Bedfordshire Development Forum launches

On 13 October, Cratus Group, in partnership with Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Central, launched the Bedfordshire Development Forum at an event held in Bedford’s Harpur Suite in front of over hundred representatives from across the local built environment sector.

The Bedfordshire Development Forum is the fifth Development Forum to be established and run by Cratus Group, building on the success of its equivalents in Surrey, Bristol, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. Like these other forums, the Bedfordshire Development Forum is a membership organisation. The Bedfordshire Development Forum will be holding a range of meetings and networking events in 2027 with a wide variety of guests and topics. It will bring together the people shaping the county’s growth, development and investment. It will be a place for the public and private sectors to build relationships, share insight and to help Bedfordshire grow well. Furthermore, the Bedfordshire Development Forum will promote early and sustained engagement between the built environment sector and local authorities in Bedfordshire. This philosophy which is fundamental to the Cratus Group is very much the approach we intend to encourage through the Bedfordshire Development Forum.

To say these are exciting times for Bedfordshire is an understatement. The launch meeting heard from speakers including Mayor of Bedford Borough Council, Tom Wootton and Universal, whose new destination resort will generate nearly £50 billion of economic benefits, creating 20,000 construction jobs and 8,000 operational jobs.  Moreover, the project will deliver transport upgrades in both road and rail networks. In addition, Bedfordshire is at the centre of East/West Rail which presents both opportunities and challenges for local communities across the county.  We are also seeing significant amounts of new house building proposed with Tempsford New Town and the expansion of Milton Keynes into areas of Central Bedfordshire. Furthermore, the Government has recently given the green light to the expansion of Luton Airport.

The message from all of the speakers at the launch of the Forum was that Bedfordshire is open for business and now is the right time to create a specific Development Forum for the county.

If you are interested in joining the Forum please contact https://bedfordshiredf.co.uk/