Local Plan
The Wycombe District Local Plan defines how future development should take place for the district and was adopted on 19 August 2019 after an extensive preparation and consultation process.
On its policies maps, the Local Plan allocates particular areas of land for development and designates other areas to be protected from development. It also includes a set of policies to guide the location and nature of development.
The Local Plan fully replaces two older plans - the Core Strategy (2008) and the previous Local Plan (2004). The Council has another plan, adopted in 2013, the Delivery and Site Allocations Plan (DSA), which has policies on town centres and some policies to be used in making decisions on planning applications (development management). That plan is still up to date and should be read alongside this plan.
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The Town Council's Response to the Risborough Expansion Plan
Princes Risborough Town Council’s (PRTC) consistent view that it remains opposed to inappropriate, mass development of Princes Risborough. However, given the context of central government requirements and the context of the threat of speculative development, a Local Plan is the sensible choice. As long as this Local Plan benefits Princes Risborough residents, now and in the future via a joined-up strategic plan and tangible, appropriate infrastructure benefits delivered in a timely manner. From a PRTC perspective, there still remain a number of unresolved questions relating to the SPD where insufficient detail has been provided by WDC to date. Specifically, this includes (but is not limited to) questions relating to the following areas of the Plan:
•Funding details including an update on the HIF bid
•Build-out rate and infrastructure delivery phasing
•Local centre details
•Relief road details•
The unacceptable delay in the delivery of the Culverton road link and impact on residents of Shootacre and Picts Lane.
•Delivery timings
•Traffic/rat running solutions for Mill Lane, Crowbrook Road and Askett Village Lane, and Shootacre including sources of funding and delivery timescales.
As the plan progresses PRTC requires WDC (now Buckinghamshire Council) to ensure the continued development of environmentally friendly policies. With particular reference to electric car charging points and walking and cycling connectivity.
We also would like to see the greater use of solar panels, and grey water recycling ground heat source pumps throughout and we also like to see installation and energy efficiency in the building of the new homes in PR. PRTC will like to see a far greater proportion of affordable homes focused on self-build, community land trust, starter homes, and shared ownership.
We would like more rigorous standards to be set for property developers to deliver different combinations of renewable energy technologies and improved insulation to achieve carbon savings. This would align with the UK’s legally binding target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Although PRTC recognises that it may not have been possible for Wycombe District Council (WDC) to fully develop and confirm some of the details relating to the above aspects of the SPD at this stage, PRTC is insisting on an ongoing collaborative and responsive dialogue with WDC to agree on these outstanding issues to the Town Council’s satisfaction. This expectation is based on recent meetings with WDC and commitments to collaborate with PRTC which have been made at these meetings by WDC officers. This constructive dialogue is seen as critical by PRTC, in order for WDC to retain the ongoing support of PRTC in the next phases of development and implementation of an adopted Local Plan.