Bucks Local Plan: Aylesbury MP raises concerns

It follows the opening of the last public consultation on the draft earlier this week.

After Bucks Council launched the last six-week public consultation on the plan on Thursday (23/07), Laura Kyrke-Smith raised several concerns in a statement posted to Facebook.

She listed her three strong concerns as:

• the appropriateness of the "very large developments" proposed near Wing and Cheddington
• lower-than-expected targets for affordable and social housing
• the lack of clarity over proposed infrastructure and service

In her statement she also accused Buckinghamshire Council of having "sat on its hands" for six years, something she argues has forced the Government to step in and set a housing target and deadline for Buckinghamshire to get its Local Plan ready. She says this is despite "the great work of many villages to produce Neighbourhood Plans, which should have been given due consideration sooner by the Council".

She did however describe the Government's national housebuilding programme as "right and necessary", adding that it is also "right that Buckinghamshire plays its part in delivering the homes of the future", something she says will "ensure that our young people have the chance to rent or buy a local home". 

Among her other chief concerns was whether it's "fair" for Aylesbury and the villages, with 20% of Buckinghamshire’s existing population, to accommodate over 30% of Buckinghamshire’s housing growth, "having already accommodated so much already."

The Aylesbury MP says she will publish her formal submission to the Local Plan consultation in August, insisting she will continue to "work with residents" as she prepares it over the summer consultation period.

Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning, said:

“Buckinghamshire Council recognises that residents care deeply about the future of Aylesbury and the surrounding areas and want any growth to be supported by the infrastructure and services communities need.

“The draft Buckinghamshire Local Plan has been prepared in response to national government-imposed housing requirements. Our role in meeting this significant housing target is to identify the most sustainable locations for development across the county while protecting our countryside, Green Belt and nationally important landscapes wherever possible.

“As the county town, Aylesbury has an important role to play in meeting future housing requirements and the proposals for Aylesbury and the surrounding areas form part of the wider county-wide draft Plan currently under consultation.

“The draft Buckinghamshire Local Plan has now been published for consultation on its soundness and legal compliance. We encourage residents, businesses, community groups and elected representatives to review the Plan and submit their comments. All representations received during the consultation will be submitted to the independent planning inspectors for consideration as part of the examination process.

“Without an up-to-date Local Plan, the council would have significantly less control over where development takes place leaving the county more vulnerable to speculative and unplanned development.”