POLICY LL1: Centre of Town(s) Renewal
Proposals for new development and changes of the use of buildings and land in the centre of town, as shown on the Policies Map, will be supported provided they can show they have had full regard to the land use, design and development principles established in the “Wider Town Centre Spatial Framework” ( Appendix A) for Leighton Buzzard Town Centre, the Waterside Corridor and the centre of Linslade.
These key principles are:
- Development should celebrate and make the most of its special historic character, reusing old buildings and with heritage informing the design of new ones.
- Leighton Buzzard Town Centre will be a real community hub for a friendly town, creating spaces for people to come together in and providing vital local services.
- Be known for a rich mix of shops, cafes, cultural institutions, and interesting independent businesses.
- Actively nurture creativity with affordable spaces for creative expression.
- Be a greener, more biodiverse town centre than now, linking to the canal, river, parks, and countryside.
- Be easy and pleasant to move around on foot and wheeling, encouraging non-car uses for short trips to reduce congestion and cut pollution, including pedestrianisation measures where these are locally supported.
- Strengthen the Linslade cluster to support this local centre with an identity of its own with places to meet and socialise.
- Ensure the backland space between the High Street, Recreation Ground and Church (Land South of the High Street) is reborn as a culture and community mixed-use hub, including low-car enabling residential development for all ages and vital local services, designed to complement its special surroundings.
- Support measures which promote a vibrant and lively evening economy.
This policy provides a high-level spatial approach to ensuring that these three distinct areas function well both individually and together. It responds to renewal and future development of these areas, determining the sense of identity in each. It will consider the consequences of future development on this jigsaw puzzle of spaces and locations and how they fit together.
The wider Town Centre Spatial Framework extends across the central part of Leighton-Linslade. This includes Leighton Buzzard town centre and the centre of neighbouring Linslade. The two are separated by the Grand Union Canal, River Ouzel and the area between these water bodies. Linslade lies west of the Canal, Leighton Buzzard east of the river. The policy provides a higher-level spatial approach to the wider town centre which is then considered in more details in policies LL2, LL3, LL4 and LL5. The Neighbourhood Plan takes a brownfield first approach to development and within these areas there is capacity to bring forward 400 new homes as part of the land use mix, including residential development at Land South of the High Street, potential enabling development around Leighton Buzzard Station and a mixture of residential opportunities including a care home, at Bridge Meadow. These spaces are also key to providing key local services. With government commitment to introducing new Neighbourhood Health Centres, these central locations are ideal for siting new a health centre as a priority.
The town centre is well connected with good vehicular and public transport links. Leighton Buzzard railway station is within Linslade and a 15-minute walk away from Leighton Buzzard High Street. The train line has direct connections to London ( 27 minutes to Euston)
The A roads, A4146 and A505 wrap around the west and south of the NA and provide connections north to Milton Keynes and east to Luton, and the major road A5. The main vehicular route through the town centre east-west is formed by the A4012, Leston Road, West Street, Leighton Road, Old Road and Soulbury Road. This road also connects Leighton Buzzard and Linslade over the Grand Union Canal and the River Ouzel. Both the Canal and the River Ouzel pass north-south through the town centre, running parallel to each other.
Leighton Buzzard town centre serves as the main retail area with retail and other mixed uses concentrated along its High Street. Linslade serves as a secondary centre with some retail offerings, though significantly smaller than Leighton Buzzard town centre and with more of a residential focus.
To see the full Leighton-Linslade Neighbourhood Plan Policy Map, or to find instructions about how to use our interactive maps, please visit our Policy Map page.