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.
Jobs & economy
Employment land, offices, industry, warehousing, rural businesses, tourism and skills.
96 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the plan's approach to development in the countryside. It recognises that many of South Warwickshire's economic generators sit outside the main urban areas, so the plan supports existing rural businesses and communities to keep growing, in line with the South Warwickshire Economic Strategy. It also supports a number of Major Investment Sites, which are existing large employment sites of regional and national significance that the plan seeks to safeguard and grow.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full policy and reasoning for the Core Opportunity Area. Areas outside it remain suitable for more local investment, subject to other plan policies. The area covers a band across central South Warwickshire connected by the A46 and the central section of the M40, where existing employment and research clusters are concentrated. The aim is to attract inward investment and encourage businesses to co-locate, while respecting national policies including the Green Belt and securing transport improvements from new schemes.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy (DS.10) safeguards Major Investment Sites for future employment, research and investment. At Gaydon, the Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin Lagonda sites are safeguarded for automotive research and manufacturing, with a further 124.5 hectares next to the JLR site and 7.5 hectares next to the Aston Martin site, and a possible Local Development Order to give certainty on future investment. The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, the UK's only looped standard gauge test track, is safeguarded for rail-related employment along with its connection to the national rail network.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section details all eight Major Investment Sites under Policy DS.10. They are the Gaydon automotive hub, the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, land south of Coventry including the former Coventry Airport, where a gigafactory or wider advanced manufacturing is planned alongside a 90 hectare country park at Gateway South, Stoneleigh Park with around 5.4 hectares of extra employment land, 62 hectares at the University of Warwick Main Campus, the university's Wellesbourne Campus, Wellesbourne Airfield, where up to 65 hectares of employment land depends on relocating the runway, and Fen End for automotive and motorsport uses.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports economic development in the countryside, outside allocated sites and settlement boundaries. All proposals must be of an appropriate scale, reuse existing buildings where possible, avoid unacceptable impacts on local roads and respect the character of the area. It supports agricultural and forestry businesses, including converting buildings that have existed for at least ten years, farm diversification and equestrian uses, plus tourism and leisure uses such as visitor accommodation, expanded holiday caravan sites and golf facilities.
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 section gives the full Rural Housing policy with its detailed conditions and justification. Before a historic building can become a home, evidence of robust marketing for business use is needed, and homes tied to rural businesses require a business plan, occupancy conditions and functional and financial tests. The justification notes that rural services have declined, public transport is poor or absent in many villages, and house prices are out of reach for many rural workers, so the plan aims to balance protecting the countryside with meeting local needs, including affordable housing.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the Green Belt changes in full. It allows neighbourhood plans to release small Green Belt sites for local needs where strict conditions are met. National policy applies to proposals both in and out of the Green Belt, and the Golden Rules on affordable housing do not apply to land released under the older 2016 and 2017 local plans. A Green Belt Review found exceptional circumstances justify the changes, because many of the most sustainable growth locations sit within the Green Belt.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out where the Green Belt boundary will change to make room for the plan's proposals. Six villages, including Bubbenhall, Claverdon and Snitterfield, are taken out of the Green Belt. Land is also removed for new settlements and major growth sites at places such as Hatton, Kenilworth South, Leamington Spa North, South of Coventry and Coventry Airport, plus smaller sites at Alcester, Hampton Magna, Kenilworth, Studley and Stoneleigh. A boundary error at Leek Wootton is also corrected.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the background to the Vale of Evesham Control Zone. The policy is carried over from the Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy with the county council's support, and similar designations exist in neighbouring South Worcestershire and Cotswold district plans, though Wychavon proposes to drop it. The 5% threshold has proved appropriate because small schemes have little effect on lorry movements. Larger increases are only acceptable where benefits, such as gains for the local economy, outweigh the traffic impact.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 411.4-hectare site around Winslow for a minimum of 9,370 homes, with 3,650 in the plan period, plus 15 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, around 16 hectares of employment land and 3,500 sqm of town centre uses. It requires four primary schools, two secondary schools, new link roads and integration with East West Rail, whose safeguarded land must not be built on. Green gaps must prevent merging with Great Horwood. The employment land targets high-value sectors, helped by the new station and the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out a 143-hectare site east of Brackley, next to the county boundary, for around 2,890 homes, plus 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, about 2 hectares of employment land and 2,500 sqm of town centre uses. It requires two primary schools, contributions to secondary education, improvements to the A422 corridor and buffers to HS2, Ancient Woodland and the sewage treatment works. Development must conserve the setting of Turweston Conservation Area and manage flood risk from the River Great Ouse.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the digital connectivity requirements and their justification. Developments must provide full fibre broadband from the earliest stage, install ducting to allow future upgrades without disruption, support open access networks affordable to all users, plan digital infrastructure alongside other utilities, and where appropriate integrate it with energy, transport and environmental systems such as electric vehicle charging. National policy requires planning to support next generation mobile technology and full fibre connections, and the approach follows the Smart City Framework.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers three parcels totalling around 242.6 hectares north of the A41 at Aylesbury, including Aylesbury Woodlands. It provides approximately 1,700 homes plus sixty extra care units, around 102,800 sqm of employment floorspace including the Aylesbury Woodlands Enterprise Zone, a 4,000 sqm local centre, a two-form entry primary school, a 6,000 sqm hotel and conference facility and a 16-hectare sports village. Primary access must come from the Eastern Link Road, at least 50% of the site must be green infrastructure, and employment land is safeguarded from other uses.