This section sets out answers to some commonly-asked questions. If you cannot find the answer to your query here, or if you would like additional information, please email us or call our hotline on 0845 602 2807.
To email comments click here.
Where is the site under consideration?
The site under consideration lies along the urban eastern border of Luton. It is bordered by the A505 to the north, by agricultural land to the east and by Wandon End to the south. The villages of Mangrove Green and Cockernhoe are at the centre of the area under consideration, and Tea Green is to the South East.
Who is the Local Planning Authority?
The land falls within the North Hertfordshire District Council’s administrative boundary. However, it borders the Luton Borough Council boundaries. Bloor Homes will be liaising with both authorities.
The area is also subject to the provisions of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, which looks into the number of houses which will be needed in the Luton/Dunstable/Houghton Regis area in the future.
The area also falls within the policy controls of the Luton and South Bedfordshire Joint Transport and Planning Committee which has been set up to secure delivery relative to the requirements of the MKSMSRS.
Do we need new homes in Luton?
New homes are being developed across the UK to address demand, which has been brought about due to a number of factors, such as a changing population profile (people are living longer, and more people are living on their own), to support economic regeneration and to provide more ‘affordable’ properties.
The Government-led Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy envisages that 41,700 new homes will be required in the Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis areas between 2001 and 2031. Some homes have already been built and other sites earmarked for development, but 27,500 new homes are still required.
What consultation have you planned?
The exhibitions in January are the first stage in a consultation process which will continue until summer 2008. The next stages will include workshops and further exhibitions. We are committed to showing how proposals are shaped and informed by the community, and feel that it is crucial that people stay informed every step of the way so our website will be updated with information as it becomes available. People will also be able to ask questions and submit comments throughout the process, either via the website or by telephone to 0845 602 2807.
What happens next?
The next stage of consultation activity – Workshops – will pull together information from professional studies and the feedback gathered at the first exhibitions to help shape a masterplan for the site and give local people the opportunity to make further comments.
Are you actually going to do to what local people say?
Preparing and delivering the best possible scheme for the local area depends on having listened to what local people say. We are committed to listening to local people and learning from what they tell us. Their contribution will play a major role in determining what this scheme looks like, and the input will be evident at each stage of the development of the masterplan.
Who are the developers?
Bloor Homes is bringing forward proposals for the area. Bloor Homes is part of the JS Bloor Group, which began building homes over 35 years ago and is now one of the largest privately owned building groups in England.
Bloor Homes is involved in other high-quality schemes in the local area, such as Cassell Heights in Stopsley and the Edge (formally the Trico site) in Dunstable.
What would a proposed development consist of?
It is envisaged that this would be a mixed-use development, including new homes, public open spaces, shops and community areas, such as sports and educational facilities, and appropriate employment opportunities. One of the aims of the public consultation process is to find out what local people think the area could provide.
How many new houses could be built? What type?
We are working hard to identify the right ‘mix’ of development, but under current density requirements, the land could provide between 3,000 to 4,000 new homes. These could consist of a range of house types and sizes, including detached family homes and starter apartments, with a proportion of ‘affordable’ housing.
What will happen to Putteridge Bury Estate?
We are particularly keen to hear your views about the currently private land of the Putteridge Bury Estate. There is the opportunity to make this accessible to the public, providing access to additional open space for the local community while maintaining the historic gardens and securing the retention of historic features at the site.
What will the new homes look like?
As we are in the early stages of the planning process, detailed design work has not yet been undertaken. We are keen to hear from the local community how modern techniques and sustainability issues could be implemented in keeping with the local area's character.
What infrastructure and community facilities are you providing?
A new local centre with shops and community facilities could be provided. The consultation process will help us to identify the correct and desired facilities for the area as a response to local needs and local priorities.
Won’t this development be a blot on the landscape, visible from miles around?
Landscaping and the provision of suitable open space would be a key feature of the masterplan and a large proportion of the site would remain as open space.
Technical studies are underway and further studies will be conducted to update and add to our understanding of all aspects of the landscape, environment and ecology. These will look at the full range of issues, including views into the site, species studies, analysis of trees and hedgelines. The studies will ensure that special attention is paid to key areas such as Brickkiln Wood, Stubbocks Wood and Messina Plantation.
Will public rights of way be lost?
No, all public rights of way will be incorporated into the development site.
