Infrastructure & utilities

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 section gives the detailed rules and reasoning for rural exception sites. Housing need must be evidenced by a proper survey of residents, normally valid for five years, with future occupiers showing a strong local connection through birth, residence, work or family. Some market housing may be allowed to make a scheme viable or meet a surveyed local need, but never more than 50% of the homes. A Section 106 agreement will secure occupancy, tenure and long-term management. The policy exists because high prices and restricted supply make affordable housing especially hard to deliver in rural areas.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full specialised housing policy and its evidence. It includes affordable housing rules for older persons' schemes: 37% for retirement or sheltered housing and 21% for extra care housing, both subject to viability, with none required from care and nursing homes. It describes the main types of older persons' housing, from age-restricted market homes through to nursing homes. The over-65 population is projected to grow 53% in Stratford-on-Avon and 43% in Warwick by 2050, creating a need for around 3,592 housing-with-support units, 1,361 housing-with-care units and 1,707 care bedspaces.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports Build to Rent housing, which is purpose-built rental housing kept under single ownership. Schemes must provide high quality homes that contribute to mixed and balanced communities, be under unified ownership and management with on-site management, and consist of self-contained homes let separately. A Section 106 legal agreement will secure the management and letting arrangements, covenants and any clawback if homes are sold early. Affordable homes must be provided as Affordable Private Rent at the levels set in Policy HO.3.

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.

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 section explains the non-residential net zero policy in detail. Buildings must not use fossil fuels except for safety-critical backup, and schemes of 1,000 square metres or more should follow an assured performance method through design and construction. Where on-site renewables fall short, developers must pay an offset contribution, starting at £2.03 per kWh, ring-fenced for local renewable energy projects. Building-mounted solar panels are preferred, standalone commercial power stations do not count towards the target, and accurate energy prediction methods such as Passivhaus Planning Package or CIBSE TM54 are required rather than standard building regulations calculations.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy tackles embodied carbon, the emissions created by making materials and constructing buildings. Demolishing a building of 100 square metres or more must be justified, for example on feasibility or poor energy efficiency grounds. Major schemes of 10 or more homes or 1,000 square metres should set out the steps taken to reduce embodied carbon. Large schemes of at least 100 homes or 5,000 square metres must submit a calculation using the RICS Whole Life Carbon method, meeting upfront carbon targets of 600 kgCO2e per square metre for houses and non-residential buildings and 500 for flats.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full requirements of Policy NZ.7 on local energy systems for major development. Applicants must submit a feasibility and viability assessment covering heat networks, on-site renewables, heat pumps, storage and embodied carbon. They must also carry out thermal masterplanning, which maps heat demand and safeguards routes for future energy infrastructure. A clear order of preference applies for heating, starting with connection to a heat network and ending with other systems only where better options are unworkable. Schemes must also plan for grid capacity, energy resilience and long-term management.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the policy on local energy systems for minor development. As well as encouraging measures such as solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage, it supports sharing energy infrastructure across neighbouring sites where this causes no unacceptable harm to amenity, landscape or the environment. Energy equipment must be sensitively designed to limit impacts on landscape, heritage, noise, air quality, biodiversity, flood risk and neighbours. The justification notes that decentralised energy helps achieve net zero, eases pressure on the electricity grid and avoids locking in high carbon systems.

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 sets out when a Health Impact Assessment is required with a planning application. The thresholds are residential schemes of 10 or more homes or 0.5 hectares, non-residential schemes of 1,000 square metres or 1 hectare, hot food takeaways within 400 metres of schools and places where young people gather, and betting shops. Developments causing significant harm to health, or the loss of educational, health, leisure or community facilities or public open space, will not be supported without mitigation. Local life expectancy slightly exceeds the England average.

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 section explains the policy on altering existing buildings. Replacement dwellings are only appropriate where the existing home is unsuitable for retention, and must be well sited, well designed and not significantly larger than the home replaced. The existing dwelling must have lawful use as a home and not have been demolished or abandoned before the application is decided. The justification notes that managing housing stock reduces the loss of homes, and that conversions can add to housing supply as windfall sites, though intensification can affect neighbours and local infrastructure.

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 section sets out road safety requirements and the reasoning behind them. In urban areas, residential streets should be designed for 20mph, with continuous footpaths and cycleways connecting to the surrounding network. In rural areas, new accesses need good visibility and speed reduction where necessary, with the needs of horse riders and farm vehicles considered. Warwickshire County Council aims to cut deaths and serious injuries on its roads by 50% by 2030, working towards zero by 2050.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes the proposed Hatton New Community, a 262-hectare new settlement delivering at least 4,558 homes, with 4,000 built by 2050 and up to 5,250 possible. It includes two primary schools, a secondary school, a district centre, three neighbourhood centres, 2 hectares of employment land and at least 25 hectares of open space. Development runs in three phases from 2032/33 to 2056/7, with a new spine road bridging the railway and canal, major upgrades to Hatton Station, and a minimum density of 40 homes per hectare.

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 section covers proposal BIT.2 at Red House Farm, south-west of Bishop's Tachbrook. The 160-hectare site provides around 121 hectares of strategic employment land, totalling 3,750,000 sq ft of floorspace mainly for logistics and industry. The developer will fund a new M40 junction to replace junctions 13 and 14, plus a dual carriageway link road to Warwick and Leamington. The scheme also includes a Park and Ride, a central mixed-use hub, 39 hectares of green and blue infrastructure, and a travelling showpersons yard of at least 6 plots. Delivery runs from 2027 to 2034/35.

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 section sets out proposal KEN.1, land south of Kenilworth delivering at least 776 homes on 60 hectares between 2029/30 and 2036/37, at a density of at least 35 homes per hectare. A significant green edge will maintain separation between Kenilworth and Leek Wootton. A spine road linking Rouncil Lane and Warwick Road must come early in the development. A buffer to the north-west protects sightlines from Kenilworth Castle, and the site sits in a mineral safeguarding area for sand and gravel.