Greg Smith described the plans as the wrong development in the wrong place.
In a speech delivered at the council offices in Wycombe on Wednesday evening (29/07), the Mid Bucks MP urged councillors to refuse the speculative development citing infrastructure issues, encroachment of agricultural land and environmental impact.
The application's hearing at Planning Committee was requested by Cllr Matthew Walsh and Cllr Gary Hall, with Greg Smith supporting Longwick constituents in what he described as 'their battle against yet another speculative development in the village'. The plans would have seen 57 new homes built on a site at Thame Road, which would also mean the demolition of an existing dwelling and all other structures.
In a social media post, he said he was 'delighted' councillors heard their argument 'loud and clear', rejecting the application 'with very strong grounds'. In the same post, he said:
'Longwick has already seen over 300 new houses built in recent years and even more would not only destroy surrounding countryside, but overstretch local services like schools and GPs, as well as adding to the overcapacity on the Thame Road, leading to further road safety concerns. Likewise, with Thames Water already sending tankers to collect sewage from the village, even more dwellings would overstretch the sewage network even further.'
The Conservative MP also described the decision as a 'victory' but said the 'battle will go on', with the developer taking the application to appeal to be heard by the Planning Inspectorate. Greg Smith said he will continue to support the village 'in the fight to ensure this speculative development is thrown out at appeal'.
You can watch his full speech before the Planning Committee below:
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