The initial EWR route consultation was conducted two years ago, the proposals were discussed at a Parish Council meeting in March 2019, a response was submitted on behalf of the parish and parishioners were encouraged to send in their own comments as additional weight. The Route E proposal was the most expensive option and so it came as a surprise to all that that route was selected. EWR announced a number of roadshow events in locations around the borough to present their chosen route to the public and answer questions. A detailed update was published in the Chronicle by the parish council in April 2020. Given the shared concerns locally, a cross-parish working group was formed including Colmworth, Ravensden, Renhold, Wilden and Clapham parish councils. We have held meetings with EWR, Mayor Hodgson, Richard Fuller M.P. and others and as you note this group effort is gaining momentum. A letter to the Chancellor asking for an investigation into the decision was submitted and a reply was received recently from the relevant Minister which I attach for your interest. Over the past year updates of any news or progress have been presented at every parish council meeting, the agendas for which of course are posted on the Colmworth Trumpet and the parish council website. You may have seen an article in the Bedford Independent recently highlighting the work of the cross-parish working group as well as other action groups that have been formed and which are now attracting an increasingly broad audience. Not surprisingly, there are similar action groups addressing issues at the Cambridge end of the line and it is hoped that this widespread pressure will lead to a new review of the EWR route.
Can I also draw your attention to the proposal to build a garden village between Colmworth and Wyboston amounting to 10,150 new homes (the proposal is called Denybrook). This proposal would add over 20,000 cars to local roads plus the daily scourge of white vans and freight in support of what essentially would be a community the size of Biggleswade on our doorstep. This proposal has two close connections to the EWR project. Firstly, the EWR link into Bedford Midland station will cause additional road congestion on the A6 and all roads around the station. This new traffic congestion will add to the current problems around the A6 which are causing the Mayor to want to avoid significant new housing on that side of the North Beds area, pushing the search for new building land over to our side. Secondly, EWR are proposing a major new rail station linking EWR to the East Coast mainline, probably around Tempsford. The EWR project needs new housing along the route to help justify the cost and so the land around the A1 and A421 is a prime target. From our discussions with the Mayor we believe the Denybrook proposal has his strong support as it solves several problems for him. The impact on our village and our local roads would be many times more disruptive than the EWR project and I believe it represents a far greater threat to our village. The parish council has debated this proposal at several council meetings, a detailed summary has been published in the Chronicle and a note has been circulated on the Trumpet, FaceBook and is currently displayed on all our noticeboards. I attach a copy in case you have not yet seen it and I would encourage everyone to join in the effort to resist this development, the next public consultation on the matter is likely to be in early September.
Emma Pegler,
Chair, Colmworth Parish Council