Jon

We’d like to invite you to join us at one of our public events to discuss the emerging proposals and share your thoughts. Come along to find out more about our plans for the development, which include around 4,000 new homes, two primary schools and a secondary school, leisure and sports facilities, shops and services, community parks and much more.

Little Barford is a carefully considered and widely consulted upon option for delivering important infrastructure alongside much-needed new homes.

These proposals do not form part of central government’s identification of land within Tempsford as a long-term growth area.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

• Thursday 5 March, 4pm – 7.30pm
  Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden Village Hall, Morris Walk, Wyboston, MK44 3AS
  
• Friday 6 March, 4pm – 7.30pm
  Stuart Memorial Hall, Church Street, Tempsford, SG19 2AW

This is our third round of community engagement, following public events in July 2024 and a community workshop in March 2025.

You can find updates on what we’ve shared and heard here.

Bedford Borough Council has indicated its intention to withdraw its Local Plan from the Examination process following the Government’s recent announcement regarding Universal Studios.

While formal ratification by councillors is still required, it is expected that the Council will proceed with withdrawal and begin work on a new Local Plan that reflects the opportunity presented by Universal Studios and how to realise its full potential.

It is regrettable that circumstances outside of the Council’s control – and unrelated to the Little Barford site – have led to the likely withdrawal of the current plan. In the absence of an up-to-date Local Plan, Bedford Borough continues to face a significant shortfall in housing land supply, increasing the risk of speculative development across the borough.

Lands Improvement remains fully committed to the Little Barford project. We continue to work closely with Council officers and elected members to ensure the emerging plans for the site remain aligned with the shared vision set out in the draft Local Plan policies and are further strengthened by our ongoing and comprehensive programme of community engagement.

We intend to continue preparing a masterplan for Little Barford, culminating in a future planning application. This decision is based on the following key reasons:

1. Support through the Examination process
   The site was scrutinised by the Government-appointed Planning Inspector, who raised no concerns regarding its deliverability.

2. A well-planned alternative to speculative development
   In the absence of an adopted Local Plan, Little Barford provides a considered and consulted-upon option for meeting housing needs, offering the Council and local communities a route to retain control over where and how new development comes forward.

3. Commitment to infrastructure delivery
   Our proposals will include the full range of infrastructure set out in the draft Local Plan – including new healthcare, education, retail, cultural and community facilities – ensuring that growth is supported by essential services.

4. Established strategic justification
   The spatial advantages that supported Little Barford’s allocation remain unchanged, including proximity to the Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements and the Government’s backing for East West Rail.

We remain focused on working in partnership with the Council and local communities to deliver a sustainable and well-integrated new community at Little Barford.

The team behind the new development at Little Barford will be holding the first in a series of consultation events to engage with local residents and businesses on Wednesday 10 July at the Harpur Centre from 10am – 4pm.

Lands Improvement, the strategic master developer behind the new vibrant community of Linmere (www.linmere.com) is supporting Bedford Borough Council’s plan to deliver a new community to the south of St Neots. 

Allocated in Bedford Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan, the Little Barford community will provide new homes and jobs, alongside generous parks and open spaces. 

Planned for around 4,000 new homes, the Little Barford development will provide a mixture of affordable housing for purchase and rent, along with private homes. The plans will also provide new infrastructure and services, with a pre-school, primary school, secondary school, shops and health facilities.

The first in a series of public drop-in sessions will take place on:

• Wednesday 10 July at the Harpur Centre (outside Starbucks), 10am – 4pm
• Thursday 11 July at Stuart Memorial Hall in Tempsford, 4pm to 7.30pm
• Saturday 13 July at the St Neots Farm & Craft Market, 9am – 1pm

These events will help influence and shape a vision for the Little Barford development. This will be followed by a series of workshops and further events throughout 2024 and into early 2025.

Jamie Stanley, Senior Planning Manager at Lands Improvement, said: 

“We are just starting out on this process, and we want to understand local people’s experiences of the area; things you like, things you don’t like, and what you would like to see in the future.  

“It’s really important that we take this opportunity to understand the area by listening to the views of people living and working locally. We want the Little Barford Garden Community to benefit the whole area, not just the new residents, and our multi-phase consultation programme is designed to give people the opportunity to shape the future of the site.”

People interested in receiving the latest information regarding progress of the new community and homes can register their interest on the website (www.littlebarfordgardencommunity.co.uk)