Important information regarding current and proposed residential proposals in Southern Central Bedfordshire

Beechwoods update – mitigation strategy agreed for the Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation: March 2023

We've finalised its mitigation strategy and successfully designated seven open spaces, as Strategic Alternative Green Spaces (SANGs), to mitigate the impact of development in parts of southern Central Bedfordshire on the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation.

View or download the mitigation strategy (PDF)

The seven green spaces agreed as SANGs, which will benefit from a range of improvements including tranquil and safe walking routes, new benches, areas for dogs to be walked off their leads, and dedicated car parking are:

• Sundon Hills Country Park (PDF)
• Sundon Hills Country Park map (PDF)
• Linslade Wood (PDF)
• Linslade Wood map (PDF)
• Cottage Bottom Fields (PDF)
• Cottage Bottom Fields map (PDF)
• Studham Common (PDF)
• Studham Common map (PDF)
• Tiddenfoot, S Meadows and Grovebury Quarry (PDF)
• Tiddenfoot, S Meadows and Grovebury Quarry map (PDF)

We intend to confirm a further two natural green spaces shortly and will review more opportunities in the future as part of a coordinated effort to create a comprehensive network of green infrastructure that supports sustainability, biodiversity, and health and wellbeing within Central Bedfordshire.

We can now start to determine planning applications within the Zone of Influence again, with opportunities available for developers to contribute towards our strategic SANG solutions by way of mitigation.

Our strategic SANG capacity

Please note: The information in the list below is for guidance only and was correct as of the 20th August 2024. We advise anyone considering submitting a planning application to refer to the mitigation strategy (PDF).

• Sundon Hills: full
• Linslade Woods: limited capacity available
• Cottage Bottom Fields: limited capacity available
• Studham Common: capacity available
• Tiddenfoot, Southern Meadows, and Grovebury Quarry: capacity available

November 2022 update

Beechwoods update – agreement of SAMM tariff

In March 2022, following Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC) visitor studies by Dacorum Borough Council, Natural England decided extra protection for this important site was required. The studies identified visitors were damaging the site and with more new homes planned, and potentially more visitors, Natural England insisted on appropriate mitigation for new residential development. This affected us and other local authorities as planning decisions for new homes in the area (referred to as the Zone of Influence) had to be paused.

We have been working closely with the other local authorities, the National Trust and Natural England, to agree appropriate mitigation. Today, we signed a Statement of Common Ground with the other affected authorities, to agree a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy for Beechwoods SAC (known as SAMMS), which is a major step forward.

This details the mitigation required for Beechwoods SAC and identifies costs associated with this mitigation. The strategy has been agreed with the National Trust, as the landowner of the site and Natural England has concluded it meets the requirements of the Habitats Regulations and is deliverable.

The overall cost of SAMMS is £18,275,510, which will be funded by developers across the whole of the affected area. The issues identified at Beechwoods SAC are impacted by the affected authorities differently, as such, agreement has also been reached about what proportion of this cost, development in each authority should be responsible for.

The approach to apportionment considers the level of impact relative to existing populations and communities (using the evidence from the Footprint Ecology Study) and that the apportioned cost is reasonably balanced in light of planned growth.

Guidance will be issued about how this SAMMS contribution will be processed for affected developments.

As well as SAMMS, development within the Zone of Influence must also provide or contribute towards Strategic Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG). For schemes that cannot provide SANG on site, we have been working hard to identify potential SANG opportunities within Central Bedfordshire that could allow development to progress and have submitted a number of SANG Management Plans to Natural England for their review (note: these do not currently cover the entire Zone of Influence). It is likely the per-dwelling cost for SANG will be significantly higher than the SAMM contribution. Once these management plans have been agreed by Natural England, we can share more detail and start to take contributions towards their delivery. At this point, we can start determining some residential planning applications and enable new development in the area to proceed.

We are confident the mitigation will help to protect the Beechwood SAC and support our ambitions for Central Bedfordshire set out in our local plan.

Dacorum Borough Council has published paperwork for its upcoming committee meeting, which includes its draft SAMMS Mitigation Strategy and further information on SANG, which may be useful in understanding what the likely next steps for Central Bedfordshire will be.

Visit Dacorum Borough Council's website for the Footprint Ecology Report.