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

26/01682/SPNJ - Solar Prior Notification Part J Awaiting decision

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

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

Received
1 Sept 2026
Decision
Expected by 20 Oct 2026

This application is under consideration - no decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision between 3 Oct 2026 and 20 Oct 2026, from Bedford's recent prior approvals.

Site constraints 1

Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Predicted from the national soil map. The older provisional map 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.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England 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.

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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
Applicant
Show

Decision outlook

Day 13 of the 56-day target. Bedford usually decides prior approvals by day 40.

Day 1343 days to the 56-day target
95%decided within 8 weeks
33%approved
97decided 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 4 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15194347
Env. assessment
No
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