop from falling over. Comment added 08/11/12 site has been inspected, there are no safety defects, on the footway, although footway is in poor condition, have passed to structural maintenance team to consider for programme.

16/10/2012 - 180516A Shimmin, Cllr. M CHURCHFIELD ROAD HOUGHTON REGIS WORKS ON HIGHWAY - WORKMANSHIP Cllr was on site during thin surfacing works and questioned contractors regarding material going down on road surface, when asked a contractor advised in winter 'you wouldnt want drive down the hill it will be like an ice rink' Councillor now requesting that some anti skid also be put down to prevent accidents and feels the wrong material is being used for road surface if the contractors believe the surface will be unsafe in winter.

16/10/12 . Comment added 

17/10/2012 "The antiskid will be unnecessary on this type of surface. It will take two weeks minimum to embed properly. After this period we are happy to take a look. Thank you". 

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Houghton Regis: Massacre of Bidwell Spinney

First published 25/1/2019

Bidwell Spinney with my red lines showing where trees have been removed,
and my guesswork at where the roundabout is going.

An established woodland at Thorn Road/Bedford Road Houghton Regis has been destroyed to make way for a mini-roundabout.

The woodland, known as Bidwell Spinney was a wildlife haven with several varieties of trees growing in it. Site workers have wiped Bidwell Spinney off the map.

It just seems so wrong to me- the HRN2 overview maps did show an actual Bidwell Spinney and did refer to the construction of a mini-roundabout at Bedford Rd/Thorn Rd junction, but to take out the entire spinney seems criminal to me. HRN2 plans link.

Are we really so powerless that we could not stop this? How do we have the right to challenge those who seek to destroy the Amazon rainforest if we cannot protect our own tiny woodlands?

I put in a series of questions to CBC this week ...

... and got this response today ...

Update 28 Jan 2019.

CBC has just sent me a large document showing the size of the roundabout, and a tree re-planting scheme for Bury Spinney. In the planning application for HRN2 the "AOD con 10" documents are applicable.

This new file they've sent me is bigger in legible scale than any in that planning folder at the current time. I did email a Highways officer on 28 Nov for information when the tree-felling began, but nothing came back. Qué será, será.

Here's the link to the large-scale file, now held on my Google Drive.

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