Nature & environment

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 The old district plans are increasingly out of date, and national policy has changed.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 explains how the plan is being prepared. The councils have based their strategy on technical evidence and feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders, working within national planning policy. A Sustainability Appraisal tests the social, environmental and economic effects of the options, and a Habitats Regulations Assessment checks that proposals will not significantly harm protected species or habitats. Equalities and health assessments have also been prepared, and the councils have worked with neighbouring authorities on cross-boundary issues such as unmet housing need.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers the environment and landscape. About 32% of Buckinghamshire is Metropolitan Green Belt and around 27% lies within the Chilterns National Landscape. The county has around 180 conservation areas, close to 6,000 listed buildings, and nationally important chalk streams. It faces pressures from flood risk, rising temperatures, water supply and treatment constraints, and biodiversity loss. Balancing new development with protecting these assets is a major challenge for the Plan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains sustainable development and the plan's approach of Environmental Net Gain (ENG). Sustainable development means meeting today's needs without compromising future generations. ENG aims to leave the local environment better off than legal biodiversity rules alone require, covering carbon, soils, water, air quality, flood management and green spaces. ENG is an ambition rather than a mandatory requirement, but it is embedded across many policies, marked with a special symbol, and counts as a material consideration when shaping development proposals.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full wording and reasoning behind Policy DS.1 on environmental mitigation and compensation. Compensation is only supported where avoidance and mitigation are not achievable and where measures are deliverable, secured and managed long term. Off-site measures should align with local priorities such as the Warwickshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The policy extends the national mitigation hierarchy beyond biodiversity to other natural assets and ecosystem services, and it does not override statutory tests on heritage, flood risk or biodiversity.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 1, on the natural and built environment. It aims to conserve and enhance Buckinghamshire's natural, historic and built environments and protect them from inappropriate development. This includes sustaining rural character, protecting the Chilterns National Landscape and Green Belt, improving water quality in rivers and rare chalk streams, and respecting heritage assets. The county has three Special Areas of Conservation, around 180 conservation areas and close to 6,000 listed buildings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the strategy for economic growth. It aims to support a resilient, sustainable and competitive economy by ensuring enough land is available in the right locations to meet employment needs. It seeks to grow high-value, high-productivity sectors by identifying and protecting well-connected strategic employment sites, in line with the Buckinghamshire Economic Growth Plan, and to support the regeneration of town centres as economic hubs.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out retail and leisure provision. It makes provision for 59,210 sqm of floorspace for retail, food and drink, and leisure and cultural uses by 2035. Needs are met first through sites already built or with permission, then by reducing town centre vacancy rates to 10%, which can provide at least 14,300 sqm, mainly in High Wycombe and Aylesbury. The Plan also allocates around 10,100 sqm of new retail space, and large development sites must provide local centres for day-to-day needs.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the infrastructure policy: making sure new development is backed by coordinated, resilient transport, telecoms, utilities and waste facilities. It sets out how the policy will work in practice through the detailed rules in Chapter 7, which cover things like transport requirements, parking, public rights of way, water and telecoms infrastructure, plus wider policies on design, biodiversity, flooding and drainage.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the renewable energy policy: supporting the move to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future through energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and careful use of natural resources. It describes how delivery will be supported by the detailed Chapter 7 policies on matters such as water, flooding, biodiversity, landscape, Green Belt, design and heritage, so that renewable energy schemes are well located and protect Buckinghamshire's environment.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the community facilities policy: making sure communities can reach the services, facilities and social infrastructure they need. It describes how the policy will be delivered through the detailed Chapter 7 rules on infrastructure delivery, health impact assessment, community, sport and leisure facilities, food growing and fast food outlets, alongside wider policies on design, transport, biodiversity and flooding, so facilities are accessible and support healthy, inclusive communities.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the natural environment policy: conserving and enhancing Buckinghamshire's biodiversity, landscapes, water and green spaces while strengthening resilience to climate change. It sets out how delivery will run through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on matters such as water quality, biodiversity gain, green infrastructure, trees, protected sites, Green Belt, landscape character, flood risk and drainage.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out how the Council will protect and improve the natural environment and respond to climate change. It commits to conserving the Chilterns National Landscape, delivering at least 10% biodiversity net gain on qualifying developments, and supporting nature recovery through the local strategy. It also covers protecting water quality, aiming for good status in rivers and groundwater by 2027, directing growth to places that reduce car travel, using sustainable drainage, adopting higher water efficiency standards, and supporting renewable energy.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the placemaking policy: securing high-quality, sustainable development that responds to Buckinghamshire's character, heritage and landscape. It describes how delivery will work through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on design, residential amenity and space standards, together with wider rules on heritage, community facilities, transport, biodiversity, landscape and flooding, so new places are attractive, healthy, well connected and resilient.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the heritage policy: conserving and enhancing Buckinghamshire's historic environment as an irreplaceable resource that supports local character and identity. It sets out how delivery will run through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on conservation areas, heritage assets and design, alongside wider rules on amenity, transport, biodiversity, landscape and flooding, so historic buildings and places are protected as part of sustainable growth.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the healthy communities policy: promoting healthy, inclusive and safe places and helping to reduce health inequalities across Buckinghamshire. It describes how delivery will work through the detailed Chapter 7 policies on health impact assessment, community and sports facilities, food growing and fast food outlets, plus wider rules on design, transport, green infrastructure and environmental quality.

