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Planther checks a site against every constraint and designation, and sets out the local plan position, housing land supply and planning history behind it, each with its source.
Land west of Wootton, Bedford
Bedford Borough Council · 6.5 ha
Natural environment
Flooding
Flood risk
Flood zone 1. Nearest flood zone 2 is 1.7km away.
Landscape
Green belts
Not within a green belt. Nearest is Central Bedfordshire, 7.3km away.
National landscapes (formerly AONBs)
Not in a national landscape. Nearest is the Chilterns, 15km away.
Trees
Ancient woodlands
Wootton Wood ancient woodland is 160m from the site.
Nearest ancient woodland: 160m from the site boundary.
| Status | Name | Area | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAWS | WOOTTON WOOD | 37.6 ha | 160 m |
Ecology
SSSIs
Not within an SSSI. Nearest is Marston Thrift, 4km away.
Land type and quality
Agricultural land
Grade 3a - best and most versatile agricultural land.
Heritage
Conservation area
Not in a conservation area. Nearest is Wootton, 280m from the site.
Listed buildings
No listed buildings within 250m. Nearest is Grade II*, 359m away.
Scheduled monuments
No scheduled monuments within 250m.
Planning policy and guidance
Local plan designations and allocations
Wootton Wood County Wildlife Site, Forest of Marston Vale, green infrastructure opportunity zone.
Article 4 directions
Bedford does not publish its article 4 directions - check the council's own page.
Material considerations
Housing land supply: 3.35 years
Below the 5-year requirement - base date 1/4/2025
Housing Delivery Test (2025): 94%
Consequence: action plan
Planning history
Planning applications
On the site: outline for up to 81 homes, refused 2019. 46 more within 250m.
47 applications within 250m of the site boundary. One is on the site: an outline for up to 81 homes, refused in 2019.
On the subject site
| Ref | Description | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/00894/MAO | Outline application with all matters reserved except access for the erection of up to 81 dwellings. | Refused | 25 Nov 2019 |
Nearby
| Ref | Description | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/01577/AOC | 25/00391/FUL - Condition 3 - BNG (Discharge of Condition) | Granted | 1 Sept 2025 |
| 22/00522/MAF | New artificial pitch with fencing, floodlights, acoustic fence, erection of a pavilion with changing rooms, new car park | Granted | 26 Sept 2022 |
| 20/02534/FUL | Brick plinth, rendering of property and re-tiling of roof and porch | Granted | 21 Dec 2020 |
Planther researches every part of the site and project, then drafts the whole document in your style, from planning statements and appraisals to design and access statements.
Draft the planning statement. Lead on the land supply shortfall and use the Wilstead and Roxton appeals.
The planning statement is drafted, with each policy and appeal cited where it is used and the site plan as Figure 1.
Planning Statement - Land west of Wootton
1. Introduction
1.1 This statement supports an outline application for up to 120 homes, public open space and a new access on 6.5 hectares of land west of Wootton. The site lies outside the settlement policy area Bedford LP 2030.
Figure 1: Site location
2. Housing land supply
2.1 The council accepts that it can show only 3.35 years of housing land supply. In the Wilstead appeal the inspector called this "a significant shortfall against the five-year requirement" Appeal 3376539, so the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies NPPF.
2.2 The Bedford Local Plan 2040 was withdrawn from examination on 8 October 2025, so no emerging plan is close to restoring a five-year supply.
Ask for the appeals you need in plain English. Planther reads every decision letter that might matter and brings back the ones that help, with the inspector's own words and the paragraph they come from.
Find allowed appeals in Bedford since 2024 for ten or more homes outside a settlement, where the council could not show five years of supply.
Nine appeals match, and I read every letter. The three strongest for you are in the panel, each with the inspector's own words.
In all three the inspector found the most important policies out of date, and gave the benefits of new homes the greater weight.
9 of the 877 appeals in Bedford match.
Chosen by Planther · 9 of the 9 letters read
Land on the east of Duck End Lane, Wilstead
Bedford Borough Council3376539·Major dwellings, 149 homes
Why it matches
Homes outside the settlement boundary allowed because Bedford could not show five years of supply.
What the inspector said
“The Council concedes that it is currently only able to demonstrate 3.35 years of housing land supply” (para 52)
Land north of Hall End Road, Wootton
Bedford Borough Council6004689·Major dwellings, 90 homes
Why it matches
Allowed on the edge of Wootton despite harm to character, because the tilted balance applied.
What the inspector said
“The most important development plan policies cited above are however deemed to be out-of-date.” (para 74)
Land at Bedford Road and High Street, Roxton
Bedford Borough Council3357192·Major dwellings, 50 homes
Why it matches
Conflict with the plan's distribution of growth outweighed by the supply shortfall.
What the inspector said
“the presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in paragraph 11 d) of the Framework applies” (para 109)
See where a council's local plan stands, which plans are in force and which have fallen away, alongside its housing land supply, delivery test results and its planning documents.
Bedford
Five-year housing land supply
VerifyCouncil's stated position
3.35 years
Base date 1 April 2025
Estimated position from appeal decisions
At appeal in May 2026 the council conceded 3.35 years, a significant shortfall.
Read the decision letter
Housing Delivery Test
Verify2025 measurement · 2,812 of 2,981 homes delivered over three years.
Local plans
The Local Plan 2030 is in force. The Local Plan 2040 was withdrawn from examination on 8 October 2025, so a new plan will be prepared under the new plan-making system.
In force now
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2030
Adopted 15 January 2020
Allocations and Designations Local Plan
Adopted 17 July 2013
Past plans
Bedford Local Plan 2040
Withdrawn from examination, 8 October 2025
Bedford Borough Local Plan 2002
Some policies saved
Key documents
Search documents...Local Plan 2030
Allocations and Designations Local Plan
Wootton Neighbourhood Plan
Bromham Neighbourhood Plan
Great Barford Neighbourhood Plan
Sharnbrook Neighbourhood Plan
Planther keeps a tracker for each project: the documents it needs, who is preparing them, when they are due and where each one stands. It keeps itself up to date from the project's files and chats, so the whole team sees the same picture.
What is still outstanding before we can submit?
Five of the twelve documents are still to come in. The two that need chasing:
| Document | Who | Status | Due | Version | Validation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning statement | CSClaire ShawUs | Draft received | 14 Nov | v2 | Local list | |
| Transport assessment | DMDan MorganRidgeway Transport | In progress | 21 Nov | Local list | ||
| Flood risk assessment | PLPriya LalFenland Water | Final received | 3 Nov | v3 | National list | |
| Ecological impact assessment | THTom HartHart Ecology | In progress | 28 Nov | Local list | ||
| Arboricultural impact assessment | Nobody yet | Not started | 5 Dec | Local list | ||
| Landscape and visual appraisal | RBRuth BellOuse Landscape | Draft received | 18 Nov | v1 | Local list | |
| Agricultural land classification | SKSam KingFieldwise Soils | Final received | 30 Oct | v1 | Local list | |
| Design and access statement | JAJo AhmedNorthgate Architects | In progress | 2 Dec | National list |
See every constraint, designation and planning application laid out on one map. Click anywhere to see what applies there, and ask Planther about what is on screen.
Your projects
Planning policy designations
Natural environment
Built/planned environment
Transport
Planning history
At this point
Flood zone
Zone 1
Green Belt
Touches the edge
Conservation area
Touches the edge
Listed buildings
Grade II, 135m
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