Success for CPRE Bedfordshire and Local Action Group in Flitwick

Following four years of campaigning, and with help from CPRE Bedfordshire, Flitwick Local Action Group witnessed a planning application for 170 houses on a valued green space on the edge of the rural town of Flitwick refused.

The group worked tirelessly to publicise the application which generated over 5,400 objections. Despite the recommendation for it to be accepted, council members refused the application due to impacts on the road network, on Flitwick Woods and on existing local infrastructure, as well as a reduction in the openness of the views and countryside. Not to mention the significant local pressure fuelled by the efforts of the local action group.

The beginnings of the campaign

Flitwick Local Action Group (FLAG) was step up in 2021 after two local residents became aware of a plan to build 215 houses on a field near their home. After leafleting residents close to the site, a public meeting resulted in a steering group of ten individuals who brought a range of skills to the campaign. They met monthly and sometimes weekly as the campaign heated up (fuelled by a good supply of biscuits).

The importance of the site

The field in question is adjacent to Steppingley Road in Flitwick and boarders the ancient Flitwick Wood. It is surrounded on three sides by extensively used footpaths and bridleways, some of which make up the Katherines Walk and The Bunyan Trail, but most importantly was a sanctuary for people during Covid and has continued to be a much-loved green space for the community.

It was Green Belt land, but a review during the Local Plan process resulted in it being taken out of Green Belt and allocated for housing to meet Luton’s projected housing needs. This is an allocated site, and for that reason many people said, “why bother, it’s a done deal, there’s little chance of you winning”. But FLAG persevered; four years passed and during that time, due to local opposition, the developer was requested to amend a significant amount of their proposal.

A revised set of plans and documents were issued and in April 2025 the application came forward for consideration by Central Bedfordshire’s Development Management Committee. The case officer recommended the application for approval, FLAG was resigned to the fate of this field, but after three and half hours of evidence, discussion and review the application was refused by a panel of Ward councillors, with seven votes to refuse and three abstentions.

Why was the application refused?

The local action group mustered significant community support through extensive publicity and awareness campaigns. It produced posters, had two rounds of letters explaining how and on what grounds to object hand delivered to every household in Flitwick and Steppingley, it held public events and assisted residents to submit objections (particularly those not confident with submitting on-line responses), whilst maintaining a strong social media presence. With the significant help from CPRE Bedfordshire planning volunteers and a planning consultant, the group were able to present strong evidence that the application went against Central Bedfordshire Council’s policies as well as getting across the strength of feeling from the local community. Nearly 5500 objections were logged against the application.

The key reasons that the council gave for the refusal included impacts on the road network, unacceptable impacts on Flitwick Woods, that the positioning of the development would reduce the openness of the views and perception of countryside as it is adjacent to the Green Belt and within the Greensand Ridge, and it would create unmitigated and unacceptable impact on existing local infrastructure.

What happens next?

We are yet to see what the next step is in this campaign. The developers are expected to appeal which will result in the decision process being handled by the Planning Inspectorate. However, the community now has Central Bedfordshire Council’s backing that this application should be refused.

Should this land be built on, the work of the Local Action Group has been instrumental in reducing the density of housing proposed, increasing open green space highlighting the local issues, firing up local opposition and giving the skylarks and hares somewhere to live for an extra four years that they might not have had.

Read more

The story of Steppingley Road Field through the centuries.

We’ll keep standing up for the Bedfordshire countryside alongside local action groups like FLAG. Want to stand with us? Sign up now for monthly news on our work or join us as a member from just £5 a month.