Design & placemaking

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how the Local Plan is used in decision-making. It forms part of the statutory development plan, so planning applications are decided in line with it unless other important factors point the other way. It sits alongside neighbourhood plans, minerals and waste policies and other Council strategies. Applications are judged against all relevant policies together, not one in isolation, and the Buckinghamshire Design Code and Parking Standards also apply. A Policies Map supports the Plan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the South Warwickshire Local Plan, prepared jointly by Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils to guide where and how new homes, jobs and infrastructure are built up to 2050. It describes an area of 488 square miles, mostly open countryside, containing towns such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa. Nearly a third of the area lies in the West Midlands Green Belt and 8% falls within the Cotswolds National Landscape. The area is a gateway to the West Midlands, with its strongest links to Coventry.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers population and communities. Buckinghamshire has around 553,000 people, up 9.5% since 2011, which is faster than the 6.6% growth for England. Aylesbury and High Wycombe are the main urban centres, supported by market towns such as Amersham, Buckingham, Chesham and Marlow. The population is ageing, with residents aged 65 and over up 23.2% between 2011 and 2021. Life expectancy in the most deprived areas is about 5.4 years lower than in wealthier areas.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers the plan's supporting documents and how it will stay up to date. The plan should be read as a whole, and further Supplementary Plans, a separate Design Code and Technical Guidance will follow. Proposals and designations appear on a Policies Map that will be updated periodically. Delivery is tracked through monitoring indicators reported in each council's annual Authority Monitoring Report. The plan will be reviewed every five years from adoption to keep its strategy current.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the spatial strategy in full. Growth is focused on edge-of-settlement sites next to the larger settlements, which the council judges the most sustainable and least harmful option after assessing all reasonable alternatives. A settlement hierarchy directs most growth to the principal town, small towns and large villages, while washed-over Green Belt villages take only 1 to 2% of housing growth. The plan requires significantly higher housing densities, especially near town centres and public transport, to reduce land take, and limits Green Belt release to what is needed with compensatory environmental improvements.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers the environment and landscape. About 32% of Buckinghamshire is Metropolitan Green Belt and around 27% lies within the Chilterns National Landscape. The county has around 180 conservation areas, close to 6,000 listed buildings, and nationally important chalk streams. It faces pressures from flood risk, rising temperatures, water supply and treatment constraints, and biodiversity loss. Balancing new development with protecting these assets is a major challenge for the Plan.

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 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 policy requires new homes to deliver a balanced mix of sizes, types and tenures based on set percentages in the plan, with any variation needing clear evidence. Schemes of 100 or more homes must include a housing diversity strategy. All new dwellings must meet accessible and adaptable standard M4(2), and on sites of 10 or more homes a share must be built to wheelchair standard M4(3): 5% of market and 10% of affordable homes. Sites of 200 or more dwellings should provide 2% as self-build plots, and houses in multiple occupation must not harm local character.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets housing density expectations. New housing should normally be built at 50 dwellings per hectare within the developable area of a site, with higher densities expected in places well served by public transport, services and facilities. Lower densities may be acceptable in special cases, such as areas of historic or landscape value or specialist housing, but must be justified with supporting evidence. Density should generally be lower at the edges of a site and increase towards its centre.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports business growth by promoting a range of employment sites and premises across the district. Within designated Employment Areas shown on the policies map, extra industrial floorspace and intensified office and industrial uses are supported, and non-employment uses are only allowed where they would not harm amenity or the area's role. Outside these areas, losing employment land to other uses requires evidence including 12 months of unsuccessful marketing at a realistic price and no reasonable prospect of continued employment use. Creative industries and expansion of Leavesden Studios are supported.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy allows renewable and low carbon energy schemes, including micro-renewables such as small wind turbines, micro-hydro and solar panels, and decentralised energy like combined heat and power. Support depends on an assessment of impacts on residential and workplace amenity, visual and landscape character, air and water quality, the natural, built and historic environment, biodiversity, public access to the countryside, and the openness of the Green Belt. The council will consider both individual and cumulative impacts of such applications.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports town centre regeneration, particularly in Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycombe, by directing development to brownfield sites within town centres. Proposals on key sites must take a comprehensive, design-led approach that supports the Buckinghamshire Regeneration Framework, provides business space, delivers high-quality public realm and enhances heritage. Losing or reconfiguring public car parks requires evidence of parking demand and suitable alternatives. Proposals for main town centre uses outside defined centres must pass a sequential test, which checks town centre sites first.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists the full set of mixed-use, leisure, community and town centre allocations under Policy DS.6. They include Tachbrook Country Park, 62 hectares safeguarded at the University of Warwick Main Campus, Local Green Spaces at Meon Vale, and town centre sites in Leamington Spa including Chandos Street. In Stratford-upon-Avon, the 2.04 hectare Gateway site is earmarked for a mixed-use scheme including a new World Shakespeare Museum, alongside the Rother Quarter. Other entries cover a new village centre for Studley, and Warwick sites including Myton Community Stadium and St Mary's Lands.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires new non-residential buildings to be net zero for regulated energy, the energy used by fixed systems such as heating and lighting. Buildings must beat the 2021 Building Regulations emissions target by set margins: 25% for offices, 35% for schools, 45% for industrial buildings, 10% for hotels and residential institutions, and 35% for others. Absolute targets of 65 kWh per square metre a year, and 15 for space heating, are an alternative route. Fossil fuels are ruled out except in exceptional cases, on-site renewables must match energy use with offsetting a last resort, and larger buildings report energy data for five years.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports low-carbon development and asks applicants to follow an energy hierarchy: cut energy demand first, supply energy efficiently, then use renewable sources. Schemes of 100 or more homes (50 or more in off-gas areas) and non-residential buildings of 1,000 sqm or more should assess district heating. Opportunity areas for wind, solar and battery storage are mapped, with tests on landscape, wildlife, heritage, amenity and road safety. It notes the Future Homes Standard from March 2027, cutting new homes' carbon emissions by around 75 to 80%.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all development to be designed and built to cope with a changing climate. Non-residential schemes over 1,000 square metres should achieve BREEAM Excellent certification, an independent sustainability standard, including full water efficiency credits. Buildings must follow a cooling hierarchy that favours passive measures such as orientation, shading and natural ventilation before mechanical cooling. Major residential schemes must complete a CIBSE TM59 overheating assessment and major non-residential schemes a TM52 assessment. Development must also build in resilience to extreme weather, use sustainable drainage and reduce the urban heat island effect.

