The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Abbots Langley and Leavesden. Eleven housing sites are allocated, references H1 to H11, with a combined indicative capacity of around 550 homes. They range from small garage courts of five or six homes to larger sites such as land adjacent to Fraser Crescent and Woodside Road, with 249 homes, and land at Mansion House Equestrian Centre, with 98. Each site table sets out size, phasing, Green Belt status and requirements covering matters such as access, heritage, flooding and trees.
Transport & travel
Roads, rail, buses, walking and cycling, parking, EV charging and major schemes such as East West Rail and HS2.
224 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes the district and the issues the plan must tackle. Three Rivers covers about 88 square kilometres on the edge of London, with around 93,800 residents in 2021, projected to reach 98,919 by 2041 alongside a fast-growing over-65 population. It is among the least deprived areas in England, though pockets of deprivation exist, notably in South Oxhey. House prices averaged £594,000 in October 2025, making affordable housing a pressing need. Around 76% of the district is Green Belt, car dependency is high, and the council declared a climate emergency in 2019.
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 sets out the vision for Three Rivers as a desirable, prosperous district with sustainable settlements, a resilient economy and a high quality environment moving towards zero carbon. It lists the strategic objectives needed to deliver this, including a range of new homes with priority for rented affordable and family-sized housing, matching new jobs to new homes at a 1:1 ratio, making best use of previously developed land, and integrating infrastructure and sustainable transport. Other objectives cover heritage, climate change, biodiversity, open space, the district's rivers, good design, an ageing population, health and safeguarding the Green Belt.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes Buckinghamshire's location and geography. The county covers about 604 square miles and sits within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, linking London, Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge. It is served by the M40, M25 and M4 motorways, national rail services and London Underground connections, and is close to Heathrow and Luton airports. These connections, together with the Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape, shape where development can go.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section opens the Development Strategy chapter with the plan's vision for 2050. It pictures South Warwickshire as a flourishing, healthy and vibrant place where new settlements thrive alongside existing communities, with homes and jobs in accessible, well-connected locations and a bigger, greener economy driving towards net zero carbon. The vision is backed by strategic objectives, beginning with delivering infrastructure in the right place at the right time and providing homes that meet the needs of all communities, including affordable and specialist housing.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Bedmond. Three sites are allocated for around 138 homes in total: Church Hill Road (102 homes), 56 High Street (20 homes, with possible commercial space) and North Cott, East Lane (16 homes). All three are classed as grey belt land and remain within the Green Belt. Requirements include access improvements, heritage assessments near listed buildings, surface water flood mitigation and protection of trees covered by Tree Preservation Orders.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the overall growth level for the plan. It provides for 468 dwellings a year, at least 7,017 homes over the 15-year plan period, delivered in line with the spatial strategy. This is below the Government's standard method figure of 832 homes a year (12,480 in total), which the council says cannot be met without unacceptable harm to the Green Belt, infrastructure and the rural road network. Employment uses on allocated sites are safeguarded unless their loss is robustly justified, and the council will consider an early review of the plan if more growth could be accommodated sustainably.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy embeds the national presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning the council takes a positive approach and works with applicants to approve proposals wherever possible. All development must address a list of sustainability aims. These include cutting carbon emissions to help reach the council's net zero ambition by 2030 for its own emissions and district-wide net zero by 2045, avoiding flood risk, prioritising brownfield land, providing mixed housing including affordable homes, supporting town and village centres, locating development to reduce travel, delivering infrastructure, good design and managing pollution.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes transport and infrastructure. Buckinghamshire has strong road and rail links, and major projects such as HS2 and East West Rail, including a new station at Winslow, will shape future connectivity. However, parts of the network are at or near capacity, east-west links are limited and rural public transport is patchy. Transport accounts for about 51% of the county's carbon emissions. Healthcare, education, utilities and digital infrastructure also face pressures, so development needs to be matched by timely infrastructure delivery.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers health and wellbeing. Buckinghamshire performs well on many health measures, but inequalities remain, with life expectancy in the most deprived areas about 5.4 years lower than in the least deprived. The design and accessibility of places, and access to green space, services and sustainable transport, all influence health. The Plan aims to support healthy, inclusive communities through well-designed places, supported by the Buckinghamshire Design Code.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the overall Development Strategy, which directs large-scale growth to the most sustainable locations. Seven spatial options were narrowed through consultation to a hybrid strategy based on sustainable travel and the economy, and three priority areas were mapped using proximity to urban land, rail and bus stops, jobs and community needs. Growth broadly follows the A46 corridor and is focused on a small number of strategic sites and new settlements. Because many sustainable locations sit in the Green Belt, the plan carefully releases some Green Belt land.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all new development to achieve high quality design that strengthens local distinctiveness and creates a sense of place, with poor design refused. Schemes must respond to local character, make efficient use of land, and connect well to existing streets. A landscape-led approach is required, including tree-lined streets, with landscape schemes and at least five years of maintenance plans. Development must protect neighbours' amenity, design out crime using Secured by Design principles, be accessible to all, and provide appropriate parking, cycle storage and refuse facilities.