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 section introduces the green and blue infrastructure chapter. Green infrastructure means natural, cultivated or designed assets such as trees, woodlands, hedgerows and open spaces. Blue infrastructure means water features such as rivers, streams, wetlands, ponds and canals, and some features, like floodplains, can be both. The policies here support strategic objectives including timely infrastructure, attractive places, better quality of life, connecting people to places and protecting environmental assets.

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 explains the green and blue infrastructure policy and sets measurable standards. Major developments must provide a green and blue infrastructure strategy. Commercial schemes must achieve an Urban Greening Factor score of at least 0.3 and residential schemes at least 0.4. Tree canopy must cover at least 14% of commercial sites and 20% of residential sites, or improve on existing cover if that is greater. These networks support wildlife, manage flood risk, store carbon and provide accessible space for recreation.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers a 113-hectare site at south-west Aylesbury for 1,400 homes and 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, with a 2FE primary school, on-site health and community facilities, a linear park and sports pitches. It requires a Southwest Link Road connecting the Stoke Mandeville relief road to the A418 Oxford Road, plus strategic flood defences and drainage. Outline permission was granted in May 2026, with construction expected from 2028, delivering fifty homes initially then 140 per year. A buffer is needed against noise from HS2.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the framework for new large-scale renewable energy generation and storage, covering solar farms, wind, battery storage, bioenergy, hydrogen, heat networks and hydro energy. Proposals must follow national policy, avoid or mitigate significant harm, use land efficiently and take a whole-system approach linking generation with storage and wider energy infrastructure. Applicants should show proportionate local community benefits. A land use hierarchy applies: brownfield land first, then lower-grade farmland, with the best and most versatile agricultural land used only where no reasonable alternative exists.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets detailed requirements for different types of large renewable energy scheme. Solar farms on brownfield land are supported where contamination is addressed and impacts such as glint, glare and noise are avoided. On greenfield land, developers must justify the site, avoid prominent ridgelines and high-value habitats, keep hedgerows and show the best farmland is not needed for food production. Solar is also supported on former quarries, capped landfill, marginal land, transport corridors and car park canopies. Wind energy should go on brownfield or lower-grade agricultural land.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section continues the detailed renewable energy requirements. Wind schemes on the best farmland need a sequential site assessment and must allow farming to continue on most of the site. Battery storage must show fire safety measures and should sit near substations or grid nodes. Major developments must be heat network ready where a district heat network exists or is planned. Farm bioenergy must use genuine waste rather than energy crops, and hydrogen, hydro and carbon capture schemes each have their own safety and location tests.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation covers Gomm Valley and Ashwells in High Wycombe for an assumed 646 homes, 1.2 hectares of employment land and a one-form entry primary school. Development must be landscape-led and keep an undeveloped gap of at least 200 metres between High Wycombe and Tylers Green. The valley contains sensitive wildlife sites, including Gomm Valley SSSI, ancient woodland and chalk grassland, so buffers and a significant biodiversity net gain are required. A traffic-calmed spine road linking Cock Lane and Gomm Road is needed, and parts of the site already have planning permission.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This allocation supports an assumed 100 homes at Abbey Barn North, High Wycombe, designed to fit the site's bowl-shaped, sloping landscape. Conventional houses with gardens are not considered appropriate; innovative homes set within the landscape are required instead. The plans require a buffer of at least 15 metres to Deangarden Wood, retention of chalk grassland, new footpaths, cycle and bridleway links, and contributions to road, bus and path improvements. A development brief has already been prepared for the site.

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 supports an assumed 1,240 homes on around thirty-one hectares west of Shenley Park, Whaddon, continuing the planned expansion to the east. It includes a primary school for 210 pupils with a 30 place nursery. Two ancient woodlands, Thickbare Wood and Coddimoorhill Wood, need protective buffers of 50 metres, and an archaeological dig of a Roman settlement must inform the layout. Detailed traffic modelling, likely including improvements to the A421, and extensive flood risk work are also required.