Homes & housing

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains why a new Local Plan is needed. Buckinghamshire became a single unitary council in April 2020, and this is the first plan to cover the whole county under one framework. The old district plans are increasingly out of date, and national policy has changed. National policy identifies a housing need of about 4,344 homes a year up to the end of March 2045. The county must balance this growth with protecting assets such as the Chilterns National Landscape and the Green Belt.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes the stage the Plan has reached. It is at the Regulation 19 stage of the formal plan-making process. Early engagement ran from 2021 to 2022, followed by consultation on the vision and objectives in 2023 and several Call for Sites exercises. Regulation 18 consultation on the draft plan took place in September and October 2025, with Regulation 19 consultation between July and September 2026. The Plan was submitted for independent examination in December 2026.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes the evidence base behind the Plan. A wide range of technical studies covers housing and employment needs, transport, infrastructure, climate change, sustainability, health and design. Key studies include the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) and the New and Expanded Settlement Study (NESS), which test whether promoted sites are suitable, available and achievable. Other evidence covers flood risk, water, renewable energy, retail and gypsy and traveller accommodation. A full list is on the Council's website.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the national and strategic context for the Plan. It has been prepared under the December 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which requires plans to cover at least 15 years and to balance economic, social and environmental aims. Using the Government's standard method, Buckinghamshire's housing need is 4,344 homes a year, or about 91,230 homes over the plan period to 2045. The Council has worked with neighbouring authorities on cross-boundary issues and aligned the Plan with the Local Transport Plan.

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 housing and affordability. Buckinghamshire has about 220,727 households, with around 71% owning their home. Average house prices were around £479,000 in April 2026, and in 2024 the affordability ratio was 11.6, meaning prices are over eleven times average earnings, among the least affordable in England and Wales. The standard method identifies a need of about 4,344 homes a year, around 91,230 homes to 2045. Meeting this while protecting the county's character is a major challenge.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 3, on new housing. It aims to meet housing needs for all groups, including affordable, accessible and specialist homes, key worker housing and self-build opportunities. The national standard method calculates a need of 4,344 new homes a year, about 91,230 homes over the plan period. The Plan must also meet an identified need of 681 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and 38 plots for Travelling Showpeople.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the strategic policies in Chapter 5. These form the core of the Local Plan, setting the overall spatial strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and how needs for housing, employment, infrastructure and environmental protection will be met. They provide for homes including affordable housing, economic development, community facilities and the conservation of the natural, built and historic environment, and form the basis for the more detailed policies in Chapter 7.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out how the Council will apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development. It will take a positive approach, working with applicants to find solutions so proposals can be approved wherever possible. Applications that accord with the Local Plan should be approved without delay unless other material considerations indicate otherwise. Where relevant policies are absent or out of date, permission will be granted unless the harm would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits under national policy.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains Buckinghamshire's housing need and how land will be provided. The Local Housing Needs Assessment (2026) identifies a need of 4,344 homes a year, or 91,230 homes over the 21-year plan period from 2024 to 2045, a 38% increase in the county's housing stock. Just over 21,500 homes are already committed through existing plans and permissions, leaving around 70,000 new homes still to be found. National policy also requires a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the housing strategy. It provides for 91,287 new homes between 2024 and 2045, with a stepped requirement of 2,150 homes a year to 2029/30 and 5,222 a year from 2030/31. Growth is prioritised on brownfield land, where 107 allocations will provide 7,599 homes, and at 10 new and expanded settlements (NESS sites) including Aylesbury North, Winslow and Cheddington, each planned for up to 3,650 homes. Further greenfield sites are allocated according to a settlement hierarchy, with no allocations in the Green Belt.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy provides for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation. The identified need over the plan period is 681 pitches and 38 plots, of which 516 pitches and 30 plots are needed in the first 10 years. The Council will allocate 280 pitches and 14 plots towards this, through a mix of new sites and the intensification or expansion of existing sites, with further pitches on NESS sites in later years. Existing lawful sites are safeguarded, and delivery will be monitored with more sites identified if needed.

