Mixed-use development near Bidwell approved by council - despite being dubbed 'tragic'

Applicant HDD Houghton Regis Retail Limited submitted separate proposals, including one for a three-storey block of 22 apartments, a nursery and four retail units on 1.2 acres.

It also features a small single storey retail unit, a public square and parking, according to a report to Central Bedfordshire Council's development management committee.

Independent Linslade councillor Victoria Harvey described the retail outlet as "a small convenience store rather than a supermarket", saying: "This is incredibly poor design for new development and for Houghton Regis.

"I think it's tragic. It's the only way I can describe it," she explained.

"Looking at the small size of the retail units, I think we're encouraging car travel and for people to drive out to Milton Keynes or to other areas.

"We're causing a big exodus of cars up the M1 or up the A5, which are already quite congested, so I think there are serious concerns over that."

An outline application for the surrounding area was agreed in 2015 for up to 1,850 homes, a primary school, employment land, a local retail centre along with community and leisure uses, sports pitches and natural wildlife areas.

Liberal Democrat Houghton Hall councillor Susan Goodchild was concerned by "a block of land which would be left undeveloped" as a result of these proposals.

"A resident said to me the one thing we want to avoid is a ransom strip," she warned.

Principal planning officer Stuart Robinson replied: "That area of land is particularly unidentified.

"We don't have another application, other than the Bidwell West outline planning permission, which deals with this plot of land, so it would need detailed proposals to show anything further in that location.

"It still allows access through the site to the care home."

Houghton Regis Town Council opposed this and a similar scheme nearby because of overdevelopment, and a lack of pedestrian and cycling routes.

And Houghton Regis Community Development Charity also objected, saying they "fall short of the benchmark set by the master plan" and "don't create a sense of place".

Independent Tithe Farm councillor Pat Hamill said: "The concern is to have a good community centre it would have a more open plan approach, such as a park next to it and benches around it.

"There's not much land for a community centre to be put on that neighbouring area, given the extent of the development opposite it.

"It could just be a building with a car park next to it."

Dunstable Watling councillor Nigel Young said: "I asked to ensure there was proper access to the community centre before, and it was put as an advisory note to look at the access."

Councillors voted eight against and four in favour of refusal, and then approved the development with eight votes in favour, three against and one abstention.

The plans will be referred to the Secretary of State for housing, communities and local government as major development in the Green Belt.