Design & placemaking

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 policy requires all development to be well designed, and states that poorly designed proposals will be refused. Schemes must be supported by a Design Statement showing how they meet criteria covering context, identity, built form and movement. This means understanding the site's history and surroundings, creating attractive and distinctive places, designing walkable streets that limit crime, and prioritising active travel such as walking and cycling alongside a genuine choice of sustainable transport options.

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.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out a 103.2-hectare site south of Stoke Mandeville for a minimum of 1,650 homes within the plan period, plus around 1,500 sqm of town centre uses. Higher densities are focused near the railway station, which will be enhanced as a transport hub with a new pedestrian and cycle crossing of the railway. Requirements include a primary school, the South Spine Road, buffers along the HS2 corridor, protection of the setting of Stoke House, and a site-wide masterplan and phasing strategy.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports development that complies with local Design Codes, which set clear design frameworks so that proposals meeting their parameters can be approved. Applicants must show how they have met the relevant code's expectations. Codes are not meant to stifle creativity, so departures are possible, but they must be fully justified, judged on their merits, and still achieve the good design principles in Policy DS.18. Where no local code exists, the National Design Guide applies.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how Design Codes will work in practice. The plan will be supported by a range of codes, and in some places more than one may apply, such as an area-wide code and a site-specific code together. Where no local code exists, the National Design Guide is used instead. The information needed to show compliance will vary with the type and scale of development, and early discussion with the council's Development Management team is encouraged.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full densification policy and its reasoning. Major housing schemes in Main Urban Areas within 1km of a railway station must achieve at least 60 dwellings per hectare unless robustly justified otherwise, and schemes near stations elsewhere must show density has been optimised. Reusing redundant buildings, converting upper floors, infill plots and adding storeys are all supported. The policy also backs Advanced Methods of Construction, such as modular building, for their speed and sustainability, provided designs follow an agreed Design Code.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy controls lorry traffic in the Vale of Evesham Control Zone. Business proposals that would increase heavy goods vehicle traffic by 5% or more must show that the economic benefits outweigh the traffic impact, that the development cannot go on a site with better access to the county's lorry route network, and that the proposed delivery routes are the least harmful to local communities. An HGV is defined as a lorry over 7.5 tonnes, and permissions will cap the number of lorry movements through conditions or legal agreements that bind future occupiers.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section gives the full flood risk policy and its reasoning. On sites at risk, buildings must sit in the safest areas, safe access must be shown, and floor levels must be at least 600mm above the 1% annual probability flood level plus climate change allowance. All development needs a drainage strategy, an undeveloped buffer of at least 8 metres along watercourses, and space for water through green and blue infrastructure. South Warwickshire has a history of flooding from multiple sources, and climate change is expected to make floods more frequent and severe.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 96-hectare site north-west of Wing for a minimum of 1,630 homes, all expected within the plan period, plus 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and around 1,000 sqm of town centre uses. It requires a primary school, contributions to off-site education and GP services, and new roads including the Wing North Spine Road and Wing West Link Road. Development must protect Wing Conservation Area and the Castle Hill Scheduled Monument, provide buffers to Local Wildlife Sites, and follow a site-wide masterplan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section adds detail on how sustainable drainage systems should be designed. SuDS must be planned as an integral part of the site layout, favouring above-ground and dispersed features rather than reliance on one large storage feature. They should deliver several benefits at once: reducing flood risk, cleaning water through a four-stage treatment train, boosting wildlife, providing attractive amenity space and helping to cool urban areas. Drainage features should also become part of the wider ecological network.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires development to protect, improve and extend green and blue infrastructure, meaning natural assets such as open spaces, trees, rivers and canals. Schemes must secure management and funding for these features for at least 30 years. Proposals should contribute to strategic opportunities identified in the evidence, such as restoring ancient woodlands, a River Avon Linear Park and better access to the canals. Design must respond to local landscape character, connect habitats, use native and climate-resilient planting and help reduce flood risk.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets further open space requirements and explains how they apply. Developments must provide 0.86 hectares of community growing space, including allotments, per 1,000 households, and 0.5 hectares of play provision for children and teenagers per 1,000 people. Major schemes must submit an open space and play assessment. Off-site provision or payments are only accepted where on-site provision is genuinely not achievable. Student housing, care villages and retirement communities must contribute, and major commercial schemes may also need to provide open space.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets accessibility standards for open space and play areas. Every home in a major development must be within reach of a neighbourhood greenspace and a local or doorstep greenspace, with catchments ranging from 200 metres for a doorstep space to 5,000 metres for a district space of 100 hectares. Play areas have their own catchments, from 100 metres for small local play areas to 1,000 metres for larger equipped ones, and community growing spaces should be within 1 kilometre of new homes. Design should follow recognised guidance, including inclusive play and provision suited to teenage girls.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers The Gateway, a 20.6-hectare brownfield site in Aylesbury currently occupied by Council offices and surface car parking, a twenty-minute walk from the train station. It is allocated for 4,000 sqm of town centre and office floorspace plus an assumed 1,455 homes, with new public spaces and potentially fewer parking spaces. Development should bring culture and leisure-led uses, landmark buildings designed to soften the impact of height, active ground-floor frontages and better pedestrian links towards the town centre. An early masterplan is required.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers the Exchange Street car park in Aylesbury town centre for a mixed development of 2,000 sqm of town centre uses, 2,000 sqm of offices, around 450 homes, new public realm and 150 parking spaces. The site has been a surface car park since around 2010 and sits next to Hale Leys Shopping Centre and The Exchange leisure quarter. Development must enhance the setting of listed buildings in Market Square and the Aylesbury Conservation Area, keep the mature horse chestnut trees on Exchange Street, and improve pedestrian links across the town centre.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers Hale Leys Shopping Centre, a 0.6-hectare site in the heart of Aylesbury town centre, for a mixed development of 4,821 sqm of employment space, 4,821 sqm of retail and an assumed 220 homes. Ground floors should stay in retail use with apartments above. Development must provide active frontages towards Market Square and the High Street, enhance the setting of nearby listed buildings and the conservation area, and follow a design brief consistent with Aylesbury Garden Town principles. Keeping retail on the site is seen as vital for a vibrant town centre.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the protection given to homes in town centres. Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick both have large numbers of houses and apartments within their town centre boundaries, which add diversity and vitality but create pressure where different uses sit side by side. Uses such as small offices, dental surgeries and children's nurseries may be acceptable in these residential areas, provided the residential character and appearance of the building and area are not altered. The council will also consider the cumulative effect of such changes.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets space and accessibility rules for new homes. All new homes, including those created by converting or subdividing existing buildings, must meet the Nationally Described Space Standards, which set minimum sizes for homes, bedrooms and storage. All new homes must also meet the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard in the Building Regulations. On top of that, at least 2.5% of market homes must meet the higher M4(3)(2a) wheelchair adaptable standard.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the reasoning behind the space and accessibility standards. The population aged 65 and over is projected to rise 53% in Stratford-on-Avon district and 43% in Warwick district between 2025 and 2050, with large increases in people with mobility problems. The evidence therefore recommends all new homes meet the M4(2) adaptable standard, plus 2.5% of market homes and 5% of affordable homes built as wheelchair user dwellings, equal to around 44 extra wheelchair homes a year. Exceptions are possible where site constraints such as flood risk or heritage make compliance impossible, but robust evidence is required.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out a large residential development of an assumed 3,780 homes on around 94.5 hectares south of Newton Leys, near Bletchley. It includes a new primary school, a local centre with community facilities and healthcare provision. Density would be highest near Milton Keynes and reduce towards the countryside. A watercourse crosses the site, so flood risk must be managed and housing is not allowed in the highest risk zone. The western part already has outline permission for up to 290 homes, granted on appeal in February 2026.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the tenure and type mix for affordable housing. The councils will seek at least 60% Social Rent and no more than 40% Shared Ownership, with other tenures only in exceptional, well-justified circumstances. One and 2-bed affordable homes should come in a mix of bungalows, flats, maisonettes and houses, while 3 and 4-bed homes should be houses, and 5% of rented affordable homes should be ground level, single-level homes. Affordable homes must be visually indistinguishable from market homes and dispersed across the site in suitable clusters.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the affordable tenure choices. Evidence found a need for 60% Social Rent, 20% Affordable Rent and 20% affordable home ownership, but the councils prioritised Social Rent because Affordable Rent is less affordable and can leave households relying on housing benefit. Shared Ownership was raised to 40% to help viability, and is seen as the most suitable ownership tenure locally as buyers can now purchase as little as 10% equity. Discounted Market Sale was found to need at least a 40% discount to be affordable here, and single-level homes respond to the ageing population.

