Central Government has approved both an East of England Plan and a Milton Keynes and South Midlands Plan. The effect of having these two plans in place is that they together place an OBLIGATION on councils within their areas of applicability to meet their parts of the housing and other development targets contained within these plans (26,000 new homes by 2021)
One area concerned was originally covered by a combination of Luton Borough Council and what was South Bedfordshire Council (now become part of the new Central Bedfordshire Council). These two original councils formed a joint planning committee called the “Luton & South Bedfordshire Joint Planning Committee” (JPC). It is still the responsibility of the JPC to plan to meet the development targets for their area, despite the change to a Central Bedfordshire local authority.
Supported by a team of professional planners called the “Joint Technical Unit” (JTU)
the JPC determined that it would be unable to meet their targets for new housing
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A further area, Green Belt land in North Hertfordshire to the east of Luton, was originally included as a “RESERVE” site. North Hertfordshire District Council and Hertfordshire County Council are resolutely opposed to any incursion into this, their area, arguing amongst other reasons that Hertfordshire itself has its own planning obligations and that the JPC should be meeting their own obligations within their own geographical boundaries.
For reasons that are far from clear, east of Luton became not a reserve but a preferred expansion area. KEOLG was formed to fight this monstrous intrusion into Green Belt countryside, a land area of huge beauty and value.
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