The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains what the Local Plan is and how it was prepared. The Local Plan is the council's main planning document, setting the strategy for homes, jobs and infrastructure in Three Rivers up to 2041. It must follow national planning policy and, once adopted, replaces the Core Strategy (2011), the Development Management Policies document (2013) and the Site Allocations document (2014). Work began in 2017 with several rounds of public consultation, backed by technical studies. The plan comes in two parts: Part I contains planning policies and Part II sets out site allocations.
Health, schools & community
Health and wellbeing, GP and hospital capacity, schools, sport, open space, play areas and community buildings.
124 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains what the Buckinghamshire Local Plan is. It sets the long-term strategy for managing growth and development across the county to 2045, covering new homes, jobs, infrastructure and community facilities. It also aims to protect valued places such as the Chilterns National Landscape and the Green Belt. The Plan follows national planning policy and replaces the policies in the former district local plans. It provides the basis for coordinating investment in transport, utilities, schools, healthcare and green spaces.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the vision for Three Rivers as a desirable, prosperous district with sustainable settlements, a resilient economy and a high quality environment moving towards zero carbon. It lists the strategic objectives needed to deliver this, including a range of new homes with priority for rented affordable and family-sized housing, matching new jobs to new homes at a 1:1 ratio, making best use of previously developed land, and integrating infrastructure and sustainable transport. Other objectives cover heritage, climate change, biodiversity, open space, the district's rivers, good design, an ageing population, health and safeguarding the Green Belt.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the spatial portrait of Buckinghamshire and its key issues. The county has a mix of towns, villages and countryside, strong transport links and a high-quality natural and historic environment. Its main challenges include meeting housing needs, improving affordability, delivering infrastructure, improving transport, protecting the environment, addressing health inequalities and responding to a growing and ageing population. These issues shape the vision, objectives and spatial strategy of the Plan to 2045.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes transport and infrastructure. Buckinghamshire has strong road and rail links, and major projects such as HS2 and East West Rail, including a new station at Winslow, will shape future connectivity. However, parts of the network are at or near capacity, east-west links are limited and rural public transport is patchy. Transport accounts for about 51% of the county's carbon emissions. Healthcare, education, utilities and digital infrastructure also face pressures, so development needs to be matched by timely infrastructure delivery.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers health and wellbeing. Buckinghamshire performs well on many health measures, but inequalities remain, with life expectancy in the most deprived areas about 5.4 years lower than in the least deprived. The design and accessibility of places, and access to green space, services and sustainable transport, all influence health. The Plan aims to support healthy, inclusive communities through well-designed places, supported by the Buckinghamshire Design Code.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy treats infrastructure as a prerequisite for development, not an afterthought. All proposals must secure the infrastructure needed to support their impacts, whether through on-site works, off-site delivery or financial contributions, and must align with the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Essential facilities should be operational before the homes or commercial space they serve are finished. If a developer claims these obligations make a scheme unviable, an independently verified viability assessment is required, with critical infrastructure prioritised over desirable projects. Applications without the necessary legal guarantees, through planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy, will be refused.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the Plan's vision for Buckinghamshire in 2045. It describes a county that has kept its rural character, protected the Chilterns National Landscape and made the most of brownfield land (previously developed land). New communities are healthy, well designed and served by the right infrastructure, with housing for different groups including key workers. The economy has grown in creative industries, space and high-performance technology, town centres have been revitalised, and green spaces, biodiversity and sustainable travel have been strengthened.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all new development to achieve high quality design that strengthens local distinctiveness and creates a sense of place, with poor design refused. Schemes must respond to local character, make efficient use of land, and connect well to existing streets. A landscape-led approach is required, including tree-lined streets, with landscape schemes and at least five years of maintenance plans. Development must protect neighbours' amenity, design out crime using Secured by Design principles, be accessible to all, and provide appropriate parking, cycle storage and refuse facilities.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 4, on quality of place. It aims to create welcoming, safe and accessible places, with high-quality design that reflects Buckinghamshire's character, neighbourhoods with local services, well-integrated parking and vibrant public spaces. Although the county is generally prosperous, it contains some of the most deprived wards in the country in Aylesbury and High Wycombe. Regeneration strategies for Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Chesham, and the Buckinghamshire Design Code, support this objective.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 5, on community health and wellbeing. It aims to support residents' health and social and cultural wellbeing, create places that encourage active lifestyles, work with health providers to deliver accessible healthcare facilities, provide sport and leisure facilities, and improve air quality. Health inequalities disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, and councils have a legal duty to reduce them. The Plan also supports healthcare capacity and affordable homes for key workers.
