Planning in Bedfordshire – updated April 2026

The Greensand Ridge offers sweeping vistas over the Forest of Marston Vale, a community forest in Bedfordshire. Once a brickmaking hub, the area now features lakes formed from old clay pits. The Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility processes waste and generates electricity. In addition Universal Studios is set to open its first European theme park in Bedfordshire, on the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks beside the A421. Scheduled to open in 2031, this major development is expected to create around 28,000 jobs and bring significant economic benefits to the region. This will complement the picturesque views of Marston Vale, enhancing the area’s appeal to both locals and visitors.

Planning in Bedfordshire is administered by three unitary authorities: Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, after Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009.

The current Strategic Planning position in Bedfordshire is as follows:

Bedford Borough

The Local Plan 2030 was adopted in January 2020 and sets out how much growth there should be in the borough (housing, jobs and associated infrastructure) up to 2030 and where it should take place. In some settlements the Council is now looking to Neighbourhood Plans to allocate housing sites, generally in and around the defined Settlement Policy Area boundaries.

The Bedford Borough Allocations and Designations Local Plan was adopted in July 2013 and covers the period until 2021.

A number of other supplementary documents form the basis for decision making when planning applications are submitted to the council. A full list can be viewed here.

Following the withdrawal of the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2040 in October 2025, the Council has begun work on a new Local Plan 2050. At its Executive meeting on 8 April 2026, members approved the new timetable and work programme, budget, governance arrangements, and the proposed scope for the review.

The Local Plan 2030 remains in force, but with only a 3.35-year housing land supply, the borough is vulnerable to speculative development under national planning policy.

Central Bedfordshire 

The Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 to 2035 was formally adopted in July 2021. The adopted Local Plan is available on the Council’s website and carries full weight in the determination of planning applications.

Central Bedfordshire Council has updated its timetable for preparing a new Local Plan in response to recent changes to national planning guidance, introducing a revised process with additional early engagement stages and formal “Gateway” reviews with the Planning Inspectorate. The updated programme includes early consultation in 2026, further formal consultation stages in 2026 and 2027, and submission for examination in 2028, with adoption still targeted for December 2028. Overall, the revised timetable provides clearer opportunities for stakeholder engagement while reflecting the Government’s new approach to plan-making.

For more information visit our Local Plan Update page

Luton Borough 

The adopted Luton Local Plan (2011-31) is the strategic document setting out the vision, objectives and spatial planning strategy for the whole of Luton Borough Council’s area for the period up to 2031.  More details can be viewed here.

Luton Council is continuing to progress its new Local Plan following the Issues and Options consultation and two Calls for Sites undertaken in 2025. An updated Local Development Scheme, approved in July 2025, sets out the timetable for both the Local Plan and a joint Minerals and Waste Plan. Evidence base work, including studies on housing, employment and green infrastructure, is ongoing, with the draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) expected to be published during 2026.

Neighbourhood Plans

There are also a number of made Neighbourhood Plans in Bedfordshire.  These form an integral part of the statutory development plan and significant weight is attached to their policies in the determination of planning applications.

For further advice or to find out how your property fits into this framework for planning in Bedfordshire please contact us.