Local Plan 2024: Conservative Mayor breaks promise

One month after being elected the Conservative Mayor of Bedford Borough has broken an election promise following the news that he will not be pausing the Local Plan 2040. This is despite the Mayor saying he would stop the progress of the local plan “on day 1”.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader and former Portfolio Holder for Town Centres and Planning Councillor Henry Vann said “It is very disappointing the Mayor is now only just discovering what many of us have known for a while – including senior members of his own party who had voted for the Local Plan 2040. The Local Plan has been produced to protect residents and communities from being at the mercy of developers. Doing anything to jeopardise that would be devastating to our villages and parishes.

“I’m very glad the Mayor has finally seen sense but it undermines residents' trust in politics to be told one thing very clearly during the election by the Conservatives, only for the promise to be ditched within days of being elected."