CenterParcs Planning Application - Warren Wood, Millbrook
Center Parcs Public Inquiry - Update - 25 May 2007
Following the closure of the Inquiry the Inspector is now preparing his report and recommendations for submission to the Secretary of State for her consideration. The Secretary of State will issue her decision on or before 6 September 2007.
Update - January 2007
The Public Inquiry opens at 10.00 am on Tuesday, 13th March 2007 and is programmed to last for three weeks. The usual sitting times of the Inquiry will be:
- Tuesday to Thursday 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
- Friday 9.30 am to 4.00 pm
There will be an evening session for members of the public who might not otherwise be able to attend. This will be on Wednesday, 21st March. It will start promptly at 7.00 pm and finish about 9.00 pm. This event is for public representations to be heard by all parties concerned. If you are unable to attend this evening session, there will be a session on Wednesday, 28th March from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm for public representations to be heard.
A full draft Inquiry Programme is shown below.
If you propose to speak in support or against this application and you know other participants who have the same issues to raise, it would be helpful if one spokesperson could be appointed to put forward all the concerns/issues. If you propose to read from a written statement then the Planning Inspector would ask that a copy of this be sent by 13 February 2007. The address this should be sent to is Planning Inspectorate, 4/04 Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN, quoting their reference APP/JO215/A/06/2024005.
The Inquiry arises because of an appeal made under Section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act. The jurisdiction for the decision on the appeal was “recovered” by the Secretary of State in a letter dated 8 September 2006. This means that after the Inquiry the Inspector will be submitting a report to the Secretary of State with recommendations but the Secretary of State will take the decision on the appeal.
The appeal is in the name of Center Parcs (Operating Company) Limited and is against the decision of Mid Bedfordshire District Council to refuse an application for outline planning permission. The description of the proposed development (taken from the planning application) is “for the development and use of land as a forest holiday village, including 700 villas, 75 bedroom hotel, 12 bedroom spa accommodation, central buildings and facilities, staff accommodation, a 1400 space car park, main access onto Fordfield Road, engineering operations and lakes, hard and soft landscaping, and forest management works; along with all associated works and activities”. The appeal site is at Warren Wood, Fordfield Road, Millbrook.
The main participants at the inquiry are likely to be:
- The appellants (Center Parcs);
- Mid Beds District Council;
- Beds County Council;
- Renaissance Bedford;
- Ridgmont Parish Council;
- Steppingley Parish Council; and
- CPRE.
The draft inquiry programme is as follows:
Tuesday, 13 March, 10.00 – 17.00
Inquiry opening; Appellants start to present their case
Wednesday, 14 March, 10.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
Appellants continue; Accompanied visit to site and surroundings
Thursday, 15 March, 10.00 – 17.00
Appellants continue
Friday, 16 March, 09.30 – 16.00
Appellants finish presenting their case
Tuesday, 20 March, 10.00 – 17.00
Bedfordshire County Council
Wednesday, 21 March, 10.00 – 16.00
Other Organisations supporting the proposals, followed by MBDC start to present their case
Wednesday, 21 March, 19.00 – 21.00 (fixed event)
Evening Session for Public representations
Thursday, 22 March, 10.00 – 17.00
MBDC continue
Friday, 23 March, 09.30 – 16.00
MBDC continue
Tuesday, 27 March, 10.00 – 17.00
MBDC complete their case followed by Other Organisations opposing the proposals
Wednesday, 28 March, 10.00 – 13.00
Semi-formal discussion of conditions and S106 if necessary, finish Other Organisations opposing the proposals
Wednesday, 28 March, 14.00 – 17.00 (fixed event)
Session for public representations followed by, if necessary, finish Other Organisations opposing the proposals
Thursday, 29 March, 10.00 – 17.00
Closing Statements
Friday, 30 March, 09.30 – 16.00
Semi-formal discussion of conditions and S106 obligations. Completion of cross-examination of MBDC officer covering planning issues and re-examination.
After the Inquiry:
1. Possible second visit to appeal site and surroundings;
2. Possible visit to another Center Parcs site.
This should conclude the evidence of all the main parties.
On Tuesday, 3 April and if necessary continuing to Wednesday, 4 April, there will be Closing Statements and a final accompanied site visit to Warren Wood and t he surroundings.
At the two “fixed events” representations from the public will have priority, no matter what stage has been reached by others at the Inquiry. Apart from this, events will follow in the order indicated, although if the Inquiry proceeds quickly, participants may be brought on earlier than the programme indicates.
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The Council's Development Control Committee refused planning permission on 5 July 2006 for the application by Center Parcs for a Forest Holiday Village at Warren Wood. Find out more details by reading the Officer Report and the Minutes of the Meeting.
