Campaign background
In 2005, the government granted £60 million to the town to build the Linslade Western Bypass. Meanwhile, the local bus service had to be cut due to a lack of money. Local residents stood up against the Linslade Western Bypass and made the national press with large-scale demonstrations. But with the help of Campaign for Better Transport, the protests turned to talks and negotiations, and a new Transport Strategy for Leighton-Linslade was launched.
A new transport plan for Sandhills
Despite the strategy, there was still a lack of national funding for buses. We began lobbying central government with support from Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire county councils, Arriva, the former South Bedfordshire District Council, Arnold White Estates, Leighton-Linslade Town Council and the Local Strategic Partnership.
Together the group came up with such a good transport plan for the new housing development in the south of Leighton Buzzard (Sandhills), that the central government gave £1 million to fund a high quality bus service to support the town centre.
Benefits to the community
The plan ensured new residents could both support and benefit from Leighton Buzzard town centre, rather than drive to an out-of-town retail park. It would also help reduce the need for new residents driving into Leighton Buzzard, which would have increased congestion and air pollution.
The Southern Leighton Buzzard development benefited from a number of innovative features:
- the Dash Direct (D1) town centre bus service, which also services Sandhills
- real-time information screens in all houses
- improvements to Billington Road to make it more pleasant to walk, cycle or take the bus into town
- secure cycle parking for all houses
- a website with local information and a travel plan coordinator for residents.
This scheme was organised by a steering group consisting of Arriva, Central Bedfordshire Council, Arnold White Estates and South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth.