Infrastructure & utilities

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 293.6-hectare site adjoining Haddenham for a minimum of 6,610 homes, with around 3,545 in the plan period, plus 7 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and 3,500 sqm of town centre uses. It requires three primary schools, a secondary school, improved access to Haddenham and Thame Parkway station and better bus services. Development must integrate Snakemoor Nature Reserve, protect Haddenham Conservation Area, and manage odour and other impacts from the nearby wastewater treatment works. A site-wide masterplan is required.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out a 217.5-hectare site south-west of Buckingham for a minimum of 4,700 homes, with around 2,235 in the plan period, plus 10 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, about 1.7 hectares of employment land and around 2,000 sqm of town centre uses. It requires three primary schools, a secondary school and the Buckingham South Spine Road linking the A413 to the A421. Development must protect the setting of Gawcott Conservation Area with a green buffer, manage flood risk around the River Great Ouse and Padbury Brook, and follow a site-wide masterplan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 177.2-hectare urban extension to Princes Risborough delivering up to 2,895 homes within the plan period, plus 11 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and a local centre with 300 to 400 sqm of shops and around 500 sqm of business space. A central requirement is the Princes Risborough Relief Road, a complete new alternative route to the A4010. The site must also provide two primary schools, contributions to secondary education, a green corridor along the Crowbrook, and keep a gap between the town and Longwick.

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 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 allocation creates a new settlement on a 381.6-hectare site in north Buckinghamshire, next to the Milton Keynes boundary. It will deliver a minimum of 8,230 homes, with around 3,200 in the plan period to 2045 and the rest beyond, plus 15 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and around 2,500 sqm of town centre uses. Requirements include four primary schools, two secondary schools, the Whaddon Bypass and a spine road network. Green gaps must keep Beachampton, Nash and Whaddon separate, and Ancient Woodland must be protected with buffers.

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 allocation covers around 92.8 hectares at South Aylesbury for approximately 1,350 homes and 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, made up of five land parcels planned together. It requires a 2FE primary school, a local centre, a community building with a possible police touchdown facility, and 50% green infrastructure. Land is safeguarded for the Aylesbury Southeast Link Road, now under construction, with financial contributions towards it. Detailed flood modelling is required, including measures to help protect Stoke Mandeville Hospital from surface water flooding.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers land off Amersham Road, including Tralee Farm, at Hazlemere for an assumed 350 homes. The layout must keep a sense of separation between Hazlemere and Holmer Green, and the existing orchard, woodland at Badger Way and field boundaries should be retained and linked by green space. Access would come from the A404 and Wycombe Road, with walking and cycling routes through the site. The development must also fund the extra primary school places it creates.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation describes Salden Chase, a roughly 145 hectare new community at Newton Longville delivering up to 1,855 homes plus 60 extra care housing units. It includes about 2.07 hectares of employment land, a primary school with pre-school, a secondary school on 5.2 hectares, a neighbourhood centre, a GP surgery and 53.67 hectares of green open space. Road access comes from three points, with walking, cycling and bus links to Bletchley and Milton Keynes. Outline planning permission has already been granted, and part of the land is safeguarded for East West Rail.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation describes Shenley Park at Whaddon, a landscape-led new neighbourhood of about 99 hectares delivering at least 1,265 homes, a 110-bed care home or extra care facility, a primary school and a mixed-use local centre with healthcare. It requires a link road between the A421 and the Milton Keynes grid roads, improved buses and walking and cycling routes. A countryside buffer must protect Whaddon village, and ancient woodland including Thrift Wood must be retained. Development must follow a comprehensive masterplan and the Shenley Park Development Brief.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation sets out an assumed 1,250 homes on around fifty-two hectares near Cheddington station, which has direct trains to Milton Keynes in under 20 minutes and London Euston in about 50 minutes. It includes a primary school, a section of the Horton Bypass, a new railway bridge with a westbound road, and a 30mph limit on the B488. A landscape buffer must protect the neighbouring hamlet of Horton, and suitable natural green space is expected to be provided on site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports an assumed 365 homes on 9.15 hectares off Station Road, west of Cheddington village. The scheme must make good use of the station location and contribute to shared infrastructure, including the Horton bypass, a new railway bridge, a bus route to Aylesbury via Wingrave, and walking and cycling routes. The protected tree-lined frontage on Station Road must be kept and improved. Development must not prejudice the larger planned new settlement at Cheddington, and mitigation for the Chilterns Beechwoods protected area is required.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports the continued growth of Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath as a Strategic Employment Area and a hub of national and international importance for film, television and the creative industries. The main use will be creative industries production, along with supporting facilities, research, training and related digital uses such as data centres. Other uses will only be allowed if it is robustly shown there is no reasonable prospect of keeping the site for creative industry uses. Development must also improve sustainable transport links and protect wildlife at the neighbouring Black Park Country Park.

