Reaction to the Local Plan
Statement on the Local Plan
The recently published Local Plan documents will shock many Beaconsfield residents. I share your alarm.
Let me be blunt about what is driving this. The Labour Government is imposing 95,500 new homes on Buckinghamshire which could see up to a 50% increase in population in our county over the plan period - with not a penny for infrastructure. No school places, no GP capacity, no road improvements.
The focus of the Labour Government on Buckinghamshire is reinforced by the fact that just days ago the Labour Housing Minister wrote directly to our Council reinforcing pressure on us to deliver the local plan to our current timetable.
For Beaconsfield, this means land around our town has potentially been identified as “grey belt” and is being potentially considered for release from the Green Belt. I find this deeply concerning. I recognise that the Green Belt review is a requirement imposed by Labour’s changes to the NPPF and I am pleased to see that Buckinghamshire Council has indicated that it has applied what it is required to do in a way which is specific for Buckinghamshire. I will be reviewing the grey belt methodology in detail now that the documents have been published.
I am pressing the Council to exhaust all brownfield options first and above all else, that when we reach the stage in the plan of site allocations later this year there is a credible infrastructure plan to support them. I expect the Council to get this right for Beaconsfield.
Without a Local Plan, we are even more exposed. Developers are already winning appeals - 120 homes approved at Broad Lane, with another being conceded at Beeches Park. Our housing land supply stands at less than one year.
The Government must reduce these targets and fund our infrastructure.
In every Council meeting I have relentlessly defended Beaconsfield’s greenbelt and this will never change.
Your voice matters - please engage with the consultation. You can submit comments in the link below or write to Draft Local Plan Consultation, Planning Policy, Buckinghamshire Council, Walton Street Offices, Walton Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1UA.
https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/planning/2aa4b313/
I will be publishing further detail on the specific Beaconsfield sites once I have reviewed the full documents.
