What We're Fighting For
We are a campaigning organisation against unstainable development and the loss of the much-valued countryside and further loss of Green Belt and productive agricultural land.
In the face of sizeable new development proposals coming forward in Harlington, we are a group of residents concerned on how these developments will impact our rural community, place pressure on infrastructure, reduce wildlife and limit access to the green belt.
We recognise that there is a pressing requirement to provide new housing. However, our community has experienced several years of development projects which, unfortunately, have resulted in homes that are largely beyond the financial reach of local residents.
This pattern of unaffordable development has also placed significant pressure on existing local services. The additional demand has created challenges that our community continues to face.
We are advocating for a planning approach that preserves our precious green belt land and retains Harlington's setting and character as a village.
Image courtesy of Andrew Parish
Understanding the Local Plan and its impact
Central Bedfordshire is to be a major focus area for the building of additional housing between Oxford and Cambridge. Using Central Government guidelines, Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) have allocated an additional 25,500 new homes to be built in our area by 2050.
This is in addition to the 44,000 homes already included in the 2015-2035 Local Plan.
In order to accommodate this extra housing, the 2015-2035 Local Plan is being modified and folded into a new Local Plan that will be adopted in 2028 and will guide future development until 2050.
Apart from housing, the new Local Plan will include provision for new employment (e.g. Commercial development), renewable energy systems and green spaces.
Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) have therefore been tasked with sourcing areas of land as potential sites to meet these future land requirements. This is done through a process as follows:
1. Call for sites - completed in 2024
2. Screening of sites - completed, with sites unsuitable for residential development removed
3. Further assessment of sites - this is being conducted now by the Council. A Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA) will be drawn up.
Timeline for the new Local Plan
July 2026: Public Consultation
The SLAA will be form the basis of public consultation, where we will be asked our views on which sites should be allocated. This is
where we have the most influence on protecting our communities from over-
development.
A Finalised Local Plan
Once the consultation concludes, we will have a finalised local plan. We expect this to be published late 2026 - early 2027.