Princes Risborough

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 6, on infrastructure. It aims to provide the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time, including transport, schools, healthcare, utilities and green spaces. Evidence shows some services, such as healthcare and special educational needs provision, are already stretched. Of 73 wastewater treatment works serving the county, 41 are likely to be close to or over their permits by 2045. A Settlement Review places settlements into five tiers, with Aylesbury and High Wycombe in the top tier.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy provides for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation. The identified need over the plan period is 681 pitches and 38 plots, of which 516 pitches and 30 plots are needed in the first 10 years. The Council will allocate 280 pitches and 14 plots towards this, through a mix of new sites and the intensification or expansion of existing sites, with further pitches on NESS sites in later years. Existing lawful sites are safeguarded, and delivery will be monitored with more sites identified if needed.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 177.2-hectare urban extension to Princes Risborough delivering up to 2,895 homes within the plan period, plus 11 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and a local centre with 300 to 400 sqm of shops and around 500 sqm of business space. A central requirement is the Princes Risborough Relief Road, a complete new alternative route to the A4010. The site must also provide two primary schools, contributions to secondary education, a green corridor along the Crowbrook, and keep a gap between the town and Longwick.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 113-hectare site at south-west Aylesbury for 1,400 homes and 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, with a 2FE primary school, on-site health and community facilities, a linear park and sports pitches. It requires a Southwest Link Road connecting the Stoke Mandeville relief road to the A418 Oxford Road, plus strategic flood defences and drainage. Outline permission was granted in May 2026, with construction expected from 2028, delivering fifty homes initially then 140 per year. A buffer is needed against noise from HS2.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out a mixed development at Princes Risborough Station with an assumed 80 homes, small-scale convenience shops, a new public square with bus interchange, and possibly a hotel. The site must safeguard a route for part of the Princes Risborough Relief Road, linking Summerleys Road and Picts Lane to relieve traffic on Poppy Road. Opening up the culverted Horsenden Stream is encouraged to improve wildlife and manage flooding, and housing must be steered away from the flood risk zones.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation creates a new Key Employment Area as a northern expansion of the Princes Estate, an established business area in Princes Risborough. It provides approximately 4 hectares of land for offices, industrial and storage uses, and housing is ruled out because it would undermine the employment role. Designs must limit visual impact on the Chilterns National Landscape, the Ridgeway National Trail and the Horsenden Conservation Area. Financial contributions are required towards walking and cycling links between Princes Risborough, Longwick and Chinnor.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation designates approximately twelve hectares of land north of Lower Icknield Way, Princes Risborough, as a new Key Employment Area, of which 9.6 hectares is expected to be developed for business, industrial and storage uses. The site is visible from the Chilterns National Landscape and the Ridgeway National Trail, so high-quality design and structural landscaping are required, including new hedgerow planting. Access would come from Lower Icknield Way, with contributions towards the Princes Risborough to Chinnor walking and cycling route.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects the delivery of two major rail projects. Development must not prejudice High Speed 2 or its environmental mitigation such as woodland and screening, and construction impacts on communities must be managed. It also protects East West Rail, including the proposed Aylesbury Link from Aylesbury station to Claydon Junction, and future upgrades to the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough line. New structures over these lines must allow for future double tracking and overhead electrification. Applicants within 50 metres of the routes are encouraged to consult Network Rail early.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires developments to show they will have adequate water supply, foul drainage and sewage treatment capacity before homes are occupied, with phasing conditions used to enforce this. New buildings are expected to connect to mains drainage. The evidence shows 34 wastewater treatment works need upgrades to accommodate planned growth. A related policy (IN4) safeguards two strategic water sites: land at Galley Lane near Stoke Hammond for the Grand Union Canal water transfer project, and land west of Iver for a possible new drinking water treatment works.