‘Overloading’ fears over pub housing
'LOST AMENITY': Wendy and Alan Hardiman left the pub in February
Developers are being accused of trying to squeeze too much housing onto the site of a former village pub that closed earlier this year.
Plans have been lodged to build four four-bedroom homes on the Bedford Arms site in Toddington High Street. The four new properties would be built in the pub garden, while the pub itself and adjacent former florist’s would also be turned into homes.
Kensworth Builders, the Shefford-based firm behind the plans, says that while the new homes will be “impressive” they have been designed so as not to “alienate” surrounding residents.
And the company says changing the pub and florist’s into homes is the “best way of preserving and safeguarding their long term historical and architectural character”.
But Toddington parish councillor Richard Hagan, in charge of planning, said he would not be supporting the plans.
“What they are doing is not good for the site,” he said. “The houses are higher than ones next to the site, so they will be staring into people’s windows.
“When we are planning we want the best of what’s available, we don’t want to overload sites.”
Publicans Wendy and Alan Hardiman were forced to leave the Bedford Arms in February when brewery Charles Wells sold the site.
The plans will be discussed at the parish council’s meeting on Tuesday (September 4) at 7.30pm at Toddington village hall.
To see the plans visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Luton
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 5 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
