5 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HJ Data via plota.co.uk

26/00982/S73 - Variation of Condition Approved
Change of useCommercial premises

Proposal

Change of use from retail (Class A1) to hot food (Class A3) including variation of Condition 3 attached to to allow for extended opening hours. Data via plota.co.uk

Track application Save this application and get an email when its status or decision changes. Alerts nearby Get email alerts for new planning applications near this address.
View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
25 May 2026
✓
Consultation
8 Jul 2026
✓
Approved
21 Aug 2026

Approved on 21 Aug 2026 · Officers (Delegated) · Last checked 22 Aug 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 5

Flood zone 2, rivers and sea
Medium chance: between a 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 annual chance from rivers, or 1 in 200 to 1 in 1,000 from the sea. Any development here needs a flood risk assessment. Defences are not counted.
The Environment Agency flood map for planning. Homes in zone 3 must also pass the sequential test. Surface water flooding is a separate map.
Flood map ↗
Air quality management area: Bedford Town Centre AQMA
The council has declared the area as failing an air quality objective.
Schemes that add traffic, parking or combustion plant are assessed against the area's action plan and may need an air quality assessment.
Council record ↗
Also on the record
National infrastructure project 318 m away: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements, at pre-application; 1 listed building within 150 m; Inside the Bedford built-up area.
Not affected
Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Work with planning data?

Every application in Bedford - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.

About Plota's data service

Other new applications on this street

27 Jul 2026Refused

18 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HP

Change of use to a hot food takeaway (sui generis), including the installation o...

26/01431/FUL

Nearby new applications

22 Oct 2026Pending

3 Duckmill Lane Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 0AX

Change of Use of a B8 storage unit into a one bedroom C3 dwelling.

26/01993/FUL
21 Oct 2026Pending

11 Harpur Centre Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1TJ

Installation of 2no. louvred doors and access ramp on Horne Lane, together with ...

26/02028/FUL
19 Oct 2026Pending

129 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1DN

External alterations to windows and doors.

26/02005/FUL
15 Oct 2026Pending

27 - 29 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PL

Part Change of Use to Sui Generis (Betting Office) and external alterations to i...

26/01863/FUL
15 Oct 2026Pending

27 - 29 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PL

Installation of one internally illuminated powder coated fascia sign, one intern...

26/01864/ADV
14 Oct 2026Pending

107 High Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1NE

Installation of externally illuminated fascia sign

26/01982/ADV

Important details

Council
Bedford
Application type
Variation of Condition
Postcode
MK40 1HJ
Received
25 May 2026
Validated
25 May 2026
Ward
Greyfriars
Parish
Bedford Town
Case officer
Show
Target decision
21 Aug 2026
Decision
Grant Permission
Decision date
21 Aug 2026
Decision level
Officers (Delegated)
Applicant
Show
Agent
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 88 days from validation, 18 days slower than Bedford's median of 70 for changes of use. Approved, as 65% of changes of use here are.

40%decided within 8 weeks
65%approved
12%go to committee

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Bedford in the last twelve months, from validation. Bedford decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

32 neighbours consulted · Last counted 22 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14957273
Planning Portal ref
PP-14957273
Neighbours
8 Jul 2026
Consultation
8 Jul 2026
Comments by
22 Jul 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

26 previous applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

This property

Previous applications at this address

2021 Refused
Retention of PVC banner
21/01847/ADV
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Approved
34 - 40 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
Alteration to shop front for 1 new access door (sliding).
25/02444/FUL
2025 Refused
34 - 40 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
Alteration to shopfront with new shopfront, shuttering and shutter box.
25/01982/FUL
2024
35 - 37 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PW
Display of 1no. new internally illuminated hanging sign and 1no. new internally illuminat…
24/00778/ADV
2024
1 Thurlow Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1LR
First and second floor conversion to 5 bed HMO (C4) and new door to access to upper floor…
24/00741/FUL
2024 Withdrawn
21 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HJ
Conversion of floors above commercial unit to form 1 No, 3 bedroom flat and external alte…
24/00038/FUL
2023 Approved
34 - 40 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
New 2 x internally illuminated fascia signage above shopfront in existing signage zones
23/02112/ADV
2022 Approved
The Carphone Warehouse Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
Change of use from the new class E to Sui Generis use - to include the fit out to form a…
22/01374/FUL
2022 Approved
The Carphone Warehouse Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
Installation of internally illuminated fascia and projecting signs.
22/01375/ADV
2021 Approved
65 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PR
Installation of internally illuminated fascia sign,internally illuminated projecting sign…
21/02376/ADV
2021 Refused
23 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HJ
Change of use of part of ground floor and first floor from Office use to form a 2 bedroom…
21/01997/FUL
2021 Withdrawn
10 - 11 Thurlow Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1LR
Certificate to confirm that the details submitted do not require planning permission (Use…
21/01002/LDP
2020 Approved
64 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
Certificate to confirm that the details submitted do not require planning permission (Use…
20/02552/LDP
2019 Approved
42 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
Extension to existing roof terrace
19/02009/FUL
2019 Refused
1 - 3 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HJ
Installation of electronic billboard on canopy
19/02647/ADV
2019 Approved
6 Thurlow Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1LR
Installation of an ATM with illuminated surround, installed through a secure panel to the…
19/01402/ADV
2019 Refused
1 - 13 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HJ
Installation of electronic billboard on canopy
19/01315/ADV
2018 Approved
58 - 60 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
Change of use of ground floor retail (A1) unit and subdivision to form 2 restaurants (A3)…
18/02481/FUL
2019 Approved
54 - 56 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
The retention of an internally illuminated automated teller surround sign
19/00893/ADV
2019 Approved
68 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
Erection of a single-storey rear extension to provide additional office space for the exi…
19/00530/FUL
2018 Approved
Land To The Front Of Primark Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PS
Installation of an internally illuminated free standing unit to display double sided digi…
18/02105/ADV
2016 Approved
42 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1QB
Installation of 5 externally illuminated fascia signs and one externally illuminated hang…
16/01316/ADV
2016 Approved
35 - 37 Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1PW
Installation of 46" tv depicting various Santander Advertisements
16/00064/ADV
2025
77A-79A Midland Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1BY
Prior notification for change of use from a use in Class E (commercial, business and serv…
25/02138/CPNG
2025
First And Second Floors 12 - 16 Greyfriars Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1HP
Prior notification for development consisting of a change of use of a building and any la…
25/02139/CPNMA
2025
1-13 Greyfriars And 57-65 Midland Road Bedford MK40 1HJ
Change of use of second floor offices to residential to form 18 studio flats, including r…
25/01104/M73
Bedford
Planning Authority Score
2.4/10
Poor
#253 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Bedford is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #201 out of 296. 52% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (86%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Bedford decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
80%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #259 of 296
86%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #239 of 296
56%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #201 of 296
52%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #233 of 296
52%
Minor dwellings approved
109 decided (1-9 homes)
69%
Major dwellings approved
26 decided (10+ homes)
67%
Change of use approved
57 decided
993
Total decisions
203 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings

Freehold boundary: © Crown copyright and database rights 2026, HM Land Registry. Polygons © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey 100026316. Conditions of use