Silverstone

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes the county's economy. Buckinghamshire generates about £19.2 billion in economic output and supports around 285,000 jobs across more than 31,000 businesses, around 98% of them small and medium-sized. Key clusters include high-performance engineering at Silverstone, the Westcott space cluster, life sciences and the film and media cluster at Pinewood. Productivity growth has weakened, and around 12.6% of residents commute to work in London. The Plan aims to support investment, innovation and better local jobs.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the strategy for economic growth. The Plan must allocate at least 219 hectares of employment land to 2045, and after committed sites are counted, about 147 hectares of additional land is allocated. Major locations include expansion at Westcott Venture Park and new employment land at the Winslow, Buckingham and Turweston new settlements, plus town centre sites in Aylesbury and High Wycombe. Research and development floorspace is strongly supported, and no new employment development is allowed in the highest flood risk zone (Flood Zone 3b).

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports Silverstone Circuit and Silverstone Park at Dadford as an internationally significant motorsport destination and a centre for high-performance engineering, business, education and leisure. It backs track and event improvements, new and upgraded employment space, training facilities linked to the Silverstone University Technical College, and accommodation for students, apprentices and employees connected to the site. Proposals must protect neighbouring communities from noise and traffic, improve sustainable transport, and conserve the rural landscape and heritage assets including Luffield Priory. The site straddles the boundary with West Northamptonshire, so cross-boundary working will be important.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects Buckinghamshire's strategic and key employment sites, listed in Appendix L, which include the three Enterprise Zones and Pinewood Studios. Regeneration, improvement and intensification for employment use will be supported where proposals link strongly to the Buckinghamshire Economic Growth Plan and its key sectors: life sciences, space, robotics and drones, advanced manufacturing and creative industries. The sites are protected for employment use and their loss to non-employment uses will be resisted. Complementary uses such as shared training facilities and staff amenities are also supported.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports new or expanded tourism and visitor facilities within or next to existing settlements. Elsewhere, proposals must support the sustainable growth of existing facilities, involve converting or replacing existing buildings or support rural diversification, and be in an appropriate location that minimises environmental impacts. Seasonal structures such as marquees must be temporary and not harm the landscape. Existing tourism facilities cannot be lost unless replaced, shown to be no longer needed, or shown to be unviable after active marketing for 12 months. Buckinghamshire's tourism sector supports 2,125 businesses employing more than 21,000 people.