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 tackles embodied carbon, the emissions from making, transporting and assembling building materials. Major schemes of 10 or more homes or 1,000 square metres or more of non-residential floorspace must complete a whole-life carbon assessment using RICS guidance. Large-scale schemes of 50 or more homes or 5,000 square metres or more must limit embodied carbon to 600 kgCO2e per square metre of internal area. Buildings should be designed for easy disassembly and material reuse, major schemes involving existing buildings need pre-demolition audits, and smaller schemes must explain how they have minimised embodied carbon.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy promotes cutting carbon in existing buildings, which produce a third of the district's emissions. Development must take a retrofit-first approach, considering upgrades to an existing building before demolition, following a hierarchy of fabric improvements, then low carbon heating and renewables, then connection to a heat network. Substantial or total demolition needs a feasibility assessment showing a new building would have similar or lower whole-life carbon, deliver public benefits retrofit could not, or that retrofit is not feasible. Sensitive energy efficiency retrofits of heritage buildings are supported where their significance is preserved.

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 heritage policy: conserving and enhancing Buckinghamshire's historic environment as an irreplaceable resource that supports local character and identity. It sets out how delivery will run through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on conservation areas, heritage assets and design, alongside wider rules on amenity, transport, biodiversity, landscape and flooding, so historic buildings and places are protected as part of sustainable growth.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports proposals that conserve and enhance heritage assets and their settings, including historic landscapes, parks and gardens, and encourages the sensitive reuse of buildings at risk. Applicants must submit a Heritage Statement describing the significance of any assets affected, and show that harm has been avoided or minimised. The supporting text highlights Buckinghamshire's heritage, from Waddesdon Manor and the Chilterns to Bletchley Park and Roald Dahl country, and explains the Local Heritage List protecting locally valued buildings and places.

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 protects trees, woodlands and hedgerows and requires good landscaping in new development. At least one tree must be planted on site for each new dwelling, or one per 100 square metres of non-residential floorspace, using native species, with a financial contribution towards off-site planting where on-site planting is not possible. Existing trees and hedgerows should be retained wherever possible, and permission will be refused for development causing loss of protected woodland, ancient woodland, veteran trees or protected hedgerows unless conditions can secure their protection. Approved felling requires suitable replacements.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 529.7-hectare site north of Aylesbury for around 9,080 homes, with 3,650 delivered in the plan period, plus 15 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and 3,500 sqm of town centre uses. It requires four primary schools, a secondary school, healthcare facilities and the Northeast Aylesbury Link Road connecting the A413 and A418. Development must avoid the highest flood risk areas near the River Thame, keep green gaps to prevent merging with Bierton, and follow a site-wide masterplan and phasing strategy.

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.