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 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 section introduces the individual policies for housing allocations of more than 200 homes, including mixed use sites. It explains that sites have been allocated in line with the settlement hierarchy and are grouped by the tier in which each settlement sits in the Settlement Review. The text here is a short fragment that leads into the tier listings that follow.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers around 225.5 hectares south of the A41 at Aylesbury, mainly Hampden Fields, for approximately 3,000 homes plus a sixty-bed care home or extra care facility. It includes about 6.90 hectares of employment land, two primary schools with pre-schools, a local centre, a health facility and 108.34 hectares of green infrastructure. A dualled Southern Link Road between the A413 and A41 is required, along with town-wide flood defences. Outline permission has been granted and work has started, with careful phasing needed across the merged sites.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation describes Kingsbrook, a 306.6-hectare urban extension east of Aylesbury delivering 2,460 homes, 10 hectares of employment land, two primary schools, land for a secondary school, a neighbourhood centre and a major wetland park. Outline permission was granted in 2013 and the site is built as three villages. As of March 2025, 1,922 homes were complete with 538 remaining, and the Eastern Link Road and Stocklake Link have been finished. The whole development is expected to be complete by 2028.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports an assumed 305 homes on 7.57 hectares of land north of Newton Longville, on the southern edge of Milton Keynes. The development must fund a new bus route into Milton Keynes and a 3 metre wide shared path for walking and cycling between the two settlements. Housing must be steered away from the higher flood risk zones, and the scheme must not prejudice the delivery of East West Rail, as part of the land is safeguarded for the railway.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers the former Inov8 site on Tingewick Road, Buckingham, a brownfield site vacant for over a decade and owned by the University of Buckingham. It is allocated for up to 2.7 hectares of academic uses including an assumed 300 student accommodation units. If the university's needs are met elsewhere, the site would instead take an assumed 125 homes. No living accommodation is allowed in Flood Zone 3, and development must respect protected trees, the River Great Ouse and Buckingham's historic character.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation proposes an assumed 240 homes at Star Yard, one of the main car parks serving Chesham town centre. The 0.59 hectare site has the culverted River Chess running beneath it and sits within Flood Zone 2. Public parking must be kept on site or replaced nearby unless evidence shows less is needed, and pedestrian routes to the High Street retained. Because the site is near the Chilterns Beechwoods protected area, permission will not be granted until green space and visitor management mitigation is in place.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports an assumed 210 homes on 10.75 hectares southwest of Buckingham Road, Padbury. The site is split into two parcels separated by playing fields designated as Local Green Space. A comprehensive masterplan must be approved before any planning application is decided. Developers must show that vehicle access can reach all parts of the site, which is straightforward for the south-east parcel from the A413 but harder for the north-west parcel next to the Padbury Conservation Area and its listed buildings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the plan's approach to smaller housing sites, which are listed in Appendix K and allocated for residential or mixed development. National policy requires at least 10% of housing need to be met on sites of one hectare or less, and these allocations provide 4,410 homes on such sites. The sites allocated each deliver more than five homes and were assessed through the Council's land availability and sustainability work. All must contribute financially to infrastructure such as school and health capacity.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation designates Westcott Enterprise Zone and Venture Park, a 268 hectare Strategic Employment Area expected to deliver approximately 65 hectares of employment land for research, industrial and distribution uses. Westcott is a nationally important centre for space, robotics, drones and advanced engineering, home to around ninety businesses. The policy takes a flexible approach, allowing supporting facilities and limited, time-restricted worker accommodation where needed for the site to function, but housing must stay subordinate to the employment role. Proposals must also improve sustainable travel links to Aylesbury, Bicester and the wider area.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires new residential development, including conversions, to provide a mix of home types and sizes that meets current and future housing needs. The mix for market housing should broadly follow the Council's latest evidence, currently the Buckinghamshire Local Housing Needs Assessment 2026, along with any Neighbourhood Development Plan evidence. The mix can be negotiated where developers provide evidence about local market conditions, local character or physical constraints. The proportions are a guide rather than a fixed requirement, but any variation must be fully justified.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains that the Development Management policies cover housing, employment, the natural and built environment, transport, infrastructure, community facilities and climate change. They set the standards, mitigation measures and design principles needed to make development sustainable and beneficial to communities. In line with national policy, they respond to local circumstances while staying consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework, and they will be applied in proportion to the scale and nature of each proposal.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Table 6, which shows the recommended mix of market and affordable housing by type. For market housing the guide is 15% one-bedroom homes, 14% flats with two or more bedrooms, 16% two-bedroom houses, 28% three-bedroom homes, 23% homes with four or more bedrooms and 4% specialist older person housing. For affordable housing the figures are 27%, 13%, 23%, 26%, 7%, 2% and 2% for supported housing.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires affordable housing on developments of 10 or more homes or sites of 0.5 hectares or more. The rate varies by area: a minimum of 40% in the South, East and West (brownfield sites in the West subject to viability evidence), and 25% in the North and Central areas, rising to 50% on land in or released from the Green Belt. The tenure mix should be at least 60% social rent, 20% affordable rent and 20% shared ownership. Affordable homes must be spread through a development, look indistinguishable from market homes, and normally be built on site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out when developers must prove their scheme's finances. Proposals that meet the affordable housing and infrastructure requirements will not face viability testing. Where a developer offers less than policy requires, they must submit a fully transparent, unredacted open book financial viability assessment, independently reviewed at the applicant's expense. If contributions are reduced, the Council will secure review mechanisms so that any later improvement in viability delivers extra affordable housing or infrastructure. The policy also guards against sites being split up to fall below the 10-home threshold.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires accessible homes on sites of 10 or more dwellings. On these sites, 25% of all homes must meet the Building Regulations M4(2) standard for accessible and adaptable dwellings, and a further 5% must meet the M4(3) wheelchair user standard, including 7% of affordable homes. Compliance should be shown in the Design and Access Statement. Figures are rounded down to the nearest home, so schemes below 20 homes will not need to provide M4(3) wheelchair-accessible dwellings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports self-build and custom housebuilding, where people commission or build their own homes. On sites of 50 or more dwellings, at least 5% of market homes must be provided as serviced plots for self or custom build, unless robust evidence shows a lower share is needed for viability. Plots must be marketed for at least 24 months; if unsold they should be offered to the Council or a Registered Provider before the developer can build them out as market housing. Each plot needs a plot passport setting out its key design rules.