Some 134 hectares of land north of Bromham Road, comprising land in both the parish of Biddenham and the borough of Bedford, will be developed in the coming years. The land extends northwards from Bromham Road to the Great Ouse and westwards from the northern end of Branston Way to the A6 Clapham Road. The last section of the Bedford Western Bypass completed in Spring 2016 has facilitated development of the land, and includes two roundabouts giving access to it.
After a prolonged period since an initial planning application was submitted in 2001, outline planning permission was granted for up to 1,300 dwellings; employment; retail; country-park; open space; landscaping; leisure and community facilities; a park and ride facility; road linking the A6 and A428; supporting infrastructure including roads; paths; cycleways; public transport and car parking facilities on this site. The application (01/02199/EIA) was considered by the Borough Council’s Planning Committee in March 2013. The Committee agreed the officers’ recommendation to approve the application subject to conditions and to the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement. That agreement was signed in March 2014 and the decision notice was issued.
Since then construction of the road linking the A6 and the A428 – the last section of the Bedford Western Bypass – began in October 2014 and was completed and opened in Spring 2016. Progress reports on construction were posted regularly on this blog.
Outline planning permission was granted for a primary school (14/02980/MAR) and the public playing pitches (14/02814/MAR). Both are now completed, the school opening in September 2017 and the playing fields shortly after.
Two developments of housing were indicated in the overall planning for the development – 495 houses in the western (Biddenham) section of the site and 245 houses in the eastern (Bedford) section. The centre (former golf course) section has outline permission for housing but it is not considered to be likely to be the subject of a further planning application for housing development in the foreseeable future.
But as always is the case, things can change as the planning process continues, and earlier in 2015 we set out the then position in our post of 26 January 2015. Since then, towards the end of 2015 work started at the eastern (Bedford) end of the site to create the new access road from Bromham Road into the development and to put in place the services for the development. By September 2016 houses were proliferating on the site, and the access road was in place with three-way traffic lights controlling traffic on Bromham Road and accessing and exiting Biddenham Turn and the housing development.
In June 2016 work started at the western (Biddenham) end of the site, putting in place in the infrastructure to support the housing development. Work went quickly, and by September work had also started on developing the playing fields on the Bromham side of the new section of bypass. You can find posts with pictures of the work at the western end in the News page.
Building work continued through 2017 and into 2018 at both the eastern and western ends of the site, and many houses are now occupied in both.
The development overall has been named King’s Field to commemorate the visit there (then fields) by King George V on 22 October 1914 to review the Scottish troops then stationed in Bedford in the early weeks of the Great War. So now you know why the main road into the eastern end is called King George Avenue and why the names of other roads there have Scottish connections, regimental and other.
the Biddenham blog 
Thank you for the reply.
I managaed to navigate my way through the website and found an old posting of 250 dwellings for Gold Lane with a reference 18/00140/MAO (I think). The details reveal exactly what you’ve stated – how disappointing! Coincidentally, I viewed one or two of the village notice boards on Thursday morning citing the same reference number.
I’ll attempt to subscribe to The Loop. I should be able to find it on the website.
Thanks once again,
Kind regards
Hi, Carmela, and glad you found that information.
You can find on the Biddenham Village website, run by the Parish Council, a subscription form for The Loop. Hopefully the link below will get you to it.
Best wishes
http://biddenham.org.uk/biddenham-loop/
Hi Peter
I back onto the old golf course, between Windmill Hill and Days Lane. In early Spring 2021 they were doing an archeological search on the old golf course at the back. Now they’ve put fences up in the distance towards the bypass bridge.
The only thing I can ever find online is the Land North of Bromham Road Development Brief from 2003. It shows some nice open land, school playing fields, behind our houses. However I’m sure it has been superseded with bumper to bumper housing. Link below.
Click to access Land%20North%20of%20Bromham%20Rd%20Dev%20Brief.pdf
Is there anyway to find out what the latest plans are?
Thanks
Tom
Hi, Tom, I will be in touch.
Best wishes
I know this is an old post but what is the latest here? Any signs of them building on the old golf course anytime soon? Thanks so much for the site – super useful and thanks in advance for any answer!
Hi, Trion, and thank you for your kind words.
The answer is nothing is happening with the old golf course. It is sitting there with outline planning permission for development, until 2029 we understand. At some point as yet unknown the owners may well come forward with proposals, and as and when that happens undoubtedly that will become public knowledge. So don’t hold your breath for the moment, just watch and wait!
Best wishes.
Hello Peter,
Is there any news about Gold Lane? Have 249 dwellings been approved by planning officers? If so, why have they been granted permission to build on a conservation area? I only learned of this because a golfer happened to tell me about the closing of the golf course the day before it closed on the 16th October. I was completely shocked.
I then went on to Biddenham Blog and Website. Information is scattered here and there, although, I have gone through to Bedford Borough Council with the reference number 18/03100/MAO and there is no appeal for 249 properties, only 160. Please can someone provide an update. I learned today that developers are looking to build on the rear of the old vicarage, and learned last week that the Biddenham Paddcock will be filled out potentially with 5 large houses closing the gap to access Bromham, Great Denham and Biddenham itself. Is this correct? What are the chances of its success? I hope very little!! Is there anything that I can do?
I’ve even asked locals, some of them are totally unaware!!
I wonder if the National Trust had been approached regarding the few natural spaces left, including that of Gold Lane. Our Green spaces need protecting.
Thank you
Carmela,
A nearby neighbour,
Queen’s Park,
Hi, Carmela, the Developers appealed against the Borough Council’s refusal to allow 249 houses and the appeal was approved by the Planning Inspector. The Borough Council is now looking at a further Local Plan which involves a call for potential sites for development and of course sites in Biddenham are being put forward yet again by landowners.
Do you subscribe to the village newsletter The Loop? This is a good source for keeping up to date with planning issues through reports from the Parish Council and the Biddenham Society. And of course our local borough councillors, Roger Rigby and Jon Gambold, are up to date with what’s occurring or might be occurring in the village. They are accessible by email and you should find their details on the village notice boards.
Thank you very much for your interest. The loss of open green space already and potential further loss in the future is of great concern for the future of the character and well being of the village. So the more voices that are raised the better. We know that 1,000 objections didn’t stop approval of the Gold Lane proposal but that mustn’t stop us continuing to try to preserve green open space and prevent the village becoming part of a great urban sprawl.
Best wishes
Any further news on this or updates.
A school and housing are imminent at the Bedford end of the site with an access road to be constructed off Bromham Road. Plans were on display recently at the Bedford Golf Club.
Hi – any further news on that piece of land?
Most recently there has been discussions at the Parish Council (see its minutes and reports in the village newsletter) about the adequacy or otherwise of facilities proposed for sport in the west of the area, and the proposal for a roundabout off Bromham Road to give access to the east of the area.
The land on Bromham Road opposite Biddenturn Turn has now been cleared of all large vegetation is that a sign something is about to start, and what exactly is going to be there.
Hi, Mark and thank you for your question. The land concerned is in Bedford Borough rather than Biddenham Parish and we can’t give an immediate answer. But we are enquiring and will give an update when we have an answer.