Workshop Adjacent 19 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW Data via plota.co.uk

26/01875/CPNQ - Change of Use Class Q Prior Notification Awaiting decision
AgriculturalChange of useNew homes

Proposal

Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s) (Use Class C3) including associated building operations reasonably necessary to convert the building. 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. 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

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
30 Sept 2026
Decision
Expected by 18 Nov 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision between 25 Oct 2026 and 23 Nov 2026, from Bedford's recent agricultural works.

Comments are open until 23 Oct 2026

Comment on this application ↗

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), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 1. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
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.
National infrastructure project 161 m away: A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Road Improvement scheme
The site is 161 m from the project boundary. Highway, decided. The project page says whether consent was granted. Also within 2 km: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements (at pre-application, 86 m).
Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.
Planning Inspectorate project page ↗
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.

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Other new applications on this street

11 Sept 2026Pending

20 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW

Single storey rear extension.

26/01743/FUL
26 Aug 2026Pending

Hare Cottage 18 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW

Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwelling...

26/01644/CPNQ
17 Apr 2026Approved

23 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW

Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwelling...

26/00740/CPNQ

Nearby new applications

11 Sept 2026Pending

20 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW

Single storey rear extension.

26/01743/FUL
26 Aug 2026Pending

Hare Cottage 18 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW

Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwelling...

26/01644/CPNQ

Important details

Council
Bedford
Application type
Change of Use Class Q Prior Notification
Postcode
MK44 3BW
Received
30 Sept 2026
Validated
30 Sept 2026
Ward
Wyboston
Parish
Wyboston Chawston Colesden
Case officer
Show
Target decision
18 Nov 2026
Applicant
Show
Agent
CB Architecture - Mr C Bailey

Decision outlook

Day 9 of the 56-day target. Bedford usually decides agricultural works by day 28.

Day 947 days to the 56-day target
73%decided within 8 weeks
65%approved
28decided in the last year

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

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 3 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15259654
Planning Portal ref
PP-15259654
Comments by
23 Oct 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

9 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Refused
23 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s)…
25/02361/CPNQ
2025
23 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Proposed replacement of existing glasshouses with steel framed portal buildings for the m…
25/01729/S73
2025 Approved
20 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Two storey side extension
25/00624/FUL
2024
21 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Conversion of barn to dwelling and associated alterations.
24/02185/FUL
2024
21 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford MK44 3BW
Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s)…
24/01683/S73
2023 Approved
21 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s)…
23/02050/CPNQ
2023 Approved
19 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Single storey rear/side extension
23/01594/FUL
2023 Withdrawn
21 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s)…
23/00680/CPNQ
2019 Refused
Barn Adjacent 19 Spinney Road Chawston Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3BW
Prior notification for change of use from an Agricultural building to a dwellinghouse(s)…
19/00784/CPNQ
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