13 Howard Avenue Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 4EA Data via plota.co.uk

26/00578/CPNMA - Change Use Class MA Prior Notification Refused

Proposal

Prior notification for development consisting of a change of use of a building and any land within its curtilage from a use falling within Class E (commercial, business and service) of Schedule 2 to the Use Classes Order to a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouses) of Schedule 1 to that Order pursuant to Class MA, Part 3, Schedule 2 of GPDO. This is not a planning application because it relates to development that is permitted by Government Regulation. It will not therefore be reported to the Planning Committee but considered by officers under delegated powers. Comments received will be considered. If Officers confirm that the Development can proceed, it must be completed within a period of 3 years starting with the prior approval date. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
24 Mar 2026
✓
Consultation
15 Apr 2026
✗
Refused
19 May 2026
✓
Appeal allowed
11 Sept 2026

Refused on 19 May 2026 · Prior Notification · Last checked 13 Jul 2026

Site constraints 2

Also on the record
National infrastructure project about 192 m away: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements, at pre-application; Inside the Bedford built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. 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.

Sales history 2

Last sold for £141,000 in March 2015. Terraced house, freehold.

27 March 2015£141,000
4 August 2006£135,000

Sale prices from HM Land Registry's price paid record, matched to this application by its address.

Building

Floor area118 m² (1,270 sq ft)
Energy ratingC (asset rating 68)
UseA3/A4/A5 Restaurant and Cafes/Drinking Establishments and Hot Food takeaways
HeatingHeating and Natural Ventilation

From the energy performance certificate lodged in April 2013, the latest held for this property, matched to this application by its address. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Council
Bedford
Application type
Change Use Class MA Prior Notification
Postcode
MK40 4EA
Received
24 Mar 2026
Validated
24 Mar 2026
Ward
Queens Park
Parish
Bedford Town
Case officer
Show
Target decision
12 May 2026
Decision
Refused Prior Notification
Decision date
19 May 2026
Decision level
Prior Notification
Appeal
Allowed · 11 Sept 2026 · Written Representations · Inspectorate case 6012021 ↗
Applicant
Show
Agent
Campbell Ark Ltd
Freehold owner
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 56 days from validation, 14 days faster than Bedford's median of 70 for changes of use. Refused, as 35% 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 →

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14804841
Planning Portal ref
PP-14804841
Comments by
13 May 2026
Site or press notice
15 Apr 2026
Env. assessment
No
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

Sale prices: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.

Freehold owner: Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Source: HM Land Registry, UK and overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, September 2026 release.