If new homes are planned in the area, how will the roads cope with all the traffic?
We will be carrying out assessments of the current traffic levels and routes, as well as any changes as a result of new development. One of the aims of the consultation is to get information and ideas from local residents on how the transport infrastructure in the area could be shaped.
What provisions are being made for public transport, walkers and cyclists? How will new and existing residents be encouraged to stop using their cars?
The introduction of measures to encourage more sustainable travel options and support better use of public transport, footpaths and cycleways would be a priority for the site. For example, we will look at the current bus routes to identify whether there are any beneficial alterations which could be made, and will examine the best routes and locations to provide suitable pedestrian and cycle facilities.
This section lists some questions or answers we have received from people in the area.
In the Core Strategy : issues & options document dated June 2007 , options 1 to 10 only outlined some of the area east of Luton for development and in 4 of the options none of the area was to be developed. Why this change in policy?
The local authority-led issues and options process is not yet completed. This consultation, being carried out on behalf of Bloor Homes, is in part intended to provide additional information on the area to the East of Luton and how it could play a part in delivering homes needed to support sustainable growth in the area.
The literature states that a number of locations were considered. Where were these locations and what size housing footprint was proposed for each site.
The areas referred to are those set out in the Luton and South Bedfordshire Joint Planning and Transportation Committee Core Strategy Issues and Options Paper. This process, which has not yet concluded, sets out a number of different areas which together can meet the housing need in the area. More information is available here.
Will Herts County Council be providing the necessary services? Would you then expect the Boundary Commission to review the current county boundary and move this area and all its current Hertfordshire residents into Bedfordshire?
The area in which a proposal would be placed would be within the borders of North Hertfordshire District and Hertfordshire County Council, who would be the responsible local authorities. However, there would be a number of services which might operate efficiently across the boundaries, but this would be a matter for the local authorities to determine.
The matter of administrative boundaries is one for the local authorities, government and the boundary commission to decide, and would take some time to carry out
Is there a conflict in attaching 4000 homes on to the eastern edge of Luton, when they will actually be located on the Hertfordshire side of the County boundary?
No. The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy explicitly looks at how development might need to cross local authority boundaries The key focus is to locate development where it best supports sustainable development objectives and to ensure it is not artificially restrained by council boundaries. This consultation is therefore looking at how the area to the east of Luton can support the sustainable growth of both North Hertfordshire and Luton. North Hertfordshire District Council will determine the planning application.
As the homes will be in Hertfordshire will they be Hertfordshire prices?
Homes within the development will be at a variety of prices, depending on factors such as the size of the property and its location. Appreciating this, property prices will ultimately be dictated by the market. Accordingly it is not possible to say what the eventual prices of the homes will be. A proportion of ‘affordable housing’ will be available for those who meet the relevant criteria; key workers, for example.
What green-belt retention provisions are planned? Why don't you keep a green belt barrier between the existing houses?
The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy allows for a review of Green Belt Boundaries and where land is to come out of the Green Belt to accommodate sustainable urban extensions consideration should be given to proposals for compensatory Green Belt provision. In effect this enables adjustment to allow for sustainable and controlled growth. If this were to take place, the area which might be developed would no longer be green belt. However, the proposal will need to ensure that areas of significant ecology, such as woodlands and hedgerows, are suitably integrated into the proposal and that open space is provided for public use or as a green buffer for various areas.
There are vast swathes of brownfield land currently undeveloped which already have access to the infrastructure that could be provided for the new development why aren't these being regenerated? What about the vacant Vauxhall site?
The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy assesses the number of new homes that will be needed in the area in the period running up to 2031. It is noted that although it will be essential to ‘release the development capacity within the towns, this will be substantially less than is needed’. The Luton and South Bedfordshire Core Strategy Issues and Options paper recognised that the capacity within the existing urban areas is limited with the suggestion being that between 13,000 and 19,000 units could be built on sites within the towns. This said, the urban capacity study being produced by the Joint Committee indicates that these figures may represent a significant over-estimation of the existing capacity. Further, housing need in the area is for family housing rather than flatted development, which is more typical of existing brownfield urban areas.
The Vauxhall site is already the subject of a proposal to be developed, although again there is to be a dominance of flatted development. Regardless of the Vauxhall site, which is being taken into account within consideration of urban capacity, there remains the need to utilise Greenfield areas. Clearly there is not enough brownfield land to meet the identified demand for new homes.
