Parcels 3 and 4 of Bidwell West are part of a major urban extension of Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire.  The whole site is around 166ha and outline planning permission was granted in 2015 for a residential-led development of 1850 dwellings.

DLA Town Planning Ltd, working with Barton Willmore as architects, developed proposals for a reserved matters application for a total of 264 dwellings in accordance with the site-wide Design Code for Bellway Homes Ltd (Northern Home Counties Division).  Extensive pre-application discussions took place with Central Bedfordshire Council, the Local Planning Authority, and on-going collaborative working through a Planning Performance Agreement led to planning permission being issued within 4 months.

The proposals included a variety of housing types, strategic landscaping, pedestrian and cycle links to the wider development, orchard, play area, SUDs and the provision of allotments, all within the context of the wider development.

The developer chose to utilise the District Licensing Scheme in respect of Great Crested Newts which removed the need for surveys and therefore provided certainty over the timing of the delivery of the scheme.