A421 Bedford
1 address across 1 postcode (MK42), about 350 m long, classed as a a road. USRN 27302616.
- Flood: No address on its postcodes is in an area at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.
- Council tax: Most homes around it are in council tax band B; Band D in Bedford costs £2,472 a year in 2026-27.
- Broadband: Gigabit broadband is available to 100% of premises.
- Transport: The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away in a straight line.
- Green space: There is a small park or garden about 120 m away, and Jubilee Park (18 hectares) is about 560 m (0.3 miles) away.
- Air: Background air pollution in 2024 was 8.9 µg/m³ of nitrogen dioxide and 7.4 of PM2.5, within UK legal limits.
- Height: It is about 29 m above sea level.
- Noise: 1 of its 1 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic.
- Doctors: The nearest GP surgery is Bedoc Healthcare, about 1.7 km (1.1 miles) away.
- People: About 380 people lived in the census areas around it in 2021; 76% of households owned their home and 33% of adults held a degree or other higher qualification.
- Crime: 31 crimes were recorded within 250 m between September 2025 and August 2026, most often violence and sexual offences.
Sales on this street
No sales recorded on this street since January 1995 under this street name.
Energy performance certificates
No certificates found for addresses on this street.
Council tax
What each band costs in Bedford in 2026-27: Band D £2,472 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,648 | £1,922 | £2,197 | £2,472 | £3,021 | £3,570 | £4,120 | £4,943 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhood around this street: most are in band B (46% of about 810 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: no postcode centre in this street's postcodes is in one.
- Listed buildings on or by this street: none.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Tree preservation orders: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1 km (0.6 miles)
- RAF Cardington and adjoining land Shortstown, permissioned (870 m (0.5 miles))
Roadworks
No street works under way, planned or finished in the last three months on this street, in permits up to 31 October 2026.
Flood risk
No address in this street's postcodes is in an area at high, medium or low risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. The rest are in areas at very low risk: less than a 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance a year.
Rivers and the sea alone: no home is in an area at risk.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: no postcode centre is in flood zone 2 or 3.
Height above sea level
The street's address is about 29 m above sea level.
Broadband
| Postcode | Superfast (30 Mbit/s+) | Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s+) | Gigabit | Below 10 Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MK42 0RN | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0% |
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | Bedford St Johns 176,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 2.5 km (1.5 miles) |
| Bedford 3.8 million journeys in 2024–25 | 3.6 km (2.2 miles) | |
| Kempston Hardwick 9,780 journeys in 2024–25 | 5.4 km (3.3 miles) | |
| Bus stops | 6 stops within 400 m (0.2 miles), 28 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Harrowden Road Eastcotts | 180 m |
| Bus or coach station | Bus Station Bedford | 3.2 km (2 miles) |
| Car parks | Kazoku Car Park | 2.6 km (1.6 miles) |
| EV charging points | 2 within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest bp Pulse | 430 m (0.3 miles) |
| Airport with scheduled flights | London Luton Airport LTN | 27.4 km (17 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | Bedoc Healthcare | 1.7 km (1.1 miles) |
| Pharmacies | 2 pharmacies within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Pyramid Pharmacy | 380 m |
| NHS dentists | London Road Health Centre | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) |
| Hospital | Bedford Hospital | 2.7 km (1.7 miles) |
| Police station | Bedford Police Station | 3.3 km (2 miles) |
| Cash machines | Nisa Cashzone | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | 4 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 16 ha | 120 m |
| Largest park within 800 m (0.5 miles) | Jubilee Park 18 ha | 560 m (0.3 miles) |
| Play area | 9 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 200 m² | 160 m |
| Playing field | Clock Park 1.4 ha | 830 m (0.5 miles) |
| Allotments | Bunyan Allotments 8.9 ha | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
Within 800 m (0.5 miles): 4 parks and gardens, 36 hectares in all.
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Garden to Howard's House, a registered park or garden (Grade II), 1.6 km (1 mile) east. 6 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles).