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers the Royal Mail delivery office site, just over one hectare next to Aylesbury town centre, for an assumed 80 homes and 420 sqm of town centre retail. New buildings should match neighbouring heights and follow a design brief reflecting the local area. Access would be from a single upgraded junction off Upper Hundreds Way, with a new at-grade pedestrian crossing near the existing subway. Because of past uses, a contamination investigation is required, along with ecological assessments for birds and bats and a noise assessment.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the chapter on growing the South Warwickshire economy. It describes the area as a gateway to the West Midlands, with direct access to London via the M40 and the Chiltern main line, just 10 miles from Birmingham, and crossed by the strategic A46 route. It also notes that up to 1.18 million UK jobs could exist in low-carbon and renewable energy sectors by 2050, an opportunity the plan wants the area to be well placed to capture.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires new employment development to minimise its carbon footprint through climate adaptation and mitigation measures. Renewable energy generation must be built into all new employment schemes unless there is specific justification that it would be inappropriate for the location or type of development. Retrofitting existing workplaces to improve energy efficiency and add low carbon technologies will be supported, as will employment proposals that contribute to innovation in the low-carbon and renewable energy sector.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the reasoning behind the low carbon economy policy. Both councils declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to cutting district-wide emissions by 55% by 2030, backed by a joint Climate Change Action Programme agreed in 2021. Energy use in non-domestic buildings and industrial processes accounts for 22.5% of the area's carbon footprint. The plan aims to help businesses cut their emissions and to capture the economic opportunities of the move to net zero.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes South Warwickshire's key economic assets beyond its major investment sites. They include the Silicon Spa gaming cluster around Leamington, employing over 2,000 highly skilled people, the automotive industry with Aston Martin, JLR and Lotus, food and drink businesses, and a highly skilled workforce. Tourism assets include Shakespeare's Birthplace, Warwick and Kenilworth castles and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Around 70% of Warwickshire is agricultural land, and the section stresses the need to safeguard existing employment uses.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy safeguards existing employment sites in office, industrial and warehouse use. Proposals that would lose employment land or buildings will only be permitted where it is robustly shown that there is no reasonable prospect of continued employment use, backed by evidence of sustained marketing, that the use is unviable even after considering refurbishment or redevelopment, and that the change would not harm the supply of employment land needed over the plan period. The alternative use should complement remaining employment uses or bring clear community or environmental benefits.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how the employment site protection policy works in practice. Marketing must run for at least 12 months, followed by a further 6 months at a lower price if no interest emerges. Decisions on changes of use will consider alternative employment sites nearby, effects on neighbouring uses and town centres, and demand for other non-residential uses. The policy is informed by the South Warwickshire Affordable Business Study (2026) and follows national policy on supporting economic growth.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out plans for an assumed 375 homes and up to 7,000 square metres of employment space at Sword House and 11 Duke Street in High Wycombe town centre. The 0.86 hectare site includes the Totteridge Road car park and sits a few minutes from the railway station. Sword House would be kept for employment use, mature boundary trees retained, and any lost public parking spaces replaced unless shown to be no longer needed. Better walking and cycling routes to the station are also required.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports the growth and improvement of existing visitor attractions and encourages new ones across South Warwickshire, subject to other plan policies. All tourism and leisure development must be sensitive to the character of the area and designed to maximise benefits for local communities through job opportunities and support for local services. Wherever possible, tourist and visitor facilities should be located in existing or replacement buildings, particularly where they sit outside settlements.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out why the plan supports tourism. Stratford-upon-Avon is home to the world's most important Shakespeare heritage sites and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other attractions include the castles at Warwick and Kenilworth, Stoneleigh Abbey, country houses such as Compton Verney and Charlecote, the canal network, and the regency buildings and parks of Royal Leamington Spa, along with Stratford Butterfly Farm and the British Motor Museum. The plan seeks growth that keeps these assets attractive, especially those linked to the historic environment.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires affordable workspace in larger employment schemes. It applies to developments of 1,000 square metres or more of employment floorspace, including major mixed-use schemes. At least 10% of the floorspace must be affordable workspace, let at rents at least 20% below average market rents and secured permanently through planning obligations. It should normally be provided on site; where that is shown to be unfeasible, off-site provision or a payment may be accepted. Exceptions must be justified by a robust viability assessment, with review mechanisms possible.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains why affordable workspace is needed. Over 80% of firms in South Warwickshire are micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees, and these are most exposed to rising property costs. The South Warwickshire Affordable Business Study (2026) found a constrained supply of quality office and industrial space, affordability pressures for small firms and start-ups, and limited new development because of viability. Viability testing suggested large industrial sites could deliver 10% affordable workspace at 60% of market rents.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers the Council Offices site on Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, for a mixed development of 500 square metres of offices, retail and healthcare plus an assumed 150 homes for NHS key workers. The 1.04 hectare site is in NHS ownership beside the River Wye. Because of high flood risk, housing is not allowed in the most flood-prone areas, and developers must produce detailed flood modelling approved by the Environment Agency before applying.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the town centre policies. Town centres serve local communities, support economic growth and act as focal points for retail, commercial, cultural, leisure, community and civic life. Changing habits, including the growth of internet shopping and the effects of the Covid pandemic, are reshaping high streets. The plan therefore aims for a flexible framework that keeps town centres vital and viable, encourages a wider mix of uses and improves the quality of the public realm.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation proposes an assumed 270 homes and around 1,125 square metres of town centre retail on the former Office Outlet site in High Wycombe. The 0.45 hectare brownfield site is close to the railway station, so a high-density, landmark scheme with fewer car parking spaces is expected. Housing must avoid the highest flood risk zones, and developers must carry out detailed surface water modelling and follow the Council's flood risk guidance for the site.