Second developer quits eco-town

Michael Donnelly, PlanningResource, 9 July 2008

The company blamed its decision to pull out of the New Marston scheme on the lack of an overall vision for the area from the government.

In a letter to the DCLG, planning director Greg Mitchell said: "What we do not want to see is an on-going process of piecemeal planning for the area as we have seen over the past ten years as illustrated by Center Parcs, NIRAH, the Elstow South landfill proposal, Bedfordshire county Council's waste local plan together with the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway. Currently there is no overarching vision."

Gallagher’s New Marston proposal was anchored by Wixams, a 4,500 home development on the former Elstow Depot to the south of Bedford that would extend southwards into the Marston Vale using the former brickmaking works of Kempston, Hardwick and Stewartby to create an additional 7,000 dwellings.

Gallagher argues that when there is a strategic development framework for the Marston Vale area, this should focus development in the north around brownfield land and the new Wixams railway station.

Only then should further development be considered in the southern Marston Vale.

"We consider it fundamental that delivery of Wixams is not undermined by a premature Marston Vale scheme, which could result in the dilution of resources necessary for the delivery of existing and planned developments in the Bedford area", said Mitchell.

Marston Vale is one of 15 areas shortlisted by the government for its plans to build ten eco-towns in England by 2020.

The announcement comes a day after a consortium which had been planning to build 5,000 homes in an eco-town near Lichfield, Staffordshire pulled out of the scheme.