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Allowed9 March 20263372878

Land South of Steppingley Road,, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1FY

Planning appeal 3372878 at Land South of Steppingley Road,, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1FY (Central Bedfordshire) was allowed on 9 March 2026 by Inspector Rollings G, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.

a full application for the erection of 170 dwellings including new access roads, landscaping, open space, SUDS attenuation and other associated infrastructure and engineering works

Authority
Central Bedfordshire
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Rollings G

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
  • The effect of the proposed development on Flitwick Wood Ancient Woodland, County Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve
  • The effect of the proposed development on highway safety

What decided it

The absence of a five-year housing land supply and the out-of-date status of the Council's housing delivery policies engaged the tilted balance, under which the substantial benefits of housing delivery were not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the limited harms identified.

The very substantial benefit of housing delivery, together with substantial affordable/self-build housing benefits and moderate s.106 and design benefits, outweighed the moderate harm from increased traffic congestion, such that adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits under paragraph 11d) of the Framework or against the Local Plan as a whole.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EE5Policy EE8Site Allocation HAS17Policy EE3Policy EE4Policy T2Policy H4Policy EE13Policy HQ1Policy HQ2Policy HQ3Policy EE1Policy EE12Policy T4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 15Paragraph 57Paragraph 58Paragraph 63Paragraph 116

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Central Bedfordshire

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Dismissed29 October 20266009734
    Whitewood Corner, 7 Drove Road, Gamlingay, Sandy, SG19 2HT
  2. Allowed15 October 20266009682
    Land West Of Hurricane Avenue, Lower Stondon, SG16 6NW
  3. Allowed26 June 20266009349
    22 Moor End, Eaton Bray, Dunstable, LU6 2HN
  4. Allowed26 May 20266003946
    Land Adjacent to Sheffield House, South-west of Ampthill Road (B530), Houghton Conquest, MK45 3JJ
  5. Dismissed21 May 20266005254
    Well Cottage, Featherbed Lane, Dunstable, LU5 6JL

The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.