A Bedford Borough ward councillor hopes it won’t be much longer before residents will be able to access a new country park.
The Country Park will provide valuable public open space for borough residents, according to a report presented to the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Jon Shortland, the council’s chief officer for planning, infrastructure and economic growth, said: “The original proposals from 2014 talked about the land north of the Bromham Road [Biddenham] and the establishment of a new country park.
He added that the land was split into three parts; Hallam Land, Wingfield Land, and the part owned by the county council as part of the development of the bypass.
“The park itself is planned to provide a valuable public open space, maintain a rural character, provide a wide range of habitats, and increase public access to
the non-wildlife sensitive areas,” Mr Shortland said.
“The progress that’s been made to date is that the Hallam Land has been fully laid out and is in use.
“The developers are also working on the design of the footbridge which will lead the housing to the south of the bypass to the country park to the north, and that will be a major stepping stone when that comes to fruition.
“The Wingfield Land has moved forward more slowly, not least over the last couple of years with being held back by Covid.
“But they [the developers] have discharged the conditions on their parcel of land to be able to start work in October last year, so that piece of work is about to commence.”
Mr Shortland said that the relevant trigger point for this development is 300 dwellings.
“I’d expect a minimum of 150 dwellings a year, so I think we’re probably at a
maximum of two years away from their part of the park being put into place,” he said.
The report said the third part of the Country Park, that which will be constructed on highways land, is expected to come forward once this second part is completed.
Committee chair, Cllr Kay Burley (Labour, Kempston Central & East Ward) asked for clarification on the funding for the council’s part of the plan (£400-440k – based on a 2018 estimate) and the ongoing costs (£40-45,000 pounds a year).
“We’re still working on that, we have some of the money available from highways budgets that were put together to provide the bypass in the first place and some of the money from that is still available to help with the country parks, Mr Shortland replied.
“But that’s not all of the budget, and we are still working on finding that from other sources within the council,” he said.
Cllr Roger Rigby (Conservative, Bromham & Biddenham Ward) said: “We’ve got so many hundreds of houses with residents living there that would really love to use that country park.
“Is there any danger that the borough will not be able to find the money for its part,” he asked.
Mr Shortland replied: “I don’t believe there is.”
Cllr Rigby added: “There’s been an awful lot of development there are now hundreds and hundreds of houses that are actually being lived in along in this area of land north of Bromham Road, and people are moving in on a daily basis.
“That country park will be a really valuable resource in a wonderful part of Bedford.
“It seems to me that it’s been delayed and delayed and delayed.
“It’s not all the borough council’s fault, but I just sort of feel that sometimes it
wants a really good push.
“So I do hope that the residents won’t have to wait too many more years,” he said.
