Home Farm Planning Application

The 129-home planning application application is now in for Home Farm, I understand. I still can't see it on Central Beds Planning Applications. Work on planning the community building is also going on apace.

Under the 'section 106' agreement Persimmon is legally bound to deliver the community building. In addition to this, cash sums are included in the 106 agreement for additional facilities. These are: library £75,000; pre-school £50,000 and toilet block/changing rooms (for the lower school playing area) £120,000.

At last month’s Parish Council Planning Committee, Martin Wright, for Persimmon said Persimmon was willing to engage with the community if it wished to extend the building to include some or all of these facilities in the community building rather than constructing them separately. There are potential benefits to the community if a planning application for an extended facility is submitted at the same time as the first phase of Home Farm.

The Parish Council has now set up a working party to consider the workability of the building, and the feasibility of adding facilities to the basic structure. The working party includes Jonathan Vowles, representing Acorn Pre-school; Heather Knox, Central Bedfordshire; a Central Bedfordshire planning officer; Mrs Delise Ball, chair of the Parish Council; Central Bedfordshire Councillor Ken Matthews; Mrs Sue Clark, chair of the Parish Council Planning Committee; a Persimmon representative and a representative from the library service.

The Home Farm Stakeholder Group held its second meeting in March. In addition to discussion on the community building (see above) it also looked at the Parish Council considering the adoption of open spaces, a possible public exhibition in local retail premises (subject to agreement), archaeology and the design of the Lodge Road exit junction to discourage left hand turns.

The Lower School obviously has a strong interest in developments. Paul Rossiter, chair of Cranfield Lower School Governing Body adds: "We are keen to work through the Home Farm Stakeholder Group to make the most of the opportunities available to the school, for the benefit of our children, as the result of this development. As we have limited space for expansion within our current boundaries it is important to us to take advantage of any facilities available to us and to ensure the appropriate use of funds designated for the school's benefit.”