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 policy sets criteria for new Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots. Sites must avoid significant harm to heritage, ecology and landscape designations, be a reasonable distance from schools, GP surgeries, shops and community facilities, and not be visually intrusive. Private sites are limited to a maximum of 15 pitches. Sites also need safe road access with turning and parking space, plus adequate water, electricity, drainage and waste services. Any permission will include conditions limiting pitch numbers and restricting occupancy to the travelling community.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how the criteria for new traveller sites will be applied. Because few sites will meet every criterion, a best-fit approach will be used. Private sites should have no more than 15 pitches, though larger public sites may be acceptable where good management is shown. The councils will explore a negotiated stopping approach to unauthorised encampments, likely alongside other Warwickshire authorities, and an 8-bay transit site with a Traveller support hub is planned at Harbury Lane. It also notes that Travelling Showpeople traditionally live and store their equipment on the same yard.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets design standards for new Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites. Sites must have proper water, power, sewerage, drainage and waste services, good landscaping with natural boundary treatments rather than imposing metal fencing, efficient use of land without overcrowding, and layouts that support health, privacy and children's play. Each pitch must measure at least 500 square metres and include hard standing for a touring and a static caravan, two parking spaces, an amenity building, storage space and a garden area.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the reasoning behind the design standards for traveller sites. Applications must include a layout plan showing the site can accommodate the pitches or plots proposed. Shared family sites may have a communal amenity building to help combat loneliness, while multi-family sites need individual buildings. Travelling Showpeople yards must keep living areas separate from equipment storage and maintenance areas. High design standards are considered essential given the number of pitches needed, so that new homes are safe, well integrated and support residents' health and wellbeing.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets rules for permanent residential moorings for people living on boats. In built-up areas, moorings must not harm navigation or safety, must maintain the character and biodiversity of the waterway, and need good walking, cycling and public transport access, safe vehicle access, well-designed parking and proper utilities including water, electricity, sewage disposal and laundry facilities. In open countryside, permanent moorings are only allowed within recreational mooring basins, where at least 50% of existing leisure moorings must be kept and external lighting limited to what safety requires.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the boat dweller policy. The Housing and Planning Act 2016 requires councils to consider the needs of people living on inland waterways. An assessment identified a need for 35 permanent residential moorings across the two districts to 2050, but a local marina has since secured a certificate confirming no limit on its permanent moorings, providing enough supply to meet that need. The policy therefore acts as a framework for judging any future proposals as boat dwelling continues to evolve.