The Government has now confirmed its plans for Tempsford New Town - the largest of the seven new town proposals in the UK. A village of just 400 people could be transformed into a settlement of more than 40,000 homes, accommodating well over 100,000 residents. The scale is extraordinary, and so are the implications. The Government has also launched a public consultation on the new towns draft programme and its environmental implications. This closes on 19 May.
Richard Fuller MP said:
I have met residents many times over the years as they gradually became aware that some development was being considered, but many will be taken aback by the sheer size of what is now proposed. It is vital that the Government brings local people with them. They know the area intimately and understand the significant challenges involved. Their views must not be pushed aside.
The Government’s announcement was accompanied by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which evaluated eleven criteria for each new town location in the short, medium and long term. Despite Tempsford being the largest and most favoured site, six of the eleven criteria were judged to have a significant negative effect in the long term - more than any of the other proposed locations. Given this, and the scale of the proposal, it is one of the key issues I will be raising with the Housing Minister when we meet later this month.
Richard gave an interview to BBC Three Counties this week on Tempsford, which can be played at https://youtu.be/SJ5YzYWKowI
You can read the government's "New Towns Programme – Strategic Environmental Assessment" here.
You can find more about the plans and respond to the consultation by visiting the Government pages at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-towns-draft-programme
