Following the adoption of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan in 2021 and in accordance with Local Plan Policy SP1a which undertakes that the Council will commence a Partial Review of the Plan within six months of adoption, the Council have now published a draft timetable for the Review as follows:
- Commence evidence gathering for Local Plan update and report: September 2022
- Informal and non-statutory engagement and evidence review: January 2023 – January 2024.
- Public and stakeholder engagement consultation (Regulation 18): September – November 2024.
- Publication of the (Pre-Submission) plan for representations (Regulation 19): June – July 2025.
- Submission of Local Plan to Secretary of State for Examination (Reg 22): November 2025
- Examination Period: January 2026– June 2026
- Inspector’s Report: August 2026
- Adoption: October 2026
This programme is included within a revised draft Local Development Scheme which was approved by the Councils Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28th February 2022 and approved by the Councils Executive on 5 April 2022.
The requirement for a Partial Review was included to assist the Council in responding to emerging infrastructure decisions and strategies, including the Oxford/Cambridge Arc Spatial Framework and proposals for East West Rail.
Officers at the Executive Committee made it clear that they are currently working on the areas of the plan that will need reviewing and the Forward Plan indicates that they will report back to the Committee in November 2022. They also advised the Committee that the Council that the starting point for Housing Demand will be the nationally set Standard Methodology Calculation and Housing Land Supply will be updated during the Review process.
If you would like to know more about the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan Review please contact us now for further advice.
