109 Bedford Road, Bedford , Bedfordshire, MK44 3PR

the change of use from storage area to hand car wash

Authority: Bedford Borough Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Townend K

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposed development is in an appropriate location given the settlement strategy
The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The proposal fails to comply with the settlement strategy by locating a use that could be provided within a settlement in the countryside, and the bright green car wash structures would harmfully urbanise the rural character of the area.

Framework references: 85

Plan policies cited: Policy 3S, Policy 7S, Policy 75, Policy 28S, Policy 29, Policy 30, Policy W1, Policy W9

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
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