10734 Talked To Mid Beds
Nearly 7,000 responses were registered on the special website set up for the talktomidbeds consultation or via email or on special laptops at the 17 exhibitions held around the district, which were attended by nearly 1,500 people. The rest were received by post.
Mid Beds must allocate enough sites to create 9,000 new jobs in the district by 2021 and build 4,400 homes by 2026. These are the final contribution towards providing 17,000 new jobs and 17,000 new homes between 2001 and 2026; 5,000 new jobs have already been created and 12,600 new homes have already been built or have gained planning permission.
Only around 40 to 50 of the 400 sites submitted to Mid Beds for potential development will eventually be allocated for development.
During the consultation period developers and landowners put forward another 70 sites for potential development. These will also be put out for public consultation using the www.talktomidbeds.co.uk website in June 2008. Landowners and developers should note that it is unlikely that any more sites will be considered during this round of consultation and any additional sites will be consulted on only after the current site allocations are decided.
From June, local people can see where these new sites are by visiting the talktomidbeds website or by calling in at one of Mid Beds’ Points of Presence in Woburn Street, Ampthill, Saffron Road, Biggleswade or Priory House, Chicksands. They can also call Chris Duffy at Vision 21 on 0161 200 8000
Ken Matthews, Planning Portfolio Holder said: "This has been a fantastic result - I would like to thank all those who took the time to visit our exhibitions, use our website and send in their responses. We are hoping to repeat this success with our final round of consultation in June on the new sites and anticipate the results of this being published in the autumn.
“We will now be looking at all these responses in detail and using them to find the 40 to 50 sites most suitable for potential development. Consultation on these preferred sites will then take place towards the end of the year."
