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Dismissed13 July 20266008975

Land Adjacent 26 Ford Lane, Roxton, Bedford, MK44 3EG

Planning appeal 6008975 at Land Adjacent 26 Ford Lane, Roxton, Bedford, MK44 3EG (Bedford Borough Council) was dismissed on 13 July 2026 by Inspector J Felgate, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, having regard to the relevant planning policies relating to the location of new housing in the district.

the erection of 5-9 dwellings

Authority
Bedford Borough Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning
Procedure
Written
Development
residential
Inspector
J Felgate
Postcode
MK44 3EG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, having regard to the relevant planning policies relating to the location of new housing in the district
  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
  • the effects on highway safety
  • whether the development would be suitably located with regard to accessibility to local facilities by sustainable modes of transport
  • the effects in terms of flood risk

What decided it

The failure to meet all the exceptional criteria in Policy 7S, combined with significant harm to character and appearance and unacceptable flood risk without sequential testing, meant the proposal conflicted with the development plan and material considerations did not indicate otherwise.

The benefit of up to 9 dwellings in a district with a 3.35-year housing supply carried considerable weight, but this was outweighed by the multiple conflicts with the spatial strategy, significant harm to character and appearance, and unacceptable flood risk.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 3SPolicy 4SPolicy 7SPolicy 2SPolicy 28Policy 29Policy 31Policy 53Policy 87Policy 92
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 83Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 116Paragraph 135Paragraph 170Paragraph 173Paragraph 174Paragraph 175Paragraph 187Paragraph 232

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

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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.