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Garden to Howard's House | Registered park or garden, Grade II | 1.6 km (1 mile) east |
| Site of Newnham Priory | Scheduled monument | 1.6 km (1 mile) north |
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Cardington Spillway | Lake or reservoir | 1 km (0.6 miles) north |
| Press Meadow | Wood | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) north |
| Priory Lake | Lake or reservoir | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) north |
| Finger Lakes | Lake or reservoir | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) north-east |
| Longholme Island | Island | 1.8 km (1.1 miles) north-west |
| Summerhouse Hill | Hill | 2.2 km (1.4 miles) north-east |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 8.9 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 7.4 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 13.6 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; PM2.5 is above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road and rail noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways |
|---|---|---|
| 75 dB or more | 1 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 0 | 1 |
1 of the street's 1 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, above the WHO guidelines.
Climate, daylight and earthquakes
Monthly temperatures and rainfall, sunrise and sunset through the year, and earthquakes recorded nearby since 1970 are much the same across the area, so they are worked out once for Bedford: see them on the Bedford page.
Nearest schools
| School | Phase | Ages | Distance | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortstown Primary School | Primary | 2–11 | 770 m (0.5 miles) | Report card (Feb 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard; Achievement: Expected standard; Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard; Inclusion: Expected standard; Leadership and governance: Expected standard; Early years: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Bedford Academy | Secondary | 11–18 | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) | Good (Mar 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) |
| King's Oak Primary School | Primary | 1–11 | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) | Report card (May 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard; Achievement: Expected standard; Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard; Inclusion: Strong standard; Leadership and governance: Strong standard; Early years: Strong standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Shackleton Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) | Report card (Jan 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard; Achievement: Needs attention; Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard; Inclusion: Expected standard; Leadership and governance: Expected standard; Early years: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Elstow School | Primary | 4–11 | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) | No published inspection |
| Cherry Trees Nursery School | Nursery | 2–5 | 2 km (1.2 miles) | No published inspection |
Food hygiene ratings nearby
| Business | Type | Distance | Rating | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPHA MK42 0GQ | Hospitals/Childcare/Caring Premises | 350 m | 5 Very good | 24 Jun 2025 |
| Madeira Fish and Chips MK42 0RU | Takeaway/sandwich shop | 420 m (0.3 miles) | 5 Very good | 30 Jul 2026 |
| Nisa MK42 0RU | Retailers - other | 420 m (0.3 miles) | 5 Very good | 15 Nov 2019 |
| Phoenix Pharmacy MK42 0RU | Retailers - other | 440 m (0.3 miles) | Exempt | |
| Tasty Peri Peri MK42 0RU | Takeaway/sandwich shop | 440 m (0.3 miles) | 3 Generally satisfactory | 3 Dec 2025 |
Crime within 250 m
| Category | Crimes |
|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 12 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5 |
| Vehicle crime | 4 |
| Other crime | 4 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3 |
| Other theft | 3 |
Most of these are attached to: On or near Herbrand Road (31).
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 16% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 76% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 29% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | under 1% | 1% |
| Social rented | 0% | 17% |
| Private rented | 24% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 67% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 4% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 13% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 2% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 29% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 67% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | under 1% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 2% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 3% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 52% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 7% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 33% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 7% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 89% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | under 1% | 2% |
Deprivation
The neighbourhood around this street is in decile 4 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.
What has changed
Nothing new since the change feed started on 30 October 2026. New sales and energy certificates, and hygiene ratings, school inspections and flood figures nearby, will be listed here as the sources update.
Postcodes on this street
- MK42 0RN: 1 address of 27 in the postcode
Nearby streets
A421 · A421 · Herbrand Road · Harrowden Road · Duchess Road · Old Harrowden Road · Tansy Close · Bluebell Close · Harrowden Road · Bamford Road
What this page cannot tell you
- Whether a particular house is at risk of flooding, subsiding or anything else: the flood map is a model of areas and there is no property-level data here.
- What a home is worth now: sales are historic prices for the homes that happened to sell.
- How safe the street is: crime points are moved to anonymised locations and many crimes are never reported.
- Whether you would get a place at a school: distances are straight lines, not catchments.
- Who lives on the street now: census figures describe the small areas around it in March 2021, during a lockdown.
- How long a journey takes or how often anything runs: transport distances are straight lines to the nearest stops.
- Whether a GP practice is taking new patients, or a dentist new NHS patients.
- How loud a home is inside, or noise from industry, neighbours or smaller airfields: noise figures are models of road, rail and air traffic outside.
How each figure on this page is matched to the street and worked out: methodology.