Archived press release

Date Published: 19/12/07

A £10.7 million cash boost spread over the next three years has been announced to help Aylesbury Vale prepare for the new communities which are set to be built in the area. The money is being given to the Vale to help with the initial fundi...

A £10.7 million cash boost spread over the next three years has been announced to help Aylesbury Vale prepare for the new communities which are set to be built in the area.

The money is being given to the Vale to help with the initial funding of some of the many infrastructure projects required to ensure the successful provision of the new homes programme.

A total of £4.8 million has been confirmed for 2008/9, with an indicative allocation of £5.9 million earmarked for the following two years.

The new funding comes from a £732 million national allocation announced by government housing minister Yvette Cooper. The minister also announced a further £200 million to be made available through the Community Infrastructure Fund for transport schemes to support housing growth projects.

Aylesbury Vale has been identified as an area for significant housing growth in the south east over the next two decades. The government has set a target of 1,060 homes (on average) to be built in the district each year until 2026.

The Vale will need to have the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure the successful integration of the growth programme, including infrastructure schemes, improved communications and transport, and employment and environmental initiatives.

Aylesbury Vale Advantage (AVA), the organisation charged with overseeing growth in the Vale, is working with Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council to ensure that the provision of public facilities matches that of new development.

Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Chairman of Aylesbury Vale Advantage, said: “We are very pleased to receive government backing to our programme of development. We shall work with our partners to implement a first year investment plan whilst preparing a refreshed development programme in the spring to ensure further funds are attracted to our key priorities.”

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning at AVDC, said: “We are pleased that the government has recognised the need for infrastructure funding. This £10.7 million is good news for Aylesbury Vale in that it will enable us to go ahead with initial projects to help deliver much-needed infrastructure. If we are to provide these new homes then we need to ensure that the infrastructure is provided before, or at least at the same time as, the homes are developed.

“We must now sit down with our partners and identify how to make the best use of the funding for the benefit of present and future residents of Aylesbury Vale. The council will continue to vigorously pursue funding from the government to ensure that we have the necessary infrastructure in place to cope with future growth.”