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 section explains the presumption in favour of sustainable development. National law and the National Planning Policy Framework require plans to apply this presumption, meaning the Council will look to approve proposals that accord with the development plan and contribute to economic, social and environmental objectives. Adverse impacts should be avoided, mitigated or outweighed by benefits. Whether development is sustainable is judged against the Plan as a whole, including the detailed development management policies in Chapter 7.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy addresses accommodation for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. The council's 2025 assessment identifies a need for 37 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and 6 plots for Travelling Showpeople who meet the national planning definition, plus further need from households whose status is undetermined. Applications will be judged against criteria covering flood risk, impact on wildlife, heritage, landscape and Green Belt openness, access to services and the road network, site design and servicing, and the scale of the site relative to the settled community. Existing sites are safeguarded while a need remains.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section contains the full Policy DS.4 and its justification. Every New Settlement and Strategic Growth Location must agree a masterplan with the council before any planning application, deliver roads, schools, healthcare and utilities early with clear trigger points, and secure developer contributions through legal agreements. Sites must create walkable 20-minute neighbourhoods, provide affordable housing and deliver Gypsy and Traveller pitches before a set share of market homes are occupied. New settlements will deliver at least 4,000 homes, and delivery will be overseen by boards, site delivery officers and community champions, with long-term stewardship of community assets.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out retail and leisure provision. It makes provision for 59,210 sqm of floorspace for retail, food and drink, and leisure and cultural uses by 2035. Needs are met first through sites already built or with permission, then by reducing town centre vacancy rates to 10%, which can provide at least 14,300 sqm, mainly in High Wycombe and Aylesbury. The Plan also allocates around 10,100 sqm of new retail space, and large development sites must provide local centres for day-to-day needs.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full housing allocation schedule under Policy DS.7, covering dozens of settlements from Alcester to Whitnash with indicative minimum capacities and requirements on flood risk, landscape, heritage and access. It also lists custom and self-build sites, allocations carried forward from adopted local and neighbourhood plans, and a Traveller site at Harbury Lane providing permanent pitches, transit bays and a support hub once Leamington Football Club relocates. The justification explains proposals including the Stratford-upon-Avon Gateway, Studley regeneration, Chandos Street, Warwick's cafe quarter, St Mary's Lands and Myton Community Stadium.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Mill End. Four sites are allocated with a combined indicative capacity of around 548 homes. The main site is Land to the South of Shepherds Lane and East of the M25, a 20.8 hectare grey belt site for 520 homes plus supporting uses including gypsy and traveller pitches, a medical centre or GP surgery, extra care housing and public open space. The remaining sites are small: garages behind Drillyard on West Way (6 homes), Quickwood Close garages (16) and garden land off Uxbridge Road (6).
