Plans to build 315 homes on land south of Northampton Road in Bromham have been deferred for a second time, after councillors backed calls for more time to secure concessions from the developer.
The outline planning application (24/00810/MAO) returned to Bedford Borough Council’s Planning Committee last night (11 August), following a site visit and fresh talks between the parish council, ward councillors, and the developer.
Speaking to the committee, Bromham ward councillor, Robert Rigby (Conservative), said the proposal had caused “great consternation” locally because it went beyond the scale of housing set out in the parish’s neighbourhood plan.
But he said recent talks had led to “potential valuable concessions” from the developer that warranted more discussion.
“This is not a sell-out of Bromham,” Cllr Rigby said. “I’m not saying a meeting of minds will happen, but it is my belief that this is how real democracy works.
“I would be very grateful if you would agree a deferment of this application to allow further discussions to take place between the parish council, the developer, and the planning department.”
Fellow ward councillor, Dylan Simmonds (Conservative) stressed the need for a “good deal” for residents.
“Since our last meeting, the parish council, developers and our ward members have been working tirelessly to negotiate a deal that could work for our community, and I’m pleased to say that we’ve made significant progress in this area.
“We had the makings of a good deal.
“However, I’m disappointed to report that we have not yet been able to convince borough officers of the merits of this deal.”
Cllr Simmonds said Bromham’s neighbourhood plan committed the village to grow by 500 homes, a rise of 25 percent.
“Now we’re being asked to accept a further 315 homes in addition to our neighbourhood development plan,” he said.
“This means that we’re being expected to increase the size of our village by approximately 42 percent over the next half decade.
“This isn’t about NIMBYism,” he said. “It’s about fairness, planning, and ensuring our community can sustain such dramatic growth.
“The current application is not sustainable.
“I ask you to grant this deferral, give us the time to negotiate a deal that truly delivers for everyone involved.
“Our residents deserve no less, and good planning and democracy demand no less.”
The council’s planning officer confirmed the application is already out of time, meaning the developer could appeal for non-determination at any stage.
However, they said this was unlikely while talks were ongoing.
The application will now return to a future meeting once negotiations have concluded.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
