I hesitate to get involved with this but some things need challenging
Bedford is not a cheap place to live, it is far too close to Milton Keynes and commutable to London.
it is cheaper than MK!
Part of the E-W plan is to facilitate much more house building in the area and especially along the Marston Vale line. it has a chance to help improve Bedford and help development and enhancement by making it a better place to live.
As you say Cambridge is REALLY expensive. With good transport links via E-W Bedford can become an attractive place to live in the way it isn't now.,
The only shortcomings for me are no East-north curve on EWR anywhere,
Where would the curve go and for what purpose?
I am also concerned about the parking at Bedford,
Just double or triple deck the car park. it has been done elsewhere.
Looking at just two websites -
Here and
Here most of those are above half a million. I drive past houses like these everyday. They are not for locals. Even if you go to the showrooms they tell you its for commuters to London. If homes along the line are built, I fear that they will fall into the higher price categories. Northamptonshire is where properties start falling. The scary thing is, they all sell out at those prices. Who buys them? who knows?
Who is buying them? Normal people with relatively normal jobs. Those people will be "locals" if not local enough for you. I am unsure how you define "local" but I hope we don't have to go all league of gentlemen here!
These look like standard green field expansion houses built with professional people in mind. it is the same all over the country.
BTW If I bought one of those houses would I be local enough? I would be moving 20 miles.
track for 20mph operation and that continues through the depot.
it is 20mph because it is on a really ( and I mean REALLY) tight curve for a railway - the ricketiness or otherwise of the track is immaterial!
My house is a terraced 1962 build and neighbouring homes are going for 230k and up. Brand new homes have no gardens, bedrooms on middle and upper floors and lucky to have a driveway.
Mine is a 2 bed Victorian terrace worth at perhaps £275k. it has a small rear garden and faces straight onto the street and no parking.
The availability of affordable homes is a massive issue but not really pertinent to this debate - This area is prime commuter country and will always create a premium on house prices. At "home" in the north east my house ( a 2 bed victorian terrace remember ) is £60k. My old house just sold for less than that. I rented that house so must have paid for most of it! You can also pick up the same houses in the more grotty part of town for £40k and ones that need a refurb in those areas from about £35k
EWR hear other ideas and objections but act like anything left or right of said needle eye is impossible. People who act like that have zero sensitivity to the folk living In that area.
What do you expect them to do?
I live in Bedford I am not a forum user that sits 300 miles away that knows what is best for Bedford. From all the info at hand, the powers that be are listening to outsiders and muting the people in the affected areas.
Being a "local" doesn't give you any extra credence or weight in any consultation. I have been to local consultations on this project where I have told the representatives very firmly how stupid I think thier idea to close ( sorry merge) my station is.
What will they take from the session: Local community are unhappy with the proposal to close the station.
Again, what SHOULD be happening? I don't understand what you expect or suggest in this regard.
