Have your say on ambitious plans for Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Linslade Town Council is moving ahead with its own consultation for Land South – and wants to hear your views.

A civic centre, health hub and museum are all included in the council’s latest plans for the town, with its Land South of High Street Consultation Masterplan also including a youth centre and multi storey car park with possible provision for market traders vehicles on the ground floor.

The consultation follows on from a similar one carried out by Central Bedfordshire Council which closed in June this year.

In that consultation, CBC was keen to emphasise that there is limited or no council revenue funding available for the development of Land South. It also ruled out building a community/cultural facility, saying it would have to be done under separate private development.

It said: "In preparing this proposal, the council recognised the scheme would need to be realistic. To do this we have undertaken market assessments to rule out 'pipedreams'."

But calls for a ‘fresh look’ at the plans were made following the local election shake up that saw the Independents form the new administration at CBC.

In July last year the town council commissioned a consultancy firm to prepare a master plan for the potential re-development of the area. The brief was to include adequate space for infrastructure previously identified by the public as being critical to the town.

The town council says its future intention is to work in collaboration with CBC and progress the scheme together for the benefit of Leighton Buzzard.

The proposals include a civic centre to provide a new home for the town council and Citizens Advice Bureau, a health hub to provide a facility to house hospital services that can be localised, a proposed building to contain museum and exhibition space, arts facilities, rehearsal space and a café, a youth/community hub, a limited amount of office space, and up to 82 homes to provide some financial viability to the scheme.

Comments can be submitted to the council by August 25 online, or posted to: Leighton-Linslade Town Council, The White House, Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1HD.You can also view the plan and submit a paper feedback form in person at the White House (Mon-Fri 9.30am – 3.30pm).