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£18.5 Investment plans approved

Bedford Borough Council has approved plans for an exciting new mixed-use scheme east of Ampthill Road, adjacent to Interchange Retail Park. The plans were submitted in December by HPG Developments in partnership with B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement and garden centre retailer, after consulting with Elstow Parish Council and Kempston Town Council.

The £18.5m investment plans will deliver:

• A new B&Q, enhancing the DIY shopping offer in Bedford - which is the largest town in the country without a B&Q store - reducing the need to travel elsewhere;

• New employment units - of a range of different sizes, including smaller units that are ideal for small businesses and new business start-ups;

• A new car dealership.

The Ampthill Road site had been identified by the Council for development and will generate around 150 new jobs overall and be designed to create an attractive gateway into the town. It will also see existing pedestrian and cycle routes extended in order to link in with the site as well as a new footway from the site to the existing bus stop on Polo Field Way.

Commenting on the proposal, William Jewson, Development Director at HPG said:

“We are absolutely delighted that the Council has approved our plans. The Howard Property Group was founded in Bedford in 1935 - so we are particularly excited about the opportunity to deliver this great scheme on Ampthill Road.

“We believe that the new B&Q and car showroom will complement the retail offer currently provided at the neighbouring Interchange Retail Park and we anticipate many customers will combine a trip to both.

“We will now work with the Council to agree the finer details of the scheme so that we can get to work on this fantastic project and begin to create the much-needed new jobs.”