Council agrees re-think on growth options

Archived press release

Date Published: 12/03/08

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s cabinet is to look again at proposals to build 9,300 homes to the south of Aylesbury.

At a meeting last night (11 March), the cabinet instructed planners to review the evidence behind the direction of growth options for Aylesbury and to reconsider whether a southern direction is the most suitable option for long-term development. This follows the cabinet’s decision in February to re-examine all the options for the growth of Aylesbury.

The cabinet members expressed concerns about the impact of thousands of new homes to the south of the town and the deliverability of infrastructure essential for growth.

Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, said: “The southern growth arc deserves further examination before we take a decision that will impact so strongly on the future of the Vale, and in particular Aylesbury. We have asked officers to re-examine all the evidence gathered so far to ensure that this option is the most feasible compared to other possible options.

“No decisions have been taken at this stage about which sites should be taken forward as potential allocations. It is vitally important we consider all the options at this stage and involve stakeholders in making sure we have the right information before any decisions are made.

“If we don’t look at all the possible sites, that would undermine the whole site selection process and could result in our plans being thrown out by an independent inspector later in the process. We will continue to listen to the concerns of local communities before the final decision is made.”

Council officers will present their findings to the cabinet at its next meeting on 15 April. The cabinet will then decide if any further study and survey work is necessary.

AVDC had identified the area of land between the A418 Oxford Road and the A41
Aston Clinton Road as its preferred option for long-term development and consulted local residents on the proposal last summer. This consultation resulted in a number of concerns being expressed about the choice of the southern growth arc as a possible location for development. Concerns were also raised over the transport infrastructure required to deliver a sustainable development.

The government requires Aylesbury Vale to expand by more than 20,000 new homes by 2026 and AVDC is putting together a set of new development documents, called the Local Development Framework (LDF), that will help guide and manage growth and change over the next 20 years.

Once the council has allocated sites for new housing, it will submit its plans to the government. At the same time it will also carry out a six week public consultation on the proposals.

- Ends -

Notes to editors:
This decision is subject to call-in. Any requests for call-in must be received by the Head of Administration by 5pm on 20 March.

For interviews, please contact:
• Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, 01296 585710
• Norman Skedge, Corporate Director (Development), 01296 585011