Reckless Cabinet Places River Environment Under Threat

3.46.00pm GMT Thu 1st Mar 2007

Bedford Lib Dems are demanding that the Mayor and his Cabinet do not scrap the policy which protects the riverside from harmful development

The protection of the river environment in Bedford Borough has been placed under threat by the Council Cabinet's proposals to scrap the policy preventing harmful development along the riverside.

At its meeting last night the full council passed a Lib Dem amendment calling for the crucial River Protection Area policy to be retained. The Cabinet will now have to reconsider scrapping this policy, which protects the riverside from developments which would damage the landscape and harm the environment.

Government guidance recommends that policies which offer blanket protection against unsuitable development should be replaced by less rigid policies. However, while the Mayor and his Cabinet voted to scrap the River Protection Area at a previous meeting of the Executive there are no replacement policies yet in place.

Commenting on the issue, Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Whitehead said:

"The River Great Ouse is the jewel in Bedford's crown and it has been protected in Bedford's planning policy for good reason. The river protection area covers a vast swathe of the Borough all the way from Turvey in the west to Great Barford in the east, and it allows the Borough Council to ensure that any development along the river is sympathetic.

"While I can understand that there is pressure from central government to ditch these protection areas, we must not get rid of our existing policy until we know what will replace it - and that what replaces it offers the same or greater protection to the river.

"The river and its surrounding environment is a priceless asset to this Borough and our first concern must be to ensure that it is protected for residents and visitors to continue to enjoy in the future."

The document which would replace the current policy is being drawn up by the County Council, and it is not known whether it will provide the same protection for areas along the river against excessive or harmful development.