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 2, on climate change. It supports the move to a net zero carbon Buckinghamshire by 2050, directing growth to the most sustainable locations and designing development to cope with flooding and climate extremes. Transport causes 51% of the county's emissions. Areas at higher flood risk include parts of South Bucks, the Thames near Wycombe, east of Aylesbury and around Buckingham. Development is steered first to sites with the lowest flood risk.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Chorleywood. Eight housing sites are allocated, references H18 to H26 (there is no H19), with a combined indicative capacity of around 217 homes. The largest are Land at Chorleywood Station (81 homes), North Hill Farm (57 homes) and Hill Farm, Stag Lane (40 homes); the smallest include garage sites and Chorleywood Library at five homes each. Site tables cover size, phasing, Green Belt or grey belt status and site-specific requirements such as access, heritage and flood mitigation.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section repeats the opening of Policy DS.2, the Spatial Development Strategy. It states that development will be focused at new settlements and within or next to existing built-up areas, at a scale that supports services and infrastructure. Delivery rests on five principles: using brownfield land first, concentrating greenfield growth into larger strategic areas, choosing locations near facilities in line with 20-minute neighbourhood principles, building at efficient densities, and promoting walking, cycling and public transport.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 6, on infrastructure. It aims to provide the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time, including transport, schools, healthcare, utilities and green spaces. Evidence shows some services, such as healthcare and special educational needs provision, are already stretched. Of 73 wastewater treatment works serving the county, 41 are likely to be close to or over their permits by 2045. A Settlement Review places settlements into five tiers, with Aylesbury and High Wycombe in the top tier.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the spatial strategy for development to 2050. It prioritises previously developed urban land, concentrates greenfield growth into larger strategic areas so infrastructure can be delivered, favours locations near existing facilities based on 20-minute neighbourhood principles, requires efficient densities and promotes walking, cycling and public transport. It names two new communities, at Hatton and Long Marston Airfield, plus Strategic Growth Locations including Bidford-on-Avon, Bishop's Tachbrook, Henley-in-Arden, Kenilworth, three sites around Leamington Spa and land south of Coventry.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 7, on new jobs. It aims to grow and diversify the economy by providing the right employment opportunities in the right places, supporting sectors such as high-performance technology, space, film, life sciences and medical technology. Evidence indicates a need for around 100 hectares of employment land over the plan period, much of it for industrial and warehousing space. The Plan protects existing employment areas and supports new sites in sustainable locations.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 8, on transport and digital connectivity. It aims to improve connections across and beyond the county through new sustainable transport infrastructure, safe walking and cycling routes, better public transport and improved digital coverage. Modelling shows planned growth will significantly increase traffic, especially around Aylesbury and High Wycombe. East West Rail will improve links in the north, while HS2 passes through without stopping. Many rural residents rely on cars, so the location of development is critical.
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 section sets out the site allocations for Croxley Green. Five housing sites are allocated with a combined indicative capacity of around 300 homes. The largest are Land at Croxley Station on Watford Road (163 homes) and Cinnamond House (80 homes), alongside smaller sites at garages off Grove Crescent (19), Land at Barton Way (8) and Land South of Scots Hill (30). Each site table lists size, phasing, whether land is greenfield or brownfield, Green Belt status and detailed requirements for future applications.
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 the strategy for economic growth. The Plan must allocate at least 219 hectares of employment land to 2045, and after committed sites are counted, about 147 hectares of additional land is allocated. Major locations include expansion at Westcott Venture Park and new employment land at the Winslow, Buckingham and Turweston new settlements, plus town centre sites in Aylesbury and High Wycombe. Research and development floorspace is strongly supported, and no new employment development is allowed in the highest flood risk zone (Flood Zone 3b).
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy keeps Rickmansworth town centre and the district centres of South Oxhey, Chorleywood and Abbots Langley as the focus for shops, leisure and other town centre uses. Ground floors in primary shopping areas must keep active frontages that support the centre's vitality, while homes above shops are supported in principle. Local centres should meet day-to-day shopping needs. A retail impact assessment is only needed for schemes of more than 2,500 square metres of new retail floorspace outside the defined retail hierarchy, and shop fronts should suit the character of the area.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Garston. One site is allocated: Land North of Bucknalls Lane, a 5.8 hectare site for housing and employment with an indicative capacity of 144 homes. The northern part of the site is to be used for employment. The land was removed from the Green Belt during the plan process. The site table also sets out phasing and the constraints, such as buffers and flood mitigation, that any future application must address.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Hunton Bridge. A single housing site is allocated: Land at Mill Place, with an indicative capacity of 10 homes. The site table records its size, phasing and Green Belt status, together with the site-specific requirements and constraints, including access, heritage and flood risk matters, that future proposals must take into account.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports town centre regeneration, particularly in Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycombe, by directing development to brownfield sites within town centres. Proposals on key sites must take a comprehensive, design-led approach that supports the Buckinghamshire Regeneration Framework, provides business space, delivers high-quality public realm and enhances heritage. Losing or reconfiguring public car parks requires evidence of parking demand and suitable alternatives. Proposals for main town centre uses outside defined centres must pass a sequential test, which checks town centre sites first.