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 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 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 supports affordable homes on Rural Exception Sites, which are sites next to villages that would not normally get planning permission for housing. Schemes must meet a clearly evidenced local need, be of a size that suits the settlement, have access to local services, and be owned and managed by a Registered Provider so the homes stay affordable in perpetuity. A small amount of market housing may be allowed only where robust evidence shows a 100% affordable scheme would not be viable, and only at the minimum level needed.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy guides development on windfall sites, meaning unallocated sites that come forward unexpectedly within settlements. Development will be permitted where its scale, density and character fit the existing settlement, either within the built-up area or by consolidating the settlement pattern without harm. Proposals must not cause settlements to merge, must avoid significant harm to landscape, heritage, biodiversity and open space, and must have the infrastructure capacity to support them. The policy includes criteria for judging whether a site counts as being within a settlement.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the requirements for data centre proposals. Applicants must show that enough electrical grid capacity can be secured, that electricity, digital connectivity and water needs can be met, and that noise, air quality and visual impacts are properly mitigated. Back-up generators should not use diesel, and sustainable heating and cooling should be used where feasible. In sensitive locations such as the Green Belt, applicants must show the development cannot go in a less sensitive place, and all proposals must evidence the need for the facility and its local economic benefits.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects water quality in rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater. Development will only be supported where it does not harm surface or underground water bodies, and proposals should look for chances to improve water quality. Schemes affecting designated wildlife sites or water catchments must show how quality will be maintained and pressure on the wastewater network reduced. Extra safeguards apply in Drinking Water Safeguard Zones and Source Protection Zones, including restrictions on soakaways and infiltration drainage, and a Water Framework Directive assessment is required where development could harm a waterbody.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires development to deliver high-quality green infrastructure, the network of green spaces, trees, waterways and other natural features that benefits wildlife, flood management, health and recreation. Residential schemes of more than ten dwellings, or over 1,000 square metres of floorspace, must meet Natural England's Accessible Green Space standards and submit a Green Infrastructure Statement. These standards aim for good quality green space within a 15-minute walk of home. Green infrastructure must be managed for at least 30 years after completion, with arrangements to secure its management in perpetuity.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy resists the loss of existing accessible green space, including allotments, and the transfer of public green infrastructure into private gardens. Loss will be refused unless an assessment against Natural England's standards proves the space is surplus, the land makes no positive contribution to appearance, recreation or wildlife, it contains no priority habitats or species, and there is no cumulative harm to the local area. Any green space lost must be replaced with equivalent or better provision within the catchment of the space lost.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out what development must do in or near the Colne Valley Regional Park, a park of over 10,000 hectares in the east of the county established in 1967. Development should maintain and enhance the park's landscape, waterways and biodiversity, provide countryside recreation that is accessible to all, and improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes. It should also support the rural economy, encourage community participation and help reduce pollution to the River Colne. A possible extension of the park to cover Fulmer parish is being considered.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all new developments, except householder applications, to follow a vision-led approach to transport that prioritises walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport before car use. Larger sites must provide safe walking and cycling routes, including safe routes to schools within statutory walking distance (2 miles for under 8s, 3 miles for over 8s), and fund new or improved bus services for at least five years. Requirements also cover travel plans, car clubs, mobility hubs, and changing and shower facilities in non-residential buildings over 2,500 square metres. Developments must not have an unacceptable impact on highway or rail safety.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy safeguards land for planned road schemes so that development cannot block their delivery. The protected schemes include several Aylesbury link roads, the Wing West Link Road, Buckingham South Link Road, Princes Risborough Relief Road, Whaddon and Horton bypasses, A421 capacity improvements and Winslow link roads. Development that would prejudice these schemes, or the Transport Improvement Lines shown on the council's website, will not be supported. Major sites must also identify, protect and help deliver strategic transport infrastructure where evidence shows it is critical.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires development to be supported by adequate infrastructure, such as schools, healthcare, transport and utilities. Development will only be permitted where capacity already exists or the scheme delivers or funds what is needed, with delivery timed to match the growth it serves. Land must be safeguarded where infrastructure cannot be provided straight away, and linked sites must plan infrastructure jointly. A related policy (IN2) requires developments of 10 or more dwellings to provide healthcare and education infrastructure or financial contributions, calculated using set methodologies.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires developments to show they will have adequate water supply, foul drainage and sewage treatment capacity before homes are occupied, with phasing conditions used to enforce this. New buildings are expected to connect to mains drainage. The evidence shows 34 wastewater treatment works need upgrades to accommodate planned growth. A related policy (IN4) safeguards two strategic water sites: land at Galley Lane near Stoke Hammond for the Grand Union Canal water transfer project, and land west of Iver for a possible new drinking water treatment works.