Well done Bartonians, all our hard work to keep out Green Belt paid off. However, this is not the end: Central Beds must come forward with a revised plan next year – this will probably be after the general election and they have launched a 'call for sites' that will close 9th February, see www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/sites So we must remain ready to protest again if they propose to build on our Green Belt.
Rumour has it that Central Beds is preparing to roll back the Green Belt on the eastern edge of our village, behind Manor Road under cover of the local development plan. Whether and how quickly that would extend the full length of the eastern side of Barton-le-Clay from Hexton Road to Higham Road is unclear and an obvious risk.
This information emerged in October, when Barton parish council held two community consultation sessions on the Neighbourhood Plan as its spring 2014 housing survey has identified an alleged need for 14 affordable homes in Barton-le-Clay. These would be built in conjunction with an unspecified number of 'market' houses. Central Beds is said to want to use the local development plan to push back the Green Belt on the eastern side of the village. As CBC Cllr Young confirmed at a meeting on 6 November with representatives of the BRAG group, one developer still wants to build 550 homes here – this would have to be on our Green Belt.
Once the Green Belt is breached, the roll-back may prove impossible to contain, especially if money to build youth or community facilities sweeten the deal, as happened with the Grange Farm estate and development of the football facilities here some 20 years ago. We need to be alert and prepared to act if we wish to safeguard our Green Belt. The Parish Council's steering group five key themes are on display in the library.
