The South Bedfordshire Green Belt Conference
The next couple of decades will see significant change in South Bedfordshire and Luton. The Government, in the Sustainable Communities Plan and the Milton Keynes South Midlands Sub-Regional Study, has set out a programme of major growth in the area. We will need to provide for thousands of new homes over the coming decades, plus associated jobs, schools, shops, community facilities, open space, and all the other things that need to be added to the mix to make sustainable and successful communities.
Some of this growth can be absorbed within the existing built up area. However, the scale of growth is so large, and the green belt boundary is so tight up against the urban edge, that we need to roll back parts of the green belt to provide space for the growth.
This conference was our first step in thinking about how this can be done. The purpose of the day was to start talking about the issues that we face in planning for a new Green Belt, and also how we can look after it in the long term. Delegates included District Councillors, Town and Parish Councillors, local landowners and developers, neighbouring authorities and other national and local stakeholders.
During the morning, we heard from various speakers about the purposes of the Green Belt, what it seeks to achieve, how it is currently used and managed, what the Green Belt means for the development industry and what might happen as it changes. These presentations are available below.
During the afternoon, workshops were held to allow delegates to discuss their opinions about how we should deal with the review of the Green Belt, and how the remaining parts can be usefully used and managed. A Conference Report will be available here soon which sets out the main points raised by these afternoon workshops.
The outcomes of the workshops will also be taken forward and used to inform the review of the Green Belt, and the process we use to carry out that review. If you would like to be involved in future consultations on the Green Belt review and other parts of the plan preparation process, drop us an email at localplans@southbeds.gov.uk, with your contact details.
