Arlesey High Street work gets go-ahead

Councillors at Central Bedfordshire Council’s Development Management committee approved plans to remodel the High Street, Primrose Lane, Mill Lane, Station Road junction.

There will also be a new southern access to land west of the High Street, demolition of existing site buildings and the erection of two retail and 20 residential units.

But the plan had been opposed by Arlesey Town Council who said it did not meet the requirements of the town’s masterplan and was a poor design of the junction.

The plans were a revision of a previously approved scheme for the remodelling of the High Street junction to allow easy access for the relief road which supports the Arlesey Cross development.

Arlesey Town Council said the scheme had insufficient parking, both for the high street and residents of the proposed 20 flats and would mean a loss of buildings of historic character.

Resident Roger Watson told the committee last week the scheme failed to provide private open spaces for the flats in contravention of the council’s own guidelines, and the lack of parking would impact on the future viability of the retail units planned for the site. He said there were already concerns over dangerous and illegal street parking in the area.

But the council’s planning officer said the scheme would provide a gateway feature to the new relief road and that parking levels were acceptable. She said the benefits of the scheme outweighed the concerns.

There will be four buildings on the site with one and two bedroom flats and two retail units.