Why destroy such a beautiful area, surely Luton can expand towards Dunstable and Houghton Regis where motorway access would be easier? This is Herts council area why don't they do it nearer Hitchin rather than Luton?
There are a number of other sites under consideration in the areas noted. However, it is important to recognise that the long term provision of homes needed in the area cannot be achieved in just one area. The site to the east of Luton has the potential to provide some of the homes needed by way of a sustainable urban extension. In conjunction with development in other areas and on appropriate brownfield sites it could serve to address the identified housing demand.
Why are you doing this consultation rather than the council?
This is a pre-application consultation being carried out by Bloor Homes to provide information to support the development of its proposals for the area, and to ensure that local residents are aware that a proposal may be forthcoming. Once a proposal is submitted to the council, the local authorities will undertake formal public consultation activities.
What authority does the instigator of this website have to publicise this proposal?
Bloor Homes is carrying out this consultation prior to submission of a planning proposal for the area. The key objectives of the consultation activities is to ensure that local residents are aware that a proposal may be forthcoming and to give them the opportunity to influence what may ultimately form part of a planning application. No decision has been made on the content of a planning application or indeed on what the Council's view might be.
Was the appointment of Bloor Homes as the preferred developer made on a competitive basis?
There are no ‘preferred developers’ for the site. Bloor Homes are carrying out this consultation to support the development of the planning proposal they intend to bring forward.
Is there any partnership with local/ county authorities over this?
The local authorities are aware that this consultation is ongoing and officers of the councils have attended consultation events. There are also technical meetings ongoing between the authorities and members of Bloor Homes' consultant team.
Why has this been kept so quiet with no leafleting of residents in the affected areas?
7000 letters were dispatched to households in the area at the beginning of January, and a number of adverts and notices were placed in local press. Further letters have been sent with regard to subsequent events. We are aware that some householders did not appear to have received the initial letter in January, and have reviewed the delivery mechanism accordingly. However, over 1000 people have attended events to date. There will be further publicity in advance of future events. We are happy to attend meetings with local groups if requested, and local residents can continue to submit feedback or ask questions via our website or telephone hotline.
On the basis of the variance in the number of housing units proposed (3000-4000) why have no drawings been made available in order to provide focus?
The initial stages of consultation activity are intended to elicit contributions from local residents to inform the development of more detailed proposals. The masterplan, which will deal with housing numbers, will evolve throughout the consultation process.
I am interested in how this will affect the Stopsley/Putteridge area and was concerned that you included Putteridge Bury in your plans. Isn't this designated as a park?
The Putteridge Bury estate is included in the ‘Area of Search’ indicated on our materials. Areas of the estate are designated as historic parkland, and so there are many considerations which need to be taken into account on how development in the area would interact with the site. However, there are also opportunities to boost access to the parkland and improve facilities.
How are you going to obtain water? This is in short supply and most of the homes in this area have to obtain their water from bore holes.
Water, and other utilities, will of course be a crucial element of the proposal. Bloor Homes are undertaking detailed surveys of how water could be provided to homes as well as how drainage systems will be structured. One key issue under consideration is how ‘grey’ rain and waste water can be used in a sustainable way.
Where and when will the first phase of this development begin?
It is not possible to say for definite when and where proposed development will begin, as this will depend on the final form of the proposal and the detail of the planning processes, whether associated with the evolution of local policy or progression through the application system. This said, it is unlikely that development would be able to start on site before 2010, even if a planning application is progressed shortly.
Although at this time there can be no certainty about timescales, when a proposal is formally put forward for planning approval, it will reflect in more detail how the phasing could be carried out in terms of the homes and infrastructure.
Will there be any retirement bungalows built on this new development?
The proportion and types of different homes in the proposal are yet to be finalised, but an area of retirement housing within the proposal could be considered.
Why not build some homes with three floors and a basement?
The proposals will include a number of different types of homes, of varying scales and structures. These will range from family homes to apartments. However the final layout, numbers, density and design of the different types of homes is yet to be decided.
What percentage of these houses will be affordable housing?
The final decisions on how much affordable housing, what types it might be, and where it would be sited, are not yet taken. However, a typical proportion would be around 30% to 40%. This could be any mixture of social housing, shared equity schemes or key worker housing.
