Plan for Aylesbury football stadium to become housing estate

A plan to bulldoze Aylesbury United’s derelict football stadium and build a housing estate on the ground has been deferred for approval.

The future of Buckingham Road – which once hosted England – will now be determined by Buckinghamshire Council’s planning director.

GPS Estates Ltd’s proposals to construct 42 homes on the former sports ground were deferred by councillors on the Central Area Planning Committee, with a decision due by January 8, 2024.

The proposals for Buckingham Road, submitted in 2020, would transform the overgrown pitch and graffiti-daubed stands, which fell into disrepair following the eviction of Aylesbury United from their home in 2006.

The non-league minnows once hosted Bobby Robson’s England team at their ground for a pre-tournament warm-up match for the 1988 Euros.

Despite their home advantage, Aylesbury United lost 7-0 to a Three Lions side starring Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley and Stuart Pearce.

The planning application for the stadium promised a “mix of new homes which integrate with the existing community, while respecting the environmental assets of the River Thame and its corridor”.

The plans would “deliver a high quality ‘place’ which is sustainable, safe, and attractive” and “provide amenity and recreational open space on site”, the application said.

The 42 dwellings would be mixed but would incorporate two to four bedroom houses and apartments.

Some 35 per cent of the total number (indicatively, 15 out of 42) will be affordable, of which, 75 per cent would be for affordable rented accommodation and 25 per cent either shared ownership, intermediate rent, or rent-to-buy schemes.

However local residents have raised concerns with the plans and they were called in by Cllr Ashley Bond, Cllr Susan Morgan and the Watermead Parish Council.

Concerns include the risk of flooding, loss of the sports pitch, affordable housing provision, economic issues, highways safety, climate change and other reasons.

Concerns that flooding and drainage have not been taken into account are among the biggest issued raised with the proposals for Buckingham Road, which sits next to the River Thame.

Cllr Morgan sent planning officers photos of cars partially submerged under water in Aylesbury to highlight the apparent flood risk.

Aylesbury resident Martyn Kentish also raised flooding concerns, saying that: “This is just another plan with no attention paid to the issues of sewerage, flooding and traffic access/movements.

“This will bring misery to all who currently live here unless there is further thought, plans and a serious amount of money put in place to alleviate these issues.

“There are already enough areas being developed for housing in Aylesbury without pinching this flood plane area.”

Despite the concerns, the “flood risk to nearby land and property would not increase as a result of new development and the proposal is acceptable in this regard”, according to the Environment Agency and the Lead Local Flood Authority.