| Conditions or Reasons: | | 1)
The proposal fails to provide a safe and suitable means of access onto Billington Road, due to which would compromise the highway corridor in a location where there would be a greater risk to pedestrians, cyclists and motorised traffic. Accordingly, the proposal is contrary to policy T2 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (2024). |
2)
The National Planning Policy Framework outlines current sustainable transport objectives, and places emphasis upon promoting and increasing the use of sustainable modes of transport including the use of public transport, walking and cycling, whilst reducing the need to travel by private car.
The transport report and plans submitted with the application:
-fail to have regard to collison data contained within the Council's Local Walking and Cycling Improvement Plan (LCWIP) and to the existing pedestrian connection from Plover Road, located circa 35m south of the site, which is considered to be a likely desire line for residents from the eastern housing area
-fails to provide a safe shared pedestrian / cycleway and would prejudice delivery of a 3.0 metre (or wider) cycleway in the future
Accordingly, for the reasons set out above the proposal fails to provide for safe, direct, and practicable pedestrian and cycle access to and from the site, including accommodating safe crossing points and addressing pedestrian and cycle desire lines, and as a result fails to promote sustainable modes of transport. The proposal is not therefore sustainable development and would be contrary to paragraph 110 of the NPPF and to policy SP2 which strives to focus new development in locations, which due to their convenient access to housing, local facilities and public transport, promote sustainable travel patterns and would also be contrary to Policy T1 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan, which requires provision of measures to prioritise sustainable access and connectivity. |
| 3)
The trip generation and the distribution of that generation to the proposal, and the associated area of assessment is not agreed, with the development expected to have impacts within the highway network beyond the study area considered within the submitted documents. Accordingly in the absence of such information, the proposal fails to demonstrate that the development would not result in an unmitigated and unacceptable worsening of conditions of queuing, delay, and user safety at critical junctions and on important links within the highway network, to the detriment of the convenience and safety of users of the public highway. Accordingly, the proposal is contrary to policy T2 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (2024). |
| 4)
In the absence of a completed legal agreement to secure 10% biodiversity net gain and public transport enhancements the development would have an unmitigated and unacceptable impact on existing local environment. The development would therefore not amount to sustainable development and would be contrary to the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024), Policies HQ2, T1 and EE2 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2021. |
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