council news There is still time to have your say on the Local Plan 2040 The next phase of the Local Plan 2040 consultation is underway and Bedford Borough Council wants to hear from you. Local Plans set out where growth and development will take place – everything from homes and jobs to schools and infrastructure. While the Local Plan 2030 was approved in January 2020, there are some policies that need updating earlier than normal in order to keep them in line with national policies, such as those related to the Government’s new formula for housing growth, and the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. This consultation is asking for your views on a development strategy to 2040, and where growth can be delivered. Based on the Government’s latest methodology, the new Local Plan needs to allocate land for a minimum of 12,500 additional new dwellings and space for around 8,650 jobs. Last year, the Council asked for your thoughts about the different kinds of location where growth might take place. These have fed into four short-listed options focused on the urban area, the A421 corridor and existing and planned rail stations. Three of these include one or two new settlements. More details and maps are available on the Council’s website, at www. bedford.gov.uk/localplan2040 This consultation
is also asking for views on town centre and retail policies, and updated policies looking at impact on the environment, the quality of development and self and custom build homes. The full consultation paper, a summary leaflet, and a set of FAQs about the paper can be seen at www. bedford.gov.uk/localplan2040. You can have your say online at www.bedford.gov.uk/localplan2040. The consultation papers available use a new system, which enables people to mark-up specific paragraphs with their comments, save a draft and come back to it, and to keep a copy for their own records. You can also respond by post to Planning Policy Team, Bedford Borough Council, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, MK42 9AP. Drop in sessions will be taking place at The Howard Centre, Bedford (by the indoor entrance to TKMaxx) between 11am and 2pm on Wednesday 11 August and Saturday 21 August. If you have any questions not addressed in the FAQs, the team can be contacted on 01234 718300 where you can leave a message and the team will come back to you. The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 3 September.
Hidden painting discovered! The Higgins Bedford have discovered a hidden painting while undertaking conservation of artwork for their ‘Going to Town’ exhibition.
was surprised to discover another artwork hidden behind the frame. The artwork is a fully finished oil painting depicting a picturesque country cottage.
For every art exhibition at The Higgins Bedford, staff check on the condition of the paintings to identify which will need conservation before going on public display. Seven artworks were selected and taken to the conservator to be removed from their damaged frames, mounted in museum board and have any foxing that had caused any discolouring corrected.
No artist’s signature has been found but further investigation has revealed that two sides of the painting had been cut down to make it fit behind the frame. The signature was most likely removed in this way.
Whilst working on a watercolour sketch by Bedfordshire artist, Stanley Orchart, the conservator
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While the artist, date of the painting and the location of the country cottage remains a mystery, there will be a lot of fun in trying to finding out more!