I have been advised that 70% of these homes will be affordable housing. Can you confirm/deny this?
The final proportion of affordable housing is yet to be decided. However, 70% would be high in comparison to other comparable projects and is unlikely to result in a sustainable and balanced community. 30% to 40% would be more typical, but the final level will be decided as part of the planning process.
Couldn't a better road be created to help this area link the A505 with M1 jct 10 & jct12 without using the current roads in Luton, i.e. a mini M25?
Such a road is not required as part of this proposed development. There are aspirations within the Luton Borough Council Local Transport Plan to create such a road, which if delivered in the future would fulfill a strategic function. It would be for the relevant highway authorities to identify the benefit of such a road. It is not required to allow the proposed development to go ahead and so is outside of the scope of these consultations. Again, the implementation of such a road connection is not considered necessary to allow the proposed development to go ahead. If in due course this is the aspiration of the relevant highway authorities, it would be for them to demonstrate the need, feasibility and deliverability of such a facility. Bloor Homes will take guidance from the relevant highway authorities in developing the site proposals so as not to frustrate any longer term aspirations.
Where are the access roads likely to be?
There are a number of possible routes of access to the area under consideration. These could include Eaton Green Road, Crawley Green Road, Hayling Drive, Putteridge Road and connections to the east. No firm decisions have yet been taken on how these would be utilised, or what improvements would be necessary to support such use.
On the basis that some form of development were to be agreed who would fund an upgrade of road systems feeding into Luton Town Centre and how will this upgrade be achieved.
The extent of road improvement required as part of the development proposals will be influenced by local and national transport policy. This policy requires developers to focus attention on public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians. Details of routes, services and they could operate are under consideration and further detail will be forthcoming at a later stage in the consultation process.
A detailed report prepared as part of the application, the Transport Assessment, will quantify the effect of the development on the local road network and where highway safety is affected, improvements would be identified. In terms of road congestion, identifying improvements to, and quantifying funding towards locally significant routes are being investigated in line with government policy. Funding for improvements could be achieved through a variety of sources. The exact mechanism for this would be decided during the planning process.
What extra community facilities are planned?
At present it is expected that the development would include a local centre with retail and community buildings, such as health facilities. Education facilities would also be provided within the development. We are keen to hear views from residents on what facilities might be suitable and useful.
What is being proposed regarding schools?
New primary education facilities would be necessary but decisions have not been taken as to how these would fit with existing schools. At present, it is anticipated that there will be sufficient capacity available at secondary schools, but work remains ongoing to accurately assess this.
Can you tell me where all these people who need new homes come from? Why doesn't the government gear development to the North of England?
The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy has assessed housing need in the Luton/Houghton Regis/Dunstable and surrounding areas. Similar processes are being carried out in the other parts of the country. Key drivers for the increase in housing are population growth, an increasingly ageing population and that more people are living on their own. Immigration is not a major driving factor behind housing growth.
The literature mentions job creation but apart from the short term build operation what
other jobs are indicated for this development.
There is the potential for an area of employment use within the development, but no decisions have been made on what form this could take. Certainly the provision for local services will create a number of new employment opportunities, but we would welcome suggestions from residents as to what types and scale of employment use would be beneficial.
It should be noted that to inform consideration of the level of economic growth and the number of associated jobs within the growth area the Joint Planning and Transportation have had an Employment Land review produced. Given the sites relationship with existing employment areas at Butterfield Green and Wigmore/ Century Park, it has been suggested that the site ‘is not considered as strategic for the future location of employment uses’.
Would the go-ahead for such a scheme open the floodgates for future expansion plans for Luton Airport?
This consultation is being carried out by Bloor Homes in relation to an eventual proposal for a sustainable mixed-use development in the area to the east of Luton and doesn't include any elements related to the potential expansion of Luton Airport. Any growth at the airport would be guided by the content of the White Paper and a specific masterplan associated with Luton Airport, both of which fall outside of the remit of Bloor Homes' consultation.
What do you propose to do about existing properties in the redevelopment area?
The proposal will have to take in to account existing settlements just as it has to take into account infrastructure and ecological factors. Part of the purpose of this pre application consultation is to seek views on how best to deal with these sensitive issues. Obviously once the final form of the proposal is known, it will be possible to properly assess what the impact on existing individual properties will be and comments can be made to the Council accordingly.
