Liberal Democrats Warn Bedford Faces Planning “Perfect Storm”

Bedford Liberal Democrats have warned that a combination of Conservative inaction locally and Labour changes nationally has left Bedford more vulnerable to inappropriate speculative development while weakening local democratic control over planning decisions.

Bedford Borough cannot currently demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites, weakening its ability to resist inappropriate speculative development. Although Local Plan 2030 remains in place, the Borough urgently needs an up-to-date replacement.

Liberal Democrats argue that, rather than allowing Local Plan 2040 to fall by the wayside, the Conservative administration should have progressed the modifications needed to address the Inspector’s concerns, including an additional call for sites if necessary. That work could have put Bedford further along the road towards an up-to-date plan and restoring a five-year housing land supply.

Meanwhile, Labour’s national scheme of delegation, which comes into force on 31 October 2026, will remove ward councillors’ existing ability to require planning applications to be heard by Planning Committee.

Cllr Jon Abbott (Clapham and Oakley) said:

“Just when Bedford most needs a strong, up-to-date Local Plan to help defend our communities from inappropriate speculative development, councillors are also losing an important mechanism for ensuring controversial applications are debated in public.

“Residents will understandably ask: if their parish council objects, local residents raise serious planning concerns and their ward councillor believes an application should be heard by Planning Committee, why should that councillor lose the ability to secure a committee hearing?

“Liberal Democrats support the homes people need, with the infrastructure to support them and a meaningful voice for local communities.

“Conservative inaction has left Bedford without the up-to-date replacement Local Plan our communities need. Now Labour is removing ward councillors’ ability to secure public committee scrutiny of controversial applications.

“Bedford’s communities should not pay the price for Conservative inaction locally and Labour’s centralisation of planning nationally.”