Express By Holiday Inn Wilstead Road Elstow Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9BB Data via plota.co.uk

26/01682/SPNJ - Solar Prior Notification Part J Approved
Solar & renewables

Proposal

Prior notification for the installation, alteration or replacement on non-domestic properties of (a) micro-generation solar thermal equipment; (b) micro-generation solar PV equipment; or (c) other solar PV equipment on the roof. 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 but if notification of a decision is not made to the Applicant within 56 days of the date of registration of the proposal, it can proceed. 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
1 Sept 2026
✓
Consultation
8 Sept 2026
✓
Approved
22 Oct 2026

Approved on 22 Oct 2026 · Prior Notification · Last checked 23 Oct 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 2

Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Also on the record
National infrastructure project 614 m away: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements, at pre-application.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building 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

24 Jun 2026Approved

Elstow Landfill Site Wilstead Road Elstow Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9YU

Installation of a Fire Suppression System to service the Elstow Waste Transfer S...

26/00961/FULWM

Nearby new applications

12 Aug 2026Approved

Pod 7 Interchange Retail Park Race Meadows Way Kempston Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 7AZ

Installation of A/C units, extraction and external seating area.

26/01441/FUL
12 Aug 2026Approved

Pod 7 Interchange Retail Park Race Meadows Way Kempston Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 7AZ

Installation of 3 internally illuminated fascia signs.

26/01442/ADV

Important details

Council
Bedford
Application type
Solar Prior Notification Part J
Postcode
MK42 9BB
Received
1 Sept 2026
Validated
1 Sept 2026
Ward
Wixams & Wilstead
Parish
Elstow
Case officer
Show
Target decision
20 Oct 2026
Decision
Details not required (Prior Approval)
Decision date
22 Oct 2026
Decision level
Prior Notification
Applicant
Show
Agent
Show
Leaseholder
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 51 days from validation, 17 days slower than Bedford's median of 34 for prior approvals. Approved, as 70% of prior approvals here are.

98%decided within 8 weeks
70%approved
126decided in the last year

Plota live figures for prior approvals decided by Bedford in the last twelve months, from validation. Bedford decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 23 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15194347
Planning Portal ref
PP-15194347
Comments by
29 Sept 2026
Site or press notice
8 Sept 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

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

This property

Previous applications at this address

2019 Approved
Retention of Car Park Management System equipment
19/00524/S73A
2019 Approved
Retention of Car Park Management System signage
19/00525/ADV
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2024
First Floor 2 - 6 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Change of use from Class E(i) (office) to Class F.1(f) (place of worship), including vari…
24/02209/S73
2024
1st Floor 7-8 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Change of use from Class E(i) (office) to Class F.1(f) (place of worship)
24/02196/COU
2024
First Floor 2 - 6 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Change of use from Class E(i) (office) to Class F.1(f) (place of worship)
24/00240/COU
2023 Refused
Gurvir House 2 - 8 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Prior notification for change of use from a use in Class E (commercial, business and serv…
23/02408/CPNG
2021 Refused
Gurvir House 2 - 8 Cauldwell Street And 5 - 7 St Johns Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Second and third floor extension to form 8 apartments and external alterations including…
21/00875/FUL
2021 Refused
20 - 22 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Installation of a non-illuminated advertisement billboard to side elevation
21/03325/ADV
2021 Approved
Bedford Free School 12 - 16 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
20/01511/FUL - Non-Material Minor Amendment to amend window opening arrangement.
21/01703/NMA
2020 Refused
Gurvir House 2 - 8 Cauldwell Street And 5 - 7 St Johns Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Second and third floor extension to form 9 apartments and external alterations including…
20/01344/FUL
2020 Refused
20 - 22 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Installation of an LED advertisement billboard to side elevation
20/01083/ADV
2020 Approved
Bedford Free School 12 - 16 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Replacement of the existing timber tilt and turn windows with new polyester powder coated…
20/01511/FUL
2019 Approved
20 - 22 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Change of use of a flat to provide additional seating capacity to the existing restaurant…
19/02364/COU
2019 Withdrawn
20 - 22 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Change of use of a flat to provide additional storage facilities to the existing restaura…
19/02222/COU
2019 Approved
Melbourne House 3 Kingsway Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9DB
17/03030/M73 - Non-Material Minor Amendment to suit the true boundary of the site. Minor…
19/01751/NMA
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Replace existing impervious non-porous render to rear elevation with hydraulic lime render
18/02235/BLB
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
18/00321/BLB - Condition 2 - Render (External and internal refurbishment works to listed…
18/01536/AOC
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
18/00321/BLB (External refurbishment works to bring the current Grade II Listed building…
18/01161/AOC
2018 Approved
Bedford Free School 12 - 16 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Extension of dining area into existing undercroft area including new dining hall store ro…
18/00940/FUL
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
18/00399/DC3 - Condition 3 - Bin and Cycle Storage (External refurbishment works to bring…
18/01142/AOC
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
External refurbishment works to bring the current Grade II Listed building back into use…
18/00399/DC3
2018 Approved
26 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
External and internal refurbishment works to listed building, to include the repair and p…
18/00321/BLB
2017 Approved
Melbourne House 3 Kingsway Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9DB
15/02985/M73 - Amendment to condition 2 to allow additional means of escape staircase, mi…
17/03030/M73
2017 Approved
Melbourne House 3 Kingsway Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9DB
15/02985/M73 - Amendment to condition 3 (contamination) to allow for works to commence be…
17/00528/NMA
2017 Approved
2 - 8 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Proposed new front entrance screen to provide DDA compliant access, 2 proposed windows to…
17/00052/FUL
2016 Approved
2 - 8 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
Proposed new front entrance screen to provide DDA compliant access, 2 proposed windows to…
16/02479/FUL
2016 Approved
Bedford Free School 12 - 16 Cauldwell Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK42 9AD
15/01914/FUL (Proposed extensions and alterations to the roof of the existing building to…
16/01785/NMA
Bedford
Planning Authority Score
2.4/10
Poor
#253 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

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

Leaseholders: 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.