Environment and Landscape

Environment and Landscape 3.30 Buckinghamshire contains a high-quality natural and historic environment, including nationally and internationally important landscapes, biodiversity assets and heritage features. Large parts of the county are rural in character and include extensive countryside, agricultural land, woodland, chalk streams and historic settlements. 3.31 Approximately 32% of Buckinghamshire is designated as Metropolitan Green Belt and around 27% falls within the Chilterns National Landscape. The Green Belt plays an important role in preventing urban sprawl, safeguarding the countryside and maintaining the separation and identity of settlements. The Chilterns National Landscape is recognised for its natural beauty, landscape quality and environmental importance. 3.32 Buckinghamshire also contains a significant historic environment, including around 180 conservation areas and close to 6,000 listed buildings. These heritage assets contribute significantly to the county’s distinctive character, cultural identity and sense of place. 3.33 The county’s water environment forms an important part of its natural character and ecological network, including nationally important chalk streams, river valleys and watercourses which contribute to biodiversity, landscape quality and recreation. These assets are sensitive to development pressures, water stress, pollution and changes in environmental conditions. 3.34 Together, these environmental assets and designations play a fundamental role in shaping Buckinghamshire’s character and identity. They contribute significantly to biodiversity, health and wellbeing, environmental quality and the attractiveness of places, whilst also influencing the location, scale and form of development that can be accommodated across the county. 3.35 Buckinghamshire faces a range of environmental pressures, including flood risk, rising temperatures, pressures on water resources, biodiversity loss and the need to support sustainable and resilient patterns of growth and development. Parts of the county also experience constraints relating to water supply, wastewater treatment capacity and water quality, particularly where growth pressures and environmental sensitivities coincide. 3.36 The county’s landscapes, biodiversity, green infrastructure and water resources play an important role in supporting environmental resilience, ecosystem recovery and sustainable growth. However, these assets remain sensitive to the impacts of development and wider environmental pressures, particularly in relation to chalk streams, habitats and areas at risk of flooding. 3.37 Extreme weather events, including periods of intense rainfall, flooding and heatwaves, place and may continue to place additional pressures on communities, infrastructure and the natural environment. Supporting environmental enhancement, improving resilience, promoting sustainable patterns of development and travel, and ensuring the efficient use of resources are therefore important considerations throughout the plan period. 3.38 Accommodating development whilst protecting and enhancing Buckinghamshire’s natural and historic environment represents a significant challenge for the Local Plan. Protecting and enhancing biodiversity, landscape character, heritage assets and environmental quality, whilst supporting low-carbon growth and ensuring that future development is supported by appropriate infrastructure and sustainable resource management, are therefore important considerations in shaping Buckinghamshire’s future growth and development.