Consultation on Buckinghamshire Council’s Draft Local Plan – Have Your Say before 29 October 2025

Buckinghamshire Council is consulting residents on the first draft of its new Local Plan. Once adopted the Plan will set the legal framework for making decisions on housing, green spaces and economic growth for the next 15 years – so it’s a significant document which potentially affects us all.  This is the first Plan since Buckinghamshire became a unitary council: in our case it will replace the current Vale of Aylesbury Plan (the VALP).  The consultation period is open until midnight on 29th October and everyone is encouraged to respond (the Parish Council, through its Planning Committee, will also submit its own response).

The draft Plan is a long document.  There are two parts.  Part A (“Spatial Strategies”) sets out Buckinghamshire Council’s vision for Buckinghamshire, its key objectives, and challenges.  Importantly, it contains a section on housing which explains the challenge the Council faces in delivering up to 95,000 new homes (as required by central government policy) and it suggests ways in which different communities (including villages) might contribute to the growth target.  There is also a section on economic growth (including proposals for potential expansion of existing employment sites).

Comments are invited on these proposals but at this stage the draft is very high-level.  A second version of the Plan will be produced next year which will have more specific targets and site allocations (however, there is nothing to stop respondents from commenting on what they would like to see on these at this stage if they wish).

Part B deals with “Development Management Policies” – in other words, the proposed policies which will apply to ensure that the strategies in Part A meet a high standard.  Eight topic-areas are covered in detail, including aspects of housing, transport, the local economy and the natural environment.

The Plan is drafted so that there are consultation questions after each proposal.  Consultees are then encouraged to use a link to an online survey to respond to them.  (You don’t have to respond to every question, if you choose this route!)  But you don’t have to use the survey at all, you can also simply let the Council have your views by letter or email.  A link to the draft Plan, with full details of how to respond, can be found at https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/planning/local-plan/   If you wish to copy in the Parish Council on your response, then please do so.  It would be helpful to know what you think about the draft Plan, and we won’t otherwise see your comments.

The Parish Council will be considering its own response at a Planning Committee meeting convened for Thursday 16 October 2025 commencing at 7.30pm at Pitstone Pavilion.   Members of the public are welcome to attend. 

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