Center Parcs have appealed against the refusal. The appeal will be the subject of a Public Inquiry, which will take place on Tuesday, 13 March 2007 in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Bedfordshire, starting at 10.00am. The Inquiry is expected to last for eight days.
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The Council received an outline planning application, reference number 05/01066/OUT, in July 2005, for a CenterParcs at Warren Wood, Fordfield Road, Millbrook. Warren Wood is located one mile to the west of Ampthill and is bounded to the north by the A507 and to the west by Fordfield Road.
The proposal was for development and use of land as a Forest Holiday Village, including 700 villas, a 75 bedroom hotel, 12 bedroom spa accommodation, central buildings and facilities, staff accommodation, 1400 space car park, main access onto Fordfield Road, engineering operations and lakes, hard and soft landscaping and forest management works, together with associated works and activities (all matters reserved except means of access).
Copies of documents relating to the application are available to download on the right of this page. Please note that some documents are very large (up to 89 MB) and will take some considerable time to download on non-broadband connections.
As an alternative you can view the application documents and the full set of drawings at the following locations:
Mid Beds District Council
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Beds SG17 5TQ
Information about public access to Mid Beds services through our Citizone Points of Presence (PoPs). The Citizone opening times are:
- 8.45 am to 5 pm Monday;
- 8.45 am to 5pm Tuesday;
- 9.30 am to 5 pm Wednesday;
- 8.45 am to 5pm Thursday; and
- 8.45 am to 4 pm Friday.
The non-technical summary (only) can also be viewed at:
- Flitwick Library; and
- Ampthill Library.
Further information about this proposal is also available on the CenterParcs website
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The Application is made up of the following sections:
The Application Documents
Volume 1 - Environmental Statement:
Fig 3.1 Site Location Plan
Volume 2 - Appendices including Technical Reports:
Volume 2A
Appendix 1.1 CenterParcs Scoping Report
Appendix 1.2 MBDC's Scoping Response
Appendix 1.3 Copies of correspondence received from MBDC
Appendix 2.1 Extract from planning statement regarding need
Appendix 2.2 Extract from planning statement regarding alternative sites
Appendix 5.1 Extract from planning statement regarding Planning Policy
Volume 2B
Appendix 7.1 Transportation Assessment
Volume 2C
Appendix 8.1 Landscape and visual impact assessment
Appendix 10.1 Archaelogy desk based assessment
Appendix 11.1 Forest Management plan
Volume 2D
Appendix 9.1 Bioscan Report - Ecological baseline
Appendix 9.2 Bioscan Report - Center Parcs Biodiversity track record
Appendix 9.3 Center Parcs Longleat Forest Ecological Monitoring
Volume 2E
Appendix 12.1 Technical Appendix for noise
Appendix 13.1 Technical Appendix for air quality
Appendix 15.1 Desk study and ground investigation report
Appendix 16.1 Flood risk assessment
Appendix 17.1 Energy strategy
Volume 2F
Appendix 18.1 Local economic impact evaluation
Appendix 18.2 Center Parcs 10 years in the tourist industry
Appendix 18.3 Economic impact of holiday villages study
Appendix 18.4 Mintel International Group - Leisure and Tourism reports
Appendix 18.5 References to economic development and tourism chapter
Appendix 18.6 "Meeting the needs" - consultation draft
* Download Application covering letter (application/pdf; 554kb)
* Download Certificate B (application/pdf; 875kb)
* Download Design Statement (application/pdf; 20069kb)
* Download Planning Application Forms (application/pdf; 128kb)
* Download Planning Statement (application/pdf; 8005kb)
* Download Schedule of Drawings (application/pdf; 48kb)
* Download Site Location Plan (application/pdf; 1996kb)
* Download Statement of Community Engagement (application/pdf; 3673kb)
* Download Sustainability Overview (application/pdf; 4740kb)
* Download Volume 1 - Environmental Statement (368 pages) (application/pdf; 5882kb)
* Download Volume 2B (application/pdf; 10891kb)
* Download Volume 2D (application/pdf; 5456kb)
* Download Volume 2F (application/pdf; 2631kb)
* Download Covering letter from Malcolm Judd and Partners (application/pdf; 9703kb)
* Download Environmental Management System (application/pdf; 4602kb)
* Download Further Economic Information (application/pdf; 844kb)
* Download Sports Lake Breach Analysis October 2005 (application/pdf; 3025kb)
* Download Surface Water Runoff and Attenuation (application/pdf; 4473kb)
* Download Traffic through Flitwick Sensitivity Analysis (application/pdf; 549kb)
