Green light given for nature reserve in Aylesbury

Plans for a new, 250-acre nature reserve in Aylesbury, just east of the town's Kingsbrook development, have been approved.

The new visitor destination, called Kingsbrook Meadows, will be equivalent in size to around 140 full-size football pitches. It will offer extensive natural greenspace where residents and visitors can help with the creation of woodlands and wetlands, allowing them to explore the wildlife as it develops, enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits of the natural world. 

This planning approval crowns a groundbreaking partnership between Barratt David Wilson Homes, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Buckinghamshire Council, who have worked together at Kingsbrook since 2010 to demonstrate that urban development and environmental protection can co-exist. 

With work set to start in spring 2026, Kingsbrook Meadows will open in three phases, becoming home to wetlands, meadows, pools, woodlands, walking trails, gardens, and wild play area. 

The final phase, due for completion in 2028, will culminate in the opening of a visitor centre, café and shop, with accessibility at the forefront of its design. There will also be a dedicated car park on-site. The RSPB will manage the site once complete, adding to the 220 existing sites it manages across the UK, creating local employment and volunteering opportunities. 

Over half of the new site, 168-acres, is classed as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG)*, which is a designated area of open green space designed to reduce the impact of new housing developments on protected natural areas. 

The first SANG in the north of Buckinghamshire, Kingsbrook Meadows aims to offer an attractive and more accessible alternative to ease recreational pressures from visitors and dog-walkers on Ashridge Commons and Woods within the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation. The new site will be protected in perpetuity for at least 80-years. 

Cllr. Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning at Buckinghamshire Council, said:

"Buckinghamshire is a beautiful, nature rich county, and it's important we protect it as best we can whilst also playing our part to meet the government's new housing targets. Kingsbrook Meadows is a great example of how by working together, collaboratively with like-minded strategic partners, sustainable development can be achieved."  

Cllr. Carl Jackson, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Waste at Buckinghamshire Council, added: "Kingsbrook Meadows will offer a sanctuary for those who enjoy the natural environment, providing a peaceful place to walk, exercise, explore, and take the dog for a walk. This site has been designed to benefit local residents and visitors while protecting wildlife."

Martin Randall, Operations Director, RSPB, commented: "We're delighted to have reached this important milestone in the creation of an exciting new nature inspired visitor destination which will be a welcoming place for all. Nature is for everyone, and we want this ethos to be at the heart of Kingsbrook Meadows, with all the social, health and wellbeing benefits that brings. We are very much looking forward to work getting underway in the coming months and sharing more information about the exciting developments. As work progresses, there'll be plenty of opportunities for people to get involved and find out more along the way." 

Jo Alden, Project Director at Barratt David Wilson North Thames, said: "Approval for Kingsbrook Meadows is fantastic news for both residents at Kingsbrook, and the wider community and we are excited to start work. This opportunity shows the power of partnership and has only become a reality because Barratt David Wilson, Buckinghamshire Council and the RSPB all share the same values. Once again, we are proving that new homes and nature can work together through collaboration, with strategic and well thought out placemaking." 

* Key features of a SANG: 

• Walks - Each SANG must provide at least one circular walk of minimum of 2.3km which start and finish at a car park to 2.5km (30 to 40 minutes) and usually many other options for longer walks and onward connections into the countryside.  

• Accessibility - Designed to be welcoming and easy to access, with footpaths or trails suitable for all abilities. 

• Biodiversity - Created or enhanced to include diverse habitats and character of space - such as woodland, grassland, or wetlands - while protecting the local ecology. 

• Facilities - Many SANGs include benches, bins (for rubbish and dog waste) and information boards and signage. They may also have parking available. 
• Dog-friendly - Ideal places to walk your dog freely and safely.