Property prices
driven up as the busway’s times prove popular

South West Bedfordshire MP Andrew Selous told members of the Networking at Dunstable breakfast group that there were signs the route, which opened on September 26, was proving popular.

“House prices are going up near busway stops in Dunstable,” Mr Selous told the meeting at the Old Palace Lodge Hotel, in Church Street.

“It is attractive to get from Dunstable to London in under an hour. I’m sure people will use it.”

Steve Cantellow, from HSBC bank, said he could vouch for the service. He said he was travelling into London from Church Street for a meeting later the same day and the timings using the busway were good for him.

As far as the property market is concerned, Daniel Bourke, of lettings agent Belvoir, said before the busway opened people were enquiring what effect the busway would have. But now it is open commuters are seeing the benefits.

“Now we are seeing tenants moving in because of the busway,” Mr Bourke said. “Enquries have been coming from London asking about it.”

The positive vibes are coming only weeks after the busway opened and Councillor Nigel Young, Central Bedfordshire Council’s executive member for sustainable communities who prophesised only a few weeks ago: “The Busway will regenerate the economies of Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

“It’s another milestone for Dunstable and we are finally connected with the rest of the world. Watch out Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard, you really are living in exciting times. You are about to see great changes.”

The busway is one of Mr Young’s key milestones in a regeneration strategy. Others being ticked off include a 5,100-home development north of Houghton Regis and the A5-M1 northern Dunstable bypass. The bypass and a Woodside Link road to a new M1 junction forms part of a plan to ban trucks from Dunstable town centre, making it more attractive.