Victory for residents as Leighton Buzzard industrial site is rejected by planners

Controversial plans to build industrial units close to a Leighton Buzzard housing estate have been rejected by Central Bedfordshire planners.

Abraham Investments Ltd had submitted an application to build five business/ industrial/ distribution warehouses on land south of Chartmoor Road.

However, residents in new-build housing living nearby raised concerns about its proximity to their homes - particularly those in Hadrian Crescent - as well as claims of noise and dust pollution.

And last week the council agreed, rejecting the scheme.

A statement from Central Bedfordshire Council said: “In the Council’s view the proposal is unacceptable and the fundamental objections cannot be overcome through dialogue. The applicant was invited to withdraw the application to seek pre-application advice prior to any re-submission but did not agree to this.

The council said the scheme was too close to residential properties, and its overbearing scale would lead to “visual intrusion, noise disturbance, resulting in unacceptable harm to the living environment of existing and future residents.

The council also felt there was a lack of appropriate parking and turning areas for larger vehicles, creating a hazard to other highway users.

There were also concerns about the ecological impact and possibly impact on protected species.

The plans had been resubmitted to CBC in July last year after previously being withdrawn by the developer. Critics say there are very few changes in the new proposal.

Leading opposition to the scheme last year, Tom Conroy, chair of Roman Gate Action Group, said: “This proposal is out of character with the bordering residential land to the West, South and East. The developer hasn’t provided enough information about how they intend to address the impacts the scheme will have on our community.”

Praising the decision Leighton Linslade South Cllr Chris Leaman said: "This is the right decision by Central Beds. The proposed scheme would have been over-bearing on nearby properties, caused ecological harm and had potential to cause further traffic chaos in the town.

"The site is marked for employment development and it is inevitable that it will be built on. What everyone is asking for is that any scheme that is brought forward considers the impact on neighbouring residents. This proposal did not do that."