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the community facilities policy: making sure communities can reach the services, facilities and social infrastructure they need. It describes how the policy will be delivered through the detailed Chapter 7 rules on infrastructure delivery, health impact assessment, community, sport and leisure facilities, food growing and fast food outlets, alongside wider policies on design, transport, biodiversity and flooding, so facilities are accessible and support healthy, inclusive communities.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires communities to have access to health, education, and social, cultural and community facilities, from GP surgeries to schools, libraries and meeting spaces. Major developments must show how they support healthy, inclusive communities and provide new or improved facilities on site or through financial contributions. Existing facilities are protected: they can only be lost if equivalent or better provision is made, or the facility is shown to be no longer needed or viable. Locating services together, especially in town centres, is supported.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the placemaking policy: securing high-quality, sustainable development that responds to Buckinghamshire's character, heritage and landscape. It describes how delivery will work through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on design, residential amenity and space standards, together with wider rules on heritage, community facilities, transport, biodiversity, landscape and flooding, so new places are attractive, healthy, well connected and resilient.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all development to achieve a high standard of design and placemaking, contributing positively to the character of Buckinghamshire's towns, villages and landscapes. Schemes should be shaped by design codes and masterplans, respond to local context and use land efficiently. Strategic developments must follow the Buckinghamshire Design Code and deliver high-quality public spaces. Development affecting the Chilterns National Landscape must be landscape-led, and schemes that fail to achieve good design will not be supported.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the healthy communities policy: promoting healthy, inclusive and safe places and helping to reduce health inequalities across Buckinghamshire. It describes how delivery will work through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on health impact assessment, community and sports facilities, food growing and fast food outlets, plus wider rules on design, transport, green infrastructure and environmental quality.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all development to support residents' physical and mental health and reduce health inequalities. It lists what healthy places should provide, including safe and accessible spaces, quality affordable homes, local services, healthy food options, green space, active travel routes and access to jobs and education. The supporting text notes Buckinghamshire is one of England's least deprived areas, ranking 141 out of 153, but has pockets of deprivation in places such as Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Chesham. Six healthy planning themes underpin the approach.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy seeks a net gain in the quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructure, the network of green spaces, waterways and natural features across the district. Priorities include the chalk streams and corridors of the Rivers Chess, Colne and Gade, the Grand Union Canal, the Chilterns National Landscape, the Colne Valley Regional Park and Rickmansworth Aquadrome. New development must contribute to new and improved green space and better links between assets, with management and maintenance plans required. Public rights of way should be protected, ideally with 20 metre buffers, and development must not fragment the network.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy safeguards existing open spaces, sports facilities, allotments and children's play areas. These can only be lost in exceptional cases, such as where equivalent or better replacement is provided nearby or an assessment shows no shortage would result. New or improved sport and recreation facilities are supported where a need is shown, with shared community use encouraged. Developments of 25 or more homes, or sites of 0.6 hectares or more, should normally provide open space and play space on site, unless existing open space lies within 300 metres or play space within 720 metres.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section presents the full Rural Economy policy and its justification. Beyond farming and tourism, it supports other rural businesses through building conversions and small-scale expansion where sites can be reached without a car. Larger proposals of regional or national significance should go to the Core Opportunity Area, and locations elsewhere must be justified. The evidence shows 91 agri-tech businesses in South Warwickshire supporting 1,610 jobs, and national policy backs the sustainable growth of all types of rural business.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy prevents development that would cause, or be harmed by, unacceptable pollution, covering land contamination, air, water, noise, vibration, light, odour and land instability. Building on or near former landfill or suspected contaminated land is only allowed where there is no threat to future users or to groundwater. Development must not worsen air quality, particularly in the district's two Air Quality Management Areas near the M25 at Chorleywood. Noise-generating and noise-sensitive uses must be kept apart or mitigated, and external lighting must be the minimum needed, avoiding harm to neighbours, wildlife and the countryside.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the settlement gap policy and its reasoning. In Areas of Restraint, large-scale development will only be permitted where it brings clear community benefits, supports the plan's objectives, and no suitable alternative site exists nearby. These areas are not landscape quality designations. They protect open land in and around settlements, such as river valley corridors, because of its contribution to a settlement's character and form. Agricultural and recreational uses, allotments, cemeteries and small farm additions may still be appropriate.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section gives the full well-designed places policy and guidance on applying it. Beyond context, identity, built form and movement, schemes must weave in natural features, create safe and welcoming public spaces, provide healthy living conditions with good light, storage and accessibility, and use resources efficiently with long-term stewardship planned. Design Statements should tell the design story and show how talks with parish councils, police, heritage bodies and county services shaped the scheme. National policy says permission should be refused for poor design.