History

1. Leighton Linslade is a civil parish comprising the market town of Leighton Buzzard and the settlement of Linslade. Situated in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills.
2. It is 36 miles (58 km) northwest of Central London and linked to the capital by the Grand Union Canal and the West Coast Main Line. The built-up area extends on either side of the River Ouzel.
3. It is unclear when the town was initially founded, although some historians believe that there may have been settlement in the area from as early as 571. There are a number of theories concerning the derivation of the town’s name: ‘Leighton’ came from Old English Lēah-tūn, meaning ‘farm in a clearing in the woods’, and one version of the addition of ‘Buzzard’ was that it was added by the Dean of Lincoln, in whose diocese the town lay in the 12th century, from Beau-desert.[4] Another version is that having two communities called ‘Leighton’ and seeking some means of differentiating them the Dean added the name of his local Prebendary or representative to that of the town. At that time it was Theobald de Busar and so over the years the town became known as Leighton Buzzard. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade were both called Leestone. A further variation may be seen in a legal record of 1424, where “William Dagenale of Leytun Busherd, Beds” appears as a defendant.
4. Leighton Buzzard developed into a thriving market town supported by good road, canal and, later, rail links to the agricultural hinterland and London. The town’s market charter was granted in 1086 and is still active today. The High Street has numerous historical buildings, more than 70 of which are listed. They include the notable Bank Building on the Market Square designed by the eminent architect Alfred Waterhouse, designer of London’s Natural History Museum, London.
5. The centre of the town retains the classic Y layout of a medieval market town.  This is an essential element of the Town’s heritage which shapes the width and visual characteristics of the roads and buildings in the High Street. The building plots are narrow fronted but deep. The structures are generally on three levels with commercial use on the ground floor and domestic above. Above the commercial use the facades have a common unity and rhythm of domestic scale, materials and fenestration. The roof-scape is an impressive collage of red tiled pitched roofs. Two buildings of particular national importance and heritage value anchor the town’s layout.  They are All Saints Church to the west and the Market to the east.
6. Leighton Buzzard has a rich history as a market town and described in the Domesday Survey as the richest market in Bedfordshire. The market cross in the town centre was built in 1453. Industry in Leighton Buzzard included the basket making industry which starting around the mid-1700s and Lake Street was the centre for this industry. This industry grew through to the 1800s.
7. The Grand Junction Canal was dug through Linslade parish and opened at the start of the 1800s and linked London with the Midlands. The London and North Western Railway line opened in 1838 with trains stopping at Linslade on the line between Euston and Manchester. The Wool Fair began in 1840.
8. The railway and canal in Linslade prompted a new population to grow up around this area – people were reluctant to travel the two miles to St Mary’s Church in Leighton Buzzard so a new church, St Barnabas was built across the meadow from the railway station in the area of New Linslade known as Chelsea New Town. A second LNWR railway line opened in 1848 between Leighton Buzzard and Luton. The Corn Exchange was built in Lake Street in 1862. In 1965 Leighton Buzzard and Linslade amalgamated to form Leighton Linslade Urban Council and by an Act of Parliament Linslade was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Bedfordshire. Leighton Linslade Southern Bypass opened in 1991.
9. The town has had a long association with the Rothschild family, since Lionel de Rothschild bought neighbouring farmlands to the west of the town in 1873. Over time the farm developed into the Ascott House estate located less than 2 miles (3 km) from the town. In the late 19th century, Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild used the now demolished Leighton House and its stabling, on the High Street, as a hunting box.
10. Today the town continues to grow and is expanding predominately eastwards, with several developments forming the Eastern Leighton Linslade Urban Extension Scheme.

Profile

11. The population of Leighton Linslade was 42,392 in 2002 growing from 37,469 in the 2011 census and 32,417 in 2001. This number continues to increase with the build out of strategic housing developments predominately to the east of the parish.  The parish has a slightly younger age profile than the national average, although the 15 – 25 age group is below the average, with those in the 30 – 45 category representing the largest demographic, which may reflect the attractiveness of the area for families, particularly those starting a family or with younger children. It may also reflect the attractiveness of the parish for professionals who may work locally or in the surrounding area, given the strong employment offer or the commute into London. Indeed, over 67% are considered economically, well above the national average, with only 2.5% unemployed, which is consistent with the age profile.
12. There are comparatively fewer flats and apartments (17.8%) compared to the national average (22.2%) which may also align with the larger development locations outside of the town centre, which continue to be built as 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom houses. Leighton Linslade is also considered healthy place to live, with the data indicating that over half of the population are in very good health, with less than 4% in bad or very bad health.

Strategic Planning Policy

13. The LLNP has been prepared to be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 – 2035. The Local Plan policies will eventually be replaced by an updated Local Plan, which currently has no proposed adoption date but will be undertaking Regulation 18 consultation at the end of 2025.
14. A fuller explanation will be set out in the Basic Conditions Statement as part of the submission but the key policies affecting Leighton Linslade are:

Central Bedfordshire Local Plan (2015- 2035)

• Policy H1: Housing Mix
• Policy H4: Affordable Housing
• Policy R1: Ensuring Town Centre Vitality
• Policy R3: Town Centre Development
• Policy T2: Highway Safety and Design
• Policy T3: Parking
• Policy EE1: Green Infrastructure
• Policy EE2: Enhancing Biodiversity
• Policy EE3: Nature Conservation
• Policy EE12: Public Rights of Way
• Policy EE13: Outdoor Sport, Leisure and Open Space
• Policy CC1 Climate change and sustainability
• Policy HQ1: High Quality Development
• Policy HQ2: Developer Contributions
• Policy HQ3: Provision for Social and Community Infrastructure
• Policy HQ9: Larger Sites, Development Briefs and Design Codes
• Policy HE3: Built Heritage

15. CBC is bringing forward a new Local Plan to cover the period to 2042, but this is at a very early stage in its process. The first formal consultation stage—known as Regulation 18 (‘Issues and Options’)—is scheduled to take place in early 2026. If more information is published by CBC before the LLNP is submitted, an explanation of how reasoning and evidence of the emerging Local Plan ties in with the LLNP will also be included in the Basic Conditions Statement.

16. The Central Bedfordshire Transport Strategy LTP3 ( 2011 – 2026), includes a number of strategies that are relevant to this Neighbourhood Plan. Of particular relevance are the following:

• Sustainable Modes of Travel to Schools and Colleges Strategy
• Walking Strategy
• Cycling Strategy
• Car Parking Strategy
• Interim Parking Management Strategy

17. Transport Strategy LPT4 is due to be adopted by Central Bedfordshire Council in Summer 2026 and its progress will be kept under review as the neighbourhood plan progresses.

National Planning Policy

18. The LLNP has also has regard for national planning policy and guidance as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Basic Conditions Statement contains further details but the key policies are:

• §30 – neighbourhood planning gives communities the power to develop a shared vision for their area, which can shape, direct and help to deliver sustainable development, by influencing local planning decisions
• §61- meeting the identified housing need, including with an appropriate mix of housing types for the local community.
• §74- giving consideration to allocating small and medium sized sites suitable for housing in the area.
• §98a – planning should provide the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services the community needs, planning policies and decisions such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship)
• §98c/d – planning should also guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services, particularly where this would reduce the community’s ability to meet its day-to-day needs and should ensure that established shops, facilities and services are able to develop and modernise, and are retained for the benefit of the community
• §105 – protect and enhance public rights of way, including taking opportunities to provide better facilities by adding links to existing rights of way networks.
• §109e- identifying and pursuing opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use.
• §176 – plans should apply a sequential, risk-based approach to the location of development so as to avoid, where possible, flood risk to people and property

19. The LLNP must demonstrate how its policies contribute to the achievement of sustainable development and how they will not cause any harm to important ecological areas (in respect of the Habitats Regulations). A Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulation Assessment have been prepared to accompany the LLNP. These matters are also addressed in the Basic Conditions Statement.

Project Progress

20. A first early engagement exercise was carried out by the Town Council in February 2024 which included drop-in sessions and an on-line survey, to help shape the scope of any neighbourhood plan. Following the completion of the scoping report, the Town Council approved the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan in June 2024 and the submission of an application to designate the Neighbourhood Plan area.
21. The Town Council advertised the formation of the Steering Group and Tasks Teams in summer 2024, seeking expressions of interest from the local community to join one or more group. The volunteers were formally appointed in September 2024, at which point research and evidence gathering began. Steering Group meetings were held every six weeks and task teams met on a more informal basis as needed, continuing until March 2025.
22. An informal engagement exercise took place from 17th March to early May 2025 to test the emerging policy intent and help refine the policies prior to drafting of policy wording. Again, this took the form of a survey, drop-in sessions as well as more targeted meetings with key stakeholder groups. The results of both the 2024 and 2025 engagement exercises can be found on the website and in the consultation statement which LLTC will publish as part of the submission documents. This will summarise the nature and outcome of the informal engagement and statutory consultation activities and how they have informed the LLNP. 
23. Following a review of the informal engagement responses, a first draft of the plan was prepared in June 2025 for initial review by the Steering Group. Further iterations of the pre-submission version of the plan continued to be refined over the summer months, in preparation for approval by the Policy and Finance Committee on the 15^th September with further ratification by the Town Council at the end of September, ready to commence the Regulation 14 consultation stage.