The Local Plan for Buckinghamshire
Background
A Local Plan shows where development can happen, and protected places where it needs to be carefully controlled.
The Local Plan is the prime consideration when determining planning applications, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. A material consideration is a matter that should be taken into account in deciding a planning application or an appeal.
It draws up rules, known as policies, for how development happens. Development policies can cover a wide range of things that development must do, such as:
- building the right number and size of homes
- creating good places to live, which include shops and places to play
- contributing to the infrastructure needed to serve the homes, such as roads, schools, and health facilities
- protecting the environment by supporting wildlife, beautiful landscapes and historic places, and managing flood risk
A Local Plan also provides an opportunity for us to set out how we intend to manage current growth issues and address new and emerging agendas.
Local Plan aims
A Local Plan aims to deliver sustainable development through:
- meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of Buckinghamshire
- better quality places
- more comprehensive and predictable delivery of all kinds of infrastructure
It brings benefits for people who live, work, or visit here, through:
- making sure there are enough of the right homes and workplaces
- getting the infrastructure in the right place at the right time
- delivering better deals from developers on the obligations arising from their proposals
It brings efficiencies for us through:
- making prompt planning decisions
- fewer planning appeals and so lower costs
We have done more work on these aims and how they can be met. You can see this in the work already underway.
Local Plan work already underway
Work is currently underway to produce the Local Plan for Buckinghamshire. We are assessing sites, commissioning evidence studies and drafting policies.
Following national planning reforms and the need to plan for more housing, we are undertaking an additional call for sites engagement exercise. Further information regarding this can be found on our tell us about a site for development webpage.
We have also done the following:
We used a questionnaire survey to start early discussions and find out the issues that local residents and organisations think are important in shaping the future of the area.
The survey ended on 11 February 2022. View details of the survey and how we involved residents and other organisations in the Statement of Consultation (PDF, 770 KB).
We asked the public and organisations to complete a questionnaire. This was to find out opinions on our draft Local Plan vision and objectives for Buckinghamshire up to 2040. We asked for suggested changes. The questionnaire also covered the draft vision and objectives for the Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP 5).
This draft vision and objectives were developed from responses received through the Local Plan Questionnaire Survey 2021 to 2022.
The survey ended on 4 June 2023.
The responses to this questionnaire are being considered and will inform the next stage of the Local Plan.
See the draft vision and objectives (PDF, 165 KB).
In 2021 we carried out 2 'call for brownfield sites' engagement exercises, asking residents to submit previously developed land for consideration.
Following an initial assessment, we concluded that not all these sites will be suitable, achievable and available.
Between June and September 2022, we carried out a separate ‘wider call for sites’ exercises. Over the three exercises we received over 1,000 sites which are currently being assessed.
After a new national policy was introduced that changed the way we calculate our housing need for Buckinghamshire, increasing our local housing need figure significantly under the government's revised standard methodology (December 2024), we carried out a fourth call for sites, called 2025 Call for sites, from 12 of March until the 23 of April.
View more information on how to tell us about a site for development.
We have now completed a Scoping Report for the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the Local Plan for Buckinghamshire (PDF, 6.38 MB).
Also completed is a Habitat Regulations Assessment Scoping Report (HRA) of the Local Plan for Buckinghamshire (PDF, 4.15 MB).
The Scoping Reports are evidence that will inform the future preparation of options for a new local plan and then the drafting of the new local plan.
In addition to the Local Plan, we're preparing a range of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). These SPDs add guidance for interpreting and implementing the policies included in